While domestic violence is still very much prevalent in society today, I think we at the very least live in a climate where committing violence against your spouse is culturally unacceptable (broadly speaking of course) and completely illegal. But this wasn’t always the case.
There was a time, though – not too long ago, in fact – when if a husband were to beat his wife, for example, it would be seen as a private or family matter. Authorities would close an eye or advise the abused spouse to find a way to endure or reconcile. This was the case until the enactment of the Domestic Violence Act 1994.
So, what changed in the 1990s?
BFM is joined by Betty Yeoh, someone who has been at the forefront of women’s rights activism in Malaysia since the 1980s. She’s also one of the founding members of the All Women’s Action Society (Awam).
We talk about how ordinary people in Malaysia came together and pushed the government to outlaw domestic violence.
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Presented and produced by: Dashran Yohan/BFM
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
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