Celebrated annually on March 8th, acknowledging the achievements of women and raising awareness of gender equality issues, this year, the theme of International Women's Day 2023 is "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” The theme emphasizes the importance of challenging gender bias and inequality in all aspects of life.
This year's International Women's Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the progress made towards gender equality and to identify areas where further progress is needed. Women have made significant strides in various areas, including politics, business, education, and sports. However, gender inequality continues to be a pervasive problem in many countries, and women still face many inconveniences and obstacles in accessing equal opportunities and resources, especially Malaysia, which placed 103rd out of 140 nations in the 2022 Global Gender Gap Index, significantly behind our neighboring countries.
One of the key issues that Malaysia needs to address is child marriage as Malaysia has the highest rates of child marriage in Southeast Asia. With state chief ministers and Sharia court's approval, girls as young as 16 (used to be 11) are able to lawfully get married. Girls who marry young have the danger of experiencing domestic violence, falling out of school, and having difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, among other severe drawbacks.
Apart from that, another crucial area that requires attention is violence against women. Women and girls around in Malaysia continue to face various forms of violence, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking and up to the point sexual harassment is just a common occurrence, especially at work. When seeking justice, sexual harassment victims may encounter serious challenge, such as the threat of retaliation and a lack of access to supportive services.
Yes, Malaysia has been reframing and implementing new laws, especially laws to protect and empower women, but more can be done, we believe. Recently, there have been several wins for Malaysian women as the passing of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022, sexual harassment was also finally recognised as a crime and the Cabinet agreed to amend the constitution to allow automatic citizenship for the children of Malaysian mothers born abroad, following prolonged battles in court.
Therefore, in order to celebrate the mileage and acknowledging the hard-earned achievements of women and raising awareness of gender equality issues with this year International Women's Day 2023 theme is "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” we, LUMIROUS would like to invite you and your girl friends to our International Women's Day physical event that is happening on the 18th and the 19th this month at Mori Kohi Kuala Lumpur! Register here and we hope to see you, your brightest smile and prettiest dress soon!
In conclusion, International Women's Day 2023 provides an opportunity to celebrate the progress made towards gender equality and to recognize the challenges that still need to be addressed. It is crucial to continue to work towards a world where women can access equal opportunities, resources, and rights, and where their contributions are fully recognized and valued. This year's theme, "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating a more equitable and inclusive world for all!
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