Women's groups want a fair budget for all Malaysians

A gender-responsive budget, as well as transparency and accountability towards it, will help address issues faced by women, says Women’s groups. Photo: Freepik

Women's groups in Malaysia are calling for a budget 2023 that is more gender responsible. Women’s Aid Organisation and Engender, two of 21 civil society organisations leading a Gender Budget Group, have prepared a memorandum for what they hope from Budget 2023, says Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) advocacy director Abinaya Mohan.

“Our budget memorandum reveals what we hope to see come through this year, from strengthening access to social protection, strong allocations for community-based childcare that could remove barriers to increased women participation in the labour force, as well as improved and better targeted mental healthcare services,” she says.