Malaysian women, children bear brunt of coronavirus lockdown
- Domestic violence and calls to abortion hotlines have both soared, while job losses and a greater burden of unpaid care work have also taken a toll
- Rights body highlights case in which pregnant migrant women were on verge of selling their babies because they could not access health care
Women’s groups reported a threefold increase in distress calls over the past year, while a reproductive rights group said calls from women seeking access to safe abortions increased nearly 50 per cent over 2020 compared to 2019.
The Women’s Aid Organisation reported a 150 per cent increase in calls to its hotline and an 80 per cent increase in messages to its WhatsApp distress channel from the same period last year.
Traffic disruptions caused by lockdown were also a problem, while the Women’s Centre for Change in Penang said in one case a woman had been forced to walk for two hours to the closest police station for help because public transport had been shut down.
Meanwhile a recent report by the Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance of Malaysia (RRAAM) found clinics had reported a 50 per cent drop in the number of patients while its hotline observed a 48 per cent increase in the number of requests for safe abortion services.
The survey also found that roadblocks and traffic congestion had caused delays for women in labour, and that outpatients had avoided attending clinics because they were scared of being arrested for leaving their homes.
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Researchers said these findings showed gaps in the pandemic response readiness of the government and questioned whether vulnerable members of society were getting enough support.
