Fri, 12 Jun 2026
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‘Stereotypes hinder equal rights for indigenous women, girls’
Published on: Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Published on: Tue, May 21, 2024
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‘Stereotypes hinder equal rights for indigenous women, girls’
Orang Asli accounts for 0.8pc of the population of peninsula Malaysia, while Sabah has 39 indigenous groups who account for 62pc of the population, and Sarawak has 27 indigenous groups that account for 50pc of the population. - Pic for illustration only. Credit: iwgia.org.
Kota Kinabalu: Discriminatory practices affect Indigenous Women and Girls (IWG) individually and as a community, according to a shadow report submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw committee) by The Indigenous Women’s Organisation of Malaysia (PWOAM).

The report focuses on the intersectional discrimination faced by IWG in laws, policies and government programmes in Malaysia as well as issues such as participation in politics, education, health and violence against women.

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Negative stereotypes and perceptions were found to hinder their development and access to opportunities, affecting their culture, traditional knowledge and identity.
A proposed solution for this is to involve IWGs in policy making and provide opportunities for them to ensure the well-being and preservation of their culture.

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The report also shows the needs for the participation of IWG in national development plans, having a gender-sensitive and intersectional approach, as well as ensuring meaningful involvement of IWG in law and policy development.
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