Kumpulan wanita ‘kecewa’, gesa Ahli Parlimen teliti Belanjawan 2027 menerusi lensa gender

All Women’s Action Society (Awam) has urged Parliament members to conduct a gender-responsive analysis of the 2027 Budget, despite some improvements. Awam’s President Lai Suat Yan stated that the budget, with added support for childcare, extended maternity leave and improved facilities, still falls short of addressing key issues.

These include violence against women, gender disparity in workforce participation, and an unbalanced care work burden. Awam emphasizes that women are far from achieving equality and parity, thus the budget should be evaluated through a gender-sensitive lens to ensure public funds address existing inequalities, support diverse needs, and contribute to an inclusive and strong nation.

While some initiatives in the 2027 Budget target women, such as longer maternity leave for civil servants and a tax reduction for postpartum care, Lai stressed that the budget needs to allocate specific and dedicated funding for victims of gender-based violence, including access to support services, trained front-line staff, counseling, and long-term recovery assistance.

He also called for more robust measures to curb violence against female students, including comprehensive sexual education, awareness campaigns, easily accessible counseling, and effective prevention strategies. Lai acknowledged the importance of gender budgeting for the economy, but noted that community childcare services remain inadequate, alongside better protection and support for unpaid caregivers.

He urged the government to integrate gender considerations and inequalities in budget allocations across all sectors, with a special focus on women outside urban areas, low-income households, single mothers, migrant women, and persons with disabilities. Lai also requested the government to mandate gender-responsive budgeting across all ministries, accompanied by a public gender budget statement outlining per allocations, beneficiaries, measurable targets, and final outcomes.

He further proposed publishing a gender budget statement openly, listing the distribution of funds, target groups, measurable goals, and the success of initiatives, along with regular updates on how public spending is reducing gender gaps.