The promotion of gender equality is key to the work of the Penang Refugee Network.  

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This is challenging in a world of gender inequality and in the more patriarchal cultures that define some of our refugee communities. 

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But creating opportunities for women and girls to participate in educational initiatives and in community discussions has always been a consistent part of our work. This means both creating opportunities for women to meet together in safe spaces, as well as to participate in activities such as computer and English classes.

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The importance of this work is based on the perception that if we do not change the situation where the concerns and involvement of women and girls are sidelined or ignored, women and girls will continue to be seen as 'soft-targets', against whom violence and denigration are perpetrated with impunity.

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Our refugee women's team has therefore designed and delivered workshops on a number of topics, targetting other women in the community, including single mothers. We also support a women's community worker who has organised a variety of leadership and educational classes for girls and recreational activities including badminton and football. Information sharing through a series of community talks has been on-going for some years, with topics including engaging with UNHCR, living in Malaysia, various 'protection' issues, human trafficking, arrest & detention, child protection and GBV. 

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Our work on child marriage, described elsewhere on this site, is one initiative which has involved and engaged with women in the community as absolutely central. For more information on this issue, click here.

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We do not underestimate the long-term challenge of this work. Women's empowerment cannot be 'bought off the shelf', on demand. It is very much part of our overall long-term community building which sets step by step targets and initiatives to ensure the increasing involvement and agency of refugees generally, and refugee women specifically.

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Again, we are thankful to our supporters, including recent support from L'Oreal Fund for Women, the Freedom Fund, and the Global Initiatives Resilience Fund.