Ensure right type of Bill is tabled

THE Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) cautiously welcomes the announcement by Women, Family and Community Develop-ment Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun that the Sexual Harassment Bill will be tabled in Parliament this year. While JAG commends the government’s commitment to tabling the urgently needed Bill, we hope that, in the interest of transparency, the ministry will share the stated “improvements” that have been made to the Bill.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the necessary movement control order (MCO) that was put in place to curb the spread of the virus have exposed and amplified many existing gender inequalities. This has manifested in many forms, including in a sharp rise in physical and online gender-based violence observed first-hand by NGO service providers like All Women’s Action Society (Awam), Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and KRYSS Network.