2020-04-02, 08:25 AM
Don't Nag Your Husband During Lockdown, Malaysia's Government Advises Women
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/01/825051317...6iceXg4zpc
April 1, 20206:02 AM ET
MICHAEL SULLIVAN
[img=763x0]https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/04/01/malaysia_custom-ad86c7b8893ca8a0535a40c5dd3e0534fc29c610-s800-c85.jpg[/img]
In this online poster, now removed, Malaysia's Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development advised women working at home to wear makeup and office clothes so as not to offend their husbands.
Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development/Government of Malaysia
Malaysia has the largest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia with more than 2,900 and counting. This week, Malaysia's government also had a serious public relations issue after an ill-conceived plan went online.
Malaysia's Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development issued a series of online posters on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #WomenPreventCOVID19. It advised the nation's women to help with the country's partial lockdown by not nagging their husbands.
The ministry also advised women to refrain from being "sarcastic" if they asked for help with household chores. And it urged women working from home to dress up and wear makeup.
"(It) is extremely condescending both to women and men," Nisha Sabanayagam, a manager at the advocacy group All Women's Action Society, told Reuters. "These posters promote the concept of gender inequality and perpetuate the concept of patriarchy."
The posters drew swift ridicule online.
"How did we go from preventing baby dumping, fighting domestic violence to some variant of the Obedient Wives Club?" wrote @yinshaoloong.
"Avoid wearing home clothes. Dress up as usual, put on make-up and dress neatly. OMG! This is what Rina, our Minister of Women, Family & Community Development thinks is important during the #COVID19 lockdown?" tweeted @honeyean.
After this torrent of abuse, the ministry abruptly relented late Tuesday and abandoned its campaign. It said its suggestions were simply aimed at "maintaining positive relationships among family members during the period they are working from home."
The ministry acknowledged that the advice could have offended some people and promised to "remain cautious in the future."
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/01/825051317...6iceXg4zpc
April 1, 20206:02 AM ET
MICHAEL SULLIVAN
[img=763x0]https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/04/01/malaysia_custom-ad86c7b8893ca8a0535a40c5dd3e0534fc29c610-s800-c85.jpg[/img]
In this online poster, now removed, Malaysia's Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development advised women working at home to wear makeup and office clothes so as not to offend their husbands.
Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development/Government of Malaysia
Malaysia has the largest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia with more than 2,900 and counting. This week, Malaysia's government also had a serious public relations issue after an ill-conceived plan went online.
Malaysia's Ministry for Women, Family and Community Development issued a series of online posters on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #WomenPreventCOVID19. It advised the nation's women to help with the country's partial lockdown by not nagging their husbands.
The ministry also advised women to refrain from being "sarcastic" if they asked for help with household chores. And it urged women working from home to dress up and wear makeup.
"(It) is extremely condescending both to women and men," Nisha Sabanayagam, a manager at the advocacy group All Women's Action Society, told Reuters. "These posters promote the concept of gender inequality and perpetuate the concept of patriarchy."
The posters drew swift ridicule online.
"How did we go from preventing baby dumping, fighting domestic violence to some variant of the Obedient Wives Club?" wrote @yinshaoloong.
Quote:
[/url]Yin Shao Loong@yinshaoloong
How did we go from preventing baby dumping, fighting domestic violence to some sad variant of the Obedient Wives Club? https://twitter.com/honeyean/status/1244801532215754752 …
Honey Tan@honeyean
Avoid wearing home clothes. Dress up as usual, put on make-up and dress neatly. OMG! This is what Rina, our Minister of Women, Family & Community Development thinks is important during the #COVID19 lockdown? No tips on how to deal with #DomesticViolence? Just state DV is a crime.
1,070
8:32 PM - Mar 30, 2020
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"Avoid wearing home clothes. Dress up as usual, put on make-up and dress neatly. OMG! This is what Rina, our Minister of Women, Family & Community Development thinks is important during the #COVID19 lockdown?" tweeted @honeyean.
Quote:
Honey Tan@honeyean
Avoid wearing home clothes. Dress up as usual, put on make-up and dress neatly. OMG! This is what Rina, our Minister of Women, Family & Community Development thinks is important during the #COVID19 lockdown? No tips on how to deal with #DomesticViolence? Just state DV is a crime.
[url=https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1244801532215754752]1,243
6:39 PM - Mar 30, 2020
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After this torrent of abuse, the ministry abruptly relented late Tuesday and abandoned its campaign. It said its suggestions were simply aimed at "maintaining positive relationships among family members during the period they are working from home."
The ministry acknowledged that the advice could have offended some people and promised to "remain cautious in the future."