Abuse: Old Issues – New Contexts is the title of the next forum in Sarawak Women for Women’s Society’s Women’s Calling for Change Series to be held next Saturday, October 31^st at the Islamic Information Centre.

Abuse of women and girls is a problem as old as time and one which SWWS was formed 30 years ago to tackle. 

In the past SWWS, along with other women’s groups, have focused on bringing attention to the physical and emotional violence women can experience in their own homes and the rape of women  and children which can occur anywhere.

Despite more public awareness and the passing of the Domestic Violence Act, women still face these issues and struggle to receive all the help needed.

The forum will therefore focus on what more needs to be done today to ensure that the intentions of the Domestic Violence Act, and laws designed to protect children, are fully realized. For example, shelters are needed for women escaping from abuse and the Penal Code requires urgent amendment so there can be no more legally admissible “finger” rapes as happened earlier this year.

Speakers will also raise how abuse is taking on different forms and how there is a new generation to inform and empower. Through such discussions SWWS hopes to inform the public on new developments and hear from them what is happening in their own communities and how together these issues can be more effectively addressed.

The details of the panelists, all of whom have worked in this field, are:

• • Associate Professor Dr Zabidah Putit from Faculty of Medical and Health and Sciences UNIMAS who will be discussing the topic Addressing Domestic Violence: How far have we come?
  • DSP Jennifer Atok from the Police Headquarters who will give an overview of the Roles of the Police and the Challenges they Face and
  • Gill Raja from the Social Work Programme in the Faculty of Social Sciences at UNIMAS who will discuss Exploitation and Sexual Abuse: New Issues – Same Problems.

The moderator for the discussion will be Associate Professor Dr Ling How Kee also from the Social Work Programme at UNIMAS.

Members of the public are warmly invited to come and participate. By sharing experiences and views more ideas on how to change attitudes and services to overcome these problems, including assisting the survivors, will be gathered.  This will help to set a direction for the future. 

Women and men who wish to attend this free forum should register through SWWS by phoning 013- 8044 285 or sending an email to info@sarswws.org. People are encouraged to arrive at the Islamic Information Centre, in Jalan Ong Tiang Swee (near Swinburne University) between 1.30 and 2pm. The forum will end at 4.30pm with light refreshments.