THE state of emergency declared by the government (that was gazetted yesterday) is a serious measure that raises far-reaching implications for human rights and democracy. Furthermore, the Emergency may disproportionately impact women, and set Malaysia even further back in terms of gender equality.
Since the Covid-19 outbreak began, the pandemic’s gendered impact has been starkly felt with the rise of gender-based violence, hindered access to critical support services during the multiple movement control order periods, the rise in the unpaid care burden, and the disproportionate flux of women out of the workforce.