The role of women in society has changed significantly in the past three decades as we now stand equally with men. It also signifies the growth of girl power and feminism, in which women are now bold enough to fight for their rights.
The progression made in society has brought women to a stage where they can enjoy equal rights, independence and freedom. Though female empowerment is growing stronger and steadier in some countries, but there are still a very few countries where women are still discriminated as minorities in society with little respect given to them.
We often hear stories of rape cases in the country, but there lies the problem where married women are being abused by their husbands, and forced to engage in sexual relations with them. Although sexual relations isn’t discouraged in marriage, women have lost their basic human rights as they are now forced to have sex by their husbandas. A Malaysian women’s group has implied that the acts of husbands forcing themselves on wives, and women being forced to insert objects into their private parts should be included in the definition of rape in the law.
The group, which consists of nine bodies including Sisters In Islam (SIS) and Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), expressed that the country’s laws should be amended to expand the definition of rape in line with current needs. The husbands have violated the rights in a marriage and the forced sexual relations is considered as sexual abuse even in a marriage life. To say rape can never happen in a marriage is a far-stretched from reality because any undesired sexual relation can be a rape case.
A recent case of a father who forced his 13-year-old daughter to insert an object but was only investigated for molestation, became one of the major concerns for SIS programme manager, Suri Kempe. She also stated the laws need to be changed in order to fit it in the conception of justice. While the maximum jail terms for those guilty of molestation can go up to 10 years with a fine or whipping, a rape criminal can be punished up to 20 years in jail and is liable to whipping.
All Women’s Action Society’s senior programme officer Lee Wei San said women had a right to say no to sex at any time. “However, marital rape has yet to be recognised as a crime,” she was quoted as saying by Star Daily. Even though Malaysia is one of few Muslim countries which made marital rape as an illegal act, the justice system has yet to see it the act as a criminal offence. The women’s group has taken the issues into account and is planning to discuss the long-standing women’s issues including the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territory) (Amendment) Act 2006 in an upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The horrifying crimes that have been inflicted upon the women of Malaysia is something they live with for the rest of their lives. Women carry the important role of having to carry and give life to her loved ones, and none of us should be mistreated. Marriage should never give husbands the authority to abuse the vow they make upon marriage. The common crimes like rape and molestation, and how men still see women as objects is mainly rooted in patriarchal societies. There needs to be more change in these laws to help change the mindset of society.
Source: Zeenews
