Women leaders team up on domestic violence
Published: Mar 8, 2014 3:47 AM | Updated: Mar 8, 2014 4:13 AM
Party politics aside, four political leaders who are also married women have come together in agreement that there is no excuse at all for domestic violence.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri, Selangor state assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Puteri Umno’s Mas Ermieyati Samsudin are among those backing a campaign to raise awareness that wife-beating is a crime.
Party politics aside, four political leaders who are also married women have come together in agreement that there is no excuse at all for domestic violence.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri, Selangor state assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Puteri Umno’s Mas Ermieyati Samsudin are among those backing a campaign to raise awareness that wife-beating is a crime.
“We believe that such violence can be stopped; it is a learned behaviour that can be unlearned,” Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director Ivy Josiah (left) said in a press statement yesterday.
"We congratulate these women leaders who have led the way to speak up and reach out to women and their children while condemning abusive behaviour."
The #NoExcuseForAbuse campaign starts today, which is marked globally as International Women's Day, and includes an art exhibition of blouses with hand-stitched words.
These blouses, made by victims of domestic violence, present the voices of the abused.
A campaign was necessary, Ivy said, because many women live in denial when their husband's behaviour starts to turn ugly.
"The abused woman feels guilt and negates her fear and anger, hoping that he will change, wanting to preserve the relationship. However, without early intervention, domestic violence will not stop," she said.
Early intervention can save marriages
Ivy said that the #NoExcuseForAbuse campaign aims to get more women to speak up against domestic violence as early intervention can save marriages, and even lives.
"In the 32 years of our services to abused women and their children, WAO has learnt that domestic violence starts with verbal abuse, making threats, breaking objects, blaming and arguing.
"These move on to pushing, grabbing, shoving, choking, hitting, more threats and even causing permanent injury and death, " Ivy added.
The art exhibition will be held at the Publika Shopping Gallery in Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur, from March 8 to 17 March and at Hero Market in Sri Damansara and Kampung Baru, Puchong, from March 22 to 31.
It will then be taken to the East Coast and East Malaysia.
#NoExcuseForAbuse is also supported by the Embassy of the United States of America in Kuala Lumpur.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri, Selangor state assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Puteri Umno’s Mas Ermieyati Samsudin are among those backing a campaign to raise awareness that wife-beating is a crime.
“We believe that such violence can be stopped; it is a learned behaviour that can be unlearned,” Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director Ivy Josiah (left) said in a press statement yesterday."We congratulate these women leaders who have led the way to speak up and reach out to women and their children while condemning abusive behaviour."
The #NoExcuseForAbuse campaign starts today, which is marked globally as International Women's Day, and includes an art exhibition of blouses with hand-stitched words.
These blouses, made by victims of domestic violence, present the voices of the abused.
A campaign was necessary, Ivy said, because many women live in denial when their husband's behaviour starts to turn ugly.
"The abused woman feels guilt and negates her fear and anger, hoping that he will change, wanting to preserve the relationship. However, without early intervention, domestic violence will not stop," she said.
Early intervention can save marriages
Ivy said that the #NoExcuseForAbuse campaign aims to get more women to speak up against domestic violence as early intervention can save marriages, and even lives.
"In the 32 years of our services to abused women and their children, WAO has learnt that domestic violence starts with verbal abuse, making threats, breaking objects, blaming and arguing.
"These move on to pushing, grabbing, shoving, choking, hitting, more threats and even causing permanent injury and death, " Ivy added.
The art exhibition will be held at the Publika Shopping Gallery in Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur, from March 8 to 17 March and at Hero Market in Sri Damansara and Kampung Baru, Puchong, from March 22 to 31.
It will then be taken to the East Coast and East Malaysia.
#NoExcuseForAbuse is also supported by the Embassy of the United States of America in Kuala Lumpur.
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