If the recent case of a Malaysia Airlines stewardess getting the boot for having embraced motherhood is any measure of discrimination against women, then Malaysian women are in serious trouble.

The case of Beatrice Fernandez, who worked with MAS for 11 years before having her first child serves as a chilly reminder that all is not well in the country when it comes to matters of gender equality.

While it was no less an arduous task for Women, Family and Community Development Shahrizat Jalil to fight for the amendment to Article 8 (2) of Federal Constitution giving zero leverage for gender to be as a discriminatory factor, this effort seems to be little appreciated by our esteemed judges, after three Federal Court judges dismissed Beatrice's application for leave to appeal, giving her case no chance to be heard.

The all-male three judge panel decided that Article 8 (2) had no bearing on the case. Are these judges implying that Beatrice has no right under the constitution to seek redress?

Now, because of MAS' archaic management policies, a dedicated employee has ended up losing her job, simply because her former employer had no interest in practising gender-equality work ethics. And also because our constitution does not protect the people's basic rights.

It is apparent that for profit motivated companies like MAS, women serve merely as showpiece objects. The company's bigotry stand on discriminating between its female and male stewardess' reflects its lack of respect for the various laws in place prohibiting discrimination against women.