Let’s take a moment to celebrate

THE passing of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill by the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday was a milestone in what has been more than a two-decade-long push by women’s rights groups for a law that protects victims of harassment and gives them a channel to report violations they’ve experienced.

It’s been a long time coming. The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality’s (JAG) lobby for a sexual harassment law began with a petition initiated by women’s groups and workers’ associations somewhere around 2000. The petition garnered about 12,800 signatures and endorsements from 64 organisations.