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GEORGE TOWN – Women coming out in support of other women is a not out of the ordinary, but recently, 100 male leaders from the state government and other agencies took to the streets to walk, in conjunction with Penang Goes Orange (PGO), a localised version of the International Orange Day campaign to end violence against women.
Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman led the pack of 10 physical participants at Bertam Stadium in Kepala Batas, while 90 others joined from their localities virtually.
“This ‘Virtual Walk’ event with 100 men symbolises that 100% of men should support efforts to stop domestic violence.
“So, today’s participants can be ‘role models’ for other men out there.
“More importantly, I call on all parties to support the Safe Family Policy and PGO to form a safe family in Penang.
“Although PGO is held in November and December every year, efforts to stop violence against women always need to be a priority.
“Stopping all forms of violence against women will not only protect women's rights but will also benefit children and men. The well-being of the family and the community is the responsibility of everyone.
“By doing this walk we hope to also raise awareness on what we are doing through the setting up of ‘first support points’ at all government service centres. We will be expanding it to include other accessible places like places of worship.
"With this, the ‘first support point’ will be in the community to please the victims of domestic violence for help and support. The state government has developed a Safe Family Policy to address domestic violence cases adopted in July 2020.
“With this campaign, Penang leads again in efforts to prevent violence against women. However, we hope that this campaign will also be picked up by others in Malaysia.
“When we talk about development in Penang, it is not only material development but also the development of people. All of it stems from the family. A family consists of men and women who are the main unit in our community and state,” he said.
PGO started in 2014, by the Penang state government with the help of the Penang Women’s Development Corporation.
It was held in conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and it has been running ever since.
The Safe Family Policy was formulated this year to champion a wider and more systematic support system for domestic violence victims.
“Through this policy, we have up 'First Support Points’ for domestic violence victims. What the victims don’t have enough now is support.
“We have domestic violence law, but just by having the law is not good enough, they can apply for an interim protection order, but before they can reach that step, they might not be empowered enough to do that,” said state women affairs committee chairperson Chong Eng.
According to the Women’s Centre for Change (WCC), they received 3 distress calls related to domestic abuse in the first week of the movement control order in March.
It increased to 11 calls during the second week.
WCC also recorded 19 domestic violence cases during the second phase of the MCO, where four cases were urgent ones requiring immediate intervention. – The Vibes, December 22, 2020
