The National Women’s Policy and the Women’s Development Action Plan (PTPW) provide a framework for women’s development and empowerment and for mainstreaming gender considerations in national planning and development. The Policy seeks to promote gender equality, women’s participation in economic and social development and decision-making, equitable access to resources and opportunities, and the incorporation of gender perspectives into policies, legislation, programmes and development budgets. The Action Plan specifies measures to be undertaken by government agencies, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and civil society to implement the objectives of the National Women’s Policy. The Action Plan covers 13 sectors: economy; poverty; law; violence against women; health; education and training; science and technology; media; environment; sport; religion, culture, arts and heritage; decision-making and politics; and mechanisms and institutions for women’s development. Measures concerning economic participation include skills development, employment and re-entry into the labour market, measures addressing gender-based discrimination in employment, entrepreneurship and social protection. Measures also address poverty reduction, access to education and training, health services, legal protection and assistance, prevention of gender-based violence, participation in science and technology, and representation in decision-making and political processes. Environmental measures promote women’s participation in environmental protection, conservation and natural-resource management. They include awareness and education on sustainable consumption, reduction of resource wastage, recycling and reuse, conservation of energy and water, research and information systems, capacity building for women in environmental conservation, and the incorporation of gender perspectives into sustainable development activities. Implementation measures include strengthening Gender Focal Points and national institutions for women’s development, gender-responsive budgeting, gender awareness and capacity-building programmes, research on gender issues, and systematic collection and dissemination of sex-disaggregated data. The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development is designated to coordinate overall advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, including periodic review of the Policy and implementation strategies. Implementing agencies are assigned responsibilities within the action plan according to their respective areas of competence. The Plan also provides for monitoring mechanisms and institutional coordination involving government agencies, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and civil society.
Malasia · 2009-01-01