The advice of a Malaysian female minister to husbands to “gently” beat their “stubborn” wives to discipline them for “unruly” behavior has sparked outrage.
Speaking in a two-minute video which tagged ‘Mother’s Tips’, the deputy minister for women, family, and community development, Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, advised husbands to ‘discipline’ their ‘stubborn’ wives by speaking to them, but if they refuse to change their behavior, then they should sleep apart from them for three days, and if after that the woman refuses to change, they can gently hit her.
“However, if the wife still refuses to take the advice, or change her behaviour after the sleeping separation, then the husbands can try the physical touch approach, by striking her gently, to show his strictness and how much he wants her to change,’ Siti Zailah said.
Reacting to the video, social media users accused her of ‘normalizing’ domestic violence.
A coalition of women’s rights groups, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality, accused Siti Zailah of ‘normalizing’ domestic violence and demanded she resigns from her position as deputy women’s minister.
“The deputy minister must step down for normalising domestic violence, which is a crime in Malaysia, as well as for perpetuating ideas and behaviours that are opposed to gender equality. There is often a stigma and fear attached to reporting domestic violence and this is made worse by statements such as those of Siti Zailah
“As a minister who is meant to uphold gender equality and the rights of women to protection and safety, this is abhorrent, denies women the right to equality, their right to dignity and to be free from degrading treatment”. A joint statement read.
