Animah Kosai

Solving Malaysia’s serious problem with misogyny in its legislature — Animah Kosai

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: CNN News Online 

BY: ANIMAH KOSAI

Malaysia has a problem: misogyny. The country’s Parliament set yet another sordid example last week when Member of Parliament Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh, during a debate on amending domestic violence laws, said husbands were ‘abused’ when wives threw insults, withheld sex and denied consent for Muslim men to take another wife.

Sadly, this attack on women isn’t an isolated case.

In 2007, another MP, Bung Mohktar Radin, equated the leaking parliament roof to a woman’s period, picking on woman opposition MP Fong Po Kuan, and saying she ‘leaked’ every month. His disgraceful comments drew laughter from the floor. No male MP stood up to defend her. Read more →

51% Badan Peguam Malaysia terdiri oleh peguam wanita, jadi kenapa mereka tidak bersuara? – Animah Kosai

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Terbitan HAKAM sempena sambutan Hari Hak Asasi Manusia 2015
#HAKAM-MMO Human Rights Day 2015 project

51%! ADAKAH INI MEMBOLEHKAN PERSAINGAN YANG ADIL?

Karangan ANIMAH KOSAI

Photograph: Stephen Hird/Reuters

Photograph: Stephen Hird/Reuters

Pada 2014, Persatuan Peguam Wanita (“the Association of Women Lawyers (AWL)” dengan usahasama Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (SUHAKAM) dan Pertubuhan Pertolongan Wanita (WAO) telah mengendalikan satu kaji selidik bertajuk “51%! Is it a Level Playing Field?” (“51%! Adakah ini membolehkan Persaingan yang Adil?”)

51% Badan Peguam Malaysia terdiri oleh peguam wanita. Baguslah. Akan tetapi, seperti dalam bidang korporat antarabangsa, wanita merana di rangka bawahan. Peguam wanita membentuk 68% rangka bawah bidang undang-undang (tidak termasuk rakan kongsi firma guaman undang-undang). Sejauh mana 68% ini bertungkus lumus menjadi rakan kongsi firma guaman undang-undang? 42%. Dan hanya 25% perunding pakar undang-undang (iaitu peguam berpengamalan dan hakim) adalah wanita.

Adakah terdapatnya siling kaca (“glass ceiling”) dalam profesion yang bertugas menegakkan kesaksamaan dan keadilan? Read more →

51pc of the Malaysian Bar are women so why won’t they speak up? – Animah Kosai

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Published in collaboration with MMO
>> Read original article in Bahasa Malaysia 

BY ANIMAH KOSAI

Women lawyers have confessed in the AWL survey that having children had a high impact on their careers. ― Picture by Saw Siow Feng

Women lawyers have confessed in the AWL survey that having children had a high impact on their careers. ― Picture by Saw Siow Feng

OPINION, Dec 13 — In 2014, the Association of Women Lawyers (AWL) conducted a survey in collaboration with  Human Rights Commission, Malaysia (SUHAKAM) and Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) : “51 per cent! Is it a Level Playing Field?”

Fifty-one per cent of the Malaysian Bar are women. Wonderful. But like the international corporate environment, women tend to languish at the bottom. Sixty-eight per cent of legal assistants, i.e. the bottom rung of the Bar are women. How many stay on long enough to become partners? Forty-two per cent. Only 25 per cent of consultants (experienced lawyers or judges) are women.

Is there a glass ceiling in the profession which has sworn to uphold equality and fairness?

The French Bar lost out when IMF head Christine Lagarde was told by the French firm she worked for she would never make partner because she was a woman. So she left and ultimately became Chairperson of one of the largest law firms, Baker McKenzie. You know what happened next.

Could we be losing our stars as well? Read more →