MalayMail-Oct 2
The ASEAN Gender Outlook 2024 found that, across the region, men were more likely than women to disclose experiences of physical abuse. The report showed that women were substantially more likely to report experiences of sexual violence at work, especially in Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
In Malaysia, 50 per cent women experience sexual violence while more than 50 per cent men experience physical violence, the report wrote. “Migrant women, especially domestic workers and others living in the same household as their employers, are disproportionately at risk of sexual violence. Many migrant workers cannot make formal complaints to authorities, especially if their work is informal or their migratory status is unregistered,” the report wrote. According to the report, the economic integration of ASEAN member states, encompassing the exchange of goods and the movement of people across borders, has led to increased migration.
The report said that in 2020, many women and men moved across borders within the region, seeking employment opportunities or for other reasons. “Overall, the percentage of female migrants, including refugees, residing in the ASEAN region was lower than that of male migrants, except in Singapore and Thailand, where there were more female migrants,” the report wrote. The report noted that when women and men migrate for work, their experiences in host countries often differ.
In the ASEAN region, violence in the workplace remains an issue in some settings, with an estimated 11 per cent of men and nine per cent of women, overall, reporting experiences of physical, psychological or sexual violence at some point in the past. These rates likely underestimate actual experiences of violence, especially for migrant workers, who may refuse to disclose their experiences for fear of retaliation, job loss or deportation, the report said. Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/10/02/informal-status-of-migrant-workers-may-put-them-at-risk-of-abuse-says-asean-gender-outlook-2024/152287
