As International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8, 2024, it is crucial to shed light on the untold yet shared stories of resilience and perseverance that characterise the lives of women in Malaysia, specifically women from the refugee and plantation communities.
These unsung heroines, often facing adversity and overlooked in society, have made significant contributions not only in the entirety of their forced migrations or livelihood conditions but also in their day to day lives that warrant acknowledgment and appreciation in conjunction with celebrating this day with the theme, "Accelerated Progress”.
The struggles faced by refugee women, displaced from their homelands due to conflicts or persecution, are compounded by the challenges of adapting to a new environment. In Malaysia, where a significant refugee population resides, women often grapple with limited access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities with the nation not being a signatory to the 1952 Convention.
International Women's Day provides a poignant moment to highlight these shared struggles and advocate for the rights and dignity of refugee women.
Simultaneously, the unacknowledged contributions of plantation women form another facet of the narrative. In the lush plantations that contribute significantly to Malaysia's economy, women toil tirelessly in the shadows. Their tireless efforts in cultivating and harvesting crops often go unnoticed, as they navigate the complexities of working in challenging conditions, including long hours and minimal job security.
Tenaganita is a strong advocate in supporting these women of two vastly different communities yet of shared commonalities, especially when brought together to mitigate Gender-based Violence (GBV). This is made possible with our now third year in running project and the participating women of refugee and plantation communities, known as Project Collaborators have published a module based on their experiences and knowledge on GBV prevention.
The paramount objective of their publication is to raise in depth awareness and to be used widely as a training manual by members of the very communities they are from, and others.
This International Women's Day, let us collectively recognise and celebrate the strength, resilience, and contributions of these remarkable women. By acknowledging their shared struggles, we take a step towards building a more inclusive and equitable society.
This year’s theme serves as a reminder that gender equality is not achieved until the struggles of all women, regardless of their background, are acknowledged and addressed with equal importance to achieve accelerated progress.
By highlighting the shared challenges of refugee and plantation women in Malaysia, we pave the way for a more compassionate and understanding society that recognises the invaluable contributions of every woman.
Letter shared by Tenaganita. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily.