2018

National Report: Malaysia – Child Marriage: Its Relationship with Religion, Culture and Patriarchy

Categories:

The practice of child marriage in Malaysia enjoys a status of legality with registration of marriages involving those below 18 sanctioned explicitly and given exceptions under Islamic and civil laws. According to the 2010 Population and Housing Census, there were 152,835 persons aged 15-19 in a marriage, and unlike in some countries where the practice is of much more prominence, poverty and parents’ inability to financially provide for their daughters seems to not be the main cause, due to the country’s upper-middle income level. The main driver for child marriage in Malaysia is sexual impropriety and the shame it carries, a conservative culture and outlook that tends to ignore modern interpretations of the Holy Quran. Unfortunately, advocacies to call for a legal ban on child marriage is met with a lot of resistance, because the practice is seen as a solution for sexual improprieties among teenagers.

 

Vietnam

  • Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP)

Sri Lanka

  • Bakamoono;
  • Women and Media Collective (WMC),
  • Youth Advocacy Network – Sri Lanka (YANSL)

Singapore

  • End Female Genital Cutting Singapore
  • Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

Philippines

  • Democratic Socalist Women of the Philippines (DSWP);
  • Galang;
  • Healthcare Without Harm;
  • Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities;
  • Likhaan Centre for Women’s Health;
  • Nisa UI Haqq Fi Bangsamoro;
  • PATH Foundation Inc. (PFPI);
  • Women’s Global Network for
    Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

Pakistan

  • Aahung, Centre for Social Policy Development (CSPD);
  • Forum for Dignity Initiative (FDI);
  • Gravity Development Organization; Green Circle Organization;
  • Indus Resources Center (IRC);
  • Idara-e-Taleem-O-Aaghai (ITA);
  • Rehnuma – Family Planning Association Pakistan;
  • Shelter
    Participatory Organisation;
  • Shirkat Gah;
  • The Enlight Lab

Nepal

  • Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC);
  • Blind Youth Association of Nepal;
  • Blue Diamond Society (BDS);
  • Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA);
  • Visible Impact;
  • Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC);
  • YPEER Nepal;
  • YUWA

Myanmar

  • Colourful Girls Organization;
  • Green Lotus Myanmar

Maldives

  • Hope for Women;
  • Society for Health Education (SHE)

Malaysia

  • Federation of Reproductive Health Associations of Malaysia (FRHAM);
  • Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG);
  • Justice for Sisters (JFS);
  • Reproductive Health Association of
    Kelantan (ReHAK);
  • Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM);
  • Sisters in Islam (SIS)

Lao PDR

  • Lao Women’s Union;
  • The Faculty of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Health
    Sciences (UHS)

Indonesia

  • Aliansi Satu Visi (ASV);
  • CEDAW Working Group;
  • Hollaback! Jakarta;
  • Institut Kapal Perempuan;
  • Kalyanamitra;
  • Komnas Perempuan;
  • Remaja Independen Papua/Independent Youth
    Forum Papua (FRIP/IYFP);
  • Perkumpulan Keluarga Berencana Indonesia (PKBI);
  • Perkumpulan Lintas Feminis Jakarta;
  • Perkumpulan Pamflet Generasi;
  • RUTGERS Indonesia;
  • Sanggar SWARA;
  • Women on Web;
  • Yayasan Kesehatan Perempuan (YKP); 
  • YIFOS Indonesia

India

  • CommonHealth;
  • Love Matters India;
  • Pravah;
  • Rural Women’s Social Education Centre (RUWSEC);
  • SAHAYOG;
  • Sahaj;
  • Sahiyo;
  • SAMA – Resource Group for Women and Health;
  • WeSpeakOut;
  • The YP Foundation (TYPF)

Morocco

  • Association Marocaine de Planification Familiale (AMPF),
  • Morocco Family Planning Association
National Report: Malaysia - Child Marriage: Its Relationship with Religion, Culture and Patriarchy

The practice of child marriage in Malaysia enjoys a status of legality with registration of marriages involving those below 18 sanctioned explicitly and given exceptions under Islamic and civil laws. According to the 2010 Population and Housing Census, there were 152,835 persons aged 15-19 in a marriage, and unlike in some countries where the practice is of much more prominence, poverty and parents’ inability to financially provide for their daughters seems to not be the main cause, due to the country’s upper-middle income level. The main driver for child marriage in Malaysia is sexual impropriety and the shame it carries, a conservative culture and outlook that tends to ignore modern interpretations of the Holy Quran. Unfortunately, advocacies to call for a legal ban on child marriage is met with a lot of resistance, because the practice is seen as a solution for sexual improprieties among teenagers.

 

Maldives

  • Hope for Women
  • Society for Health Education (SHE)

Mongolia

  • MONFEMNET National Network