Indian classical dance icon Datuk Ramli Ibrahim looking at Hakim’s artwork titled ‘Pandelela Rinong Pamg: Taking the Leap’. The exhibition in conjunction with Awam’s 40th anniversary runs until Nov 2. — Photos: IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
DESPITE the positive impact of technology on mankind, it can also be abused, affecting vulnerable groups such as women.
All Women’s Action Society (Awam) president Ho Yock Lin said women faced a new form of gender oppression in the digital world, from online gender-based violence to deepfakes and digital misogyny.
“These are not just threats to women’s safety; they are threats to our very right to exist freely, to lead and to be heard,” said Ho.
She stressed that as the world steps into an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven world, everyone must remain vigilant.
“Technology is not neutral; it reflects the same biases and inequalities that exist in our societies,” Ho said at the launch of “Awam’s 40-Year Journey: A Canvas of Change”, a charity art exhibition in Kuala Lumpur that runs until Nov 2.
The exhibition aims to raise funds for public education and advocacy programmes, free legal information and counselling services for survivors of violence.
Funds will also be used to create safe spaces for girls and women in crisis.
“As we push for space and voice, women face new frontiers of gender oppression online.
“We must push for structural reform – paradigm shifts that dismantle not only patriarchy but also the interlocking systems of class, ethnicity and technological bias that continue to marginalise women,” said Ho.
“As we celebrate 40 years of Awam, may this exhibition remind us that change, like art, is both personal and political.”
She said Awam’s Telenita Helpline had provided free legal information and counselling to survivors of gender-based violence, supporting over 20,000 individuals since its establishment.
She noted that many such cases of violence went unreported.
“This year marks 30 years since Malaysia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) 1995 and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action – two milestones that shaped our feminist vision.
“But these anniversaries remind us not of completion, but of urgency,” Ho added.
Also present at the launch was Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lim Yi Wei.
Mazlan posing next to her portrait.
“Today’s violence isn’t limited to the streets; it’s on our screens and in the algorithms we choose to feed,” said Lim
She said that by the age of 12, many children in Malaysia were already exposed to explicit online content.
“Research shows that repeated exposure to hardcore pornography and gore warps perceptions of intimacy, resulting in behaviour that disregards safety and consent, and in some cases, leads to crime.
“In addressing this, we must be careful not to pit boys against girls.
“Boys are not inherently violent, just as girls are not inherently victims.
“We must create an environment where boys can feel without shame and girls can speak without fear,” Lim added.
The exhibition presents 25 hand-drawn graphite portraits that visually encapsulate Malaysian women legends, icons and changemakers whose contributions have shaped the nation.
They include former Chief Justice Tengku Tun Maimun Tuan Mat, astrophysicist Prof Emerita Tan Sri Mazlan Othman, the late Anne Ooi fondly known as “Aunty Bersih” and squash champion Datuk Nicol David.
The portraits are by artist Hakim Abdullah, better known as Pencil Ninja.
“I am immensely grateful to Awam for allowing me to translate their mission into art.
“This collaboration has been both inspiring and deeply meaningful,” said Hakim.
The exhibition is being held at Project Room, UR-MU@Toffee, Jalan Raja Chulan, from 11am to 7pm. Entry is free.
For details, email fundraising@awam.org.my
