IPOH, March 13 — Married women are urged to immediately report to the authorities if there is any incidence of domestic violence and not to let themselves to continue to become victims of violence that can affect their health, both physically and mentally.
Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said they should always realise and be sensitive to changes in their husbands’ attitudes and not just keep quiet all the time.
“When you are married, if there are changes in your husband, (if there is domestic violence) you need to get guidance and counselling. Don’t be afraid or ashamed.
“This is what we are trying to discard, the stigma, the shame and reluctance (to report) as we have prepared various platforms (to assist these women). It will be a waste if they cannot be fully utilised,” she said when asked to comment on the incidences of domestic violence which had led to the loss of lives of late.
Rina added that recent cases of domestic violence could have been caused by several factors, among them being husbands facing emotional pressure or financial problems due to losing their jobs following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Rina said two studies on personal well-being throughout the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) following the pandemic among families in the communities had led to a family intervention programme known as Jelajah Peduli Keluarga (Caring Family Tour).
She said the first study was carried out by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) in collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), apart from the COVID-19 Impact Research on low-income families in cities by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
She said that the Jelajah Peduli Keluarga was aimed at reaching out to vulnerable family members so as to provide support services and to help family resilience in facing current and future challenges.
According to her, based on the first study, 43.9 per cent of the respondents admitted to facing financial woes and 32.2 per cent having family conflicts, especially among communities living in flats while in the second research, it was found that 30 per cent of household respondents found it difficult accessing health services.
“Therefore, accessibility to family support services for these group of society, especially the affected target group, must be stepped up.
“As such, the aim of Jelajah Peduli Keluarga is to support and protect the welfare of the people as well as to assist family members to recover and to continue to be at peace during and after the MCO, apart from being a plaform for leaders to go to the ground to meet the people,” she said.
Earlier, Rina officiated the Perak state-level Jelajah Peduli Keluarga here and it was also attended by state Women Development, Family and Social Welfare Committee chairman Datuk Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin.
