Budget lacks continuity from previous allocations - women groups

While some measures in Budget 2023 that targeted women and families appeared progressive, rights groups are saying there is a lack of continuity on allocations that have come before.

Sisters In Islam (SIS), when contacted by Malaysiakini, acknowledged the one-off financial aid for low-income families of up to RM2,500 for those earning less than RM2,500 per month with five children or more and RM1,000 for those with one to four children under Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM).

However, SIS pointed out these were not long-term solutions.

“While the cash aid is welcomed and may help ease some of the financial burdens, however, they are not a long-term solution to this issue.

“One-off financial aid has been given since the last budget and this is merely fulfilling the expectation. What we need now is a thorough analysis of how the Covid-19 pandemic affects families as a long-term solution,” said the group.

All Women’s Action Society (Awam) also deemed the move as a “short-term measure”.

“There are employment and reskilling/upskilling programmes covered under Budget 2023.

“There are also large budget allocations under Budget 2023 to continuing poverty eradication programmes, such as the Keluarga Malaysia Hardcore Poverty Eradication programme which has completed its first phase involving 70 localities nationwide this year and will move to its second phase in mid-October.

“It is thus crucial that the government undertake further efforts in ensuring these families not only have holistic access to these programmes but also fully benefit from them to achieve sustainable job and financial security,” said Awam Information & Communications Officer Jernell Tan Chia Ee.

‘Lack of data’

Tan noted that a few measures had been carried forward from the previous budget.

“There were a few agendas carried forward from Budget 2022, with similar allocations made for Budget 2023.

“There is a lack of data available on whether monitoring and evaluation of the impact from these allocations were conducted, and if yes, what were the gaps found that justify similar or increases in budget allocation made,” she said.

She cited subsidies for mammogram tests for breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings - which saw its allocations decrease from RM11.5 million in Budget 2022 to RM11mil this year.

“In this case, to justify the similar allocation for Budget 2023, it is important to know the number of beneficiaries from this initiative under Budget 2022, and how many women and/or girls are in need of these subsidies based on current data,” she said.

Further, she added that for the government to address the needs of women responsively, consistent monitoring and evaluation efforts have to be made, with allocations for new programmes or initiatives reflecting the findings of past efforts.

Gender-based violence

Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), in particular, drew attention to the “disappointingly” reduced resources channelled towards domestic and gender-based violence.

WAO highlighted the RM8mil for Pusat Sokongan Sosial Setempat (PSSS), compared to allocations last year towards the police's D11 Unit and shelters.

“This suggests that combating gender-based violence is of less priority to the administration, despite its sustained prevalence post-pandemic and clear impact on women’s livelihoods, an area that Budget 2023 attempted to address.

“Further, it remains to be seen how lessons learnt from previous budgetary allocations have informed this budget.

“Many allocations announced last year have not received sufficient monitoring and evaluation, including the D11 allocation and last year’s allocation towards introducing period products to 130,000 B40 youth to alleviate period poverty,” said WAO.

Gender-focal teams

The budget also saw allocations to form Gender Focal Teams in ministries and government agencies as well as the Anti-Sexual Harassment Tribunal - which have drawn positive remarks.

However, SIS warned that such gender-focal teams would require careful planning, implementation of policies, and the use of many resources.

“Does the budget include that as well? Does it meet the target of SDG2030 that is achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls?” questioned SIS.

On the issue, Tan from Awam said gender-responsive budgeting is a critical framework that needs to be institutionalised to ensure that the government’s policies, programmes, and initiatives address disparities in access to opportunities or resources.

On the Anti-Sexual Harassment tribunal, WAO told Malaysiakini it will be crucial to pay attention to its implementation to ensure it remains survivor-centric.

"Employment Act and Anti-Stalking Law reforms were not mentioned in Budget 2023, but it remains crucial to also monitor their implementation hand-in-hand with other measures expanding women’s rights in Malaysia," said WAO.

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