Mobilising Without the Masses and Mainstreaming Women’s Rights: A Case Study of the Local Women’s Movement in Malaysia

Abstract

This thesis offers a critical evaluation of the women’s movement in relation to the problem of violence against women in the local context of Malaysia. It provides an analysis of the key strategies employed by local women’s organisations to address various forms of violence against women, including coalition building, engagement with UN mechanisms and the use of the media. This thesis also discusses the challenges of patriarchal cultures and mind-sets facing the local women’s movement, as well as the culture of fear that is prevalent in the Malaysian society and highlights the ways in which local women’s organisations work within the constraints of a semi authoritarian state. In addition, this thesis offers a critical analysis of the language and frameworks adopted by the local women’s movement in order to address the issue of violence against women. More precisely, it examines the ways and extent in which local women’s organisations engage in the framework of feminism and the talk of rights. Overall, this thesis seeks to account for the nuances and complexities involved in local women organising and provide a better understanding of the dynamics of the women’s movement in Malaysia