DONATION MY

A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION BASED IN MALAYSIA

BACKGROUND

We are a non-governmental, non-profit, humanitarian & charitable organisation aspiring to open and create chances to all, transcending any worldly labels that are put on us.We take pride in our campaigns and activities following the values of UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Our organisation is coloured with individuals of various backgrounds, ideas & stories looking to splash their colours and creating a unified home for all Malaysians.

OUR OBJECTIVES

  • To provide aid to communities within Malaysia;

  • To assist communities through activities encompassing the sustainable development goals;

  • To foster a spirit of goodwill, volunteerism, and humanitarianism among the Organisation’s Members and Volunteers, regardless of race, faith, or creed;

  • To collaborate with numerous local and international relief organisations, agencies, host governments, and/or other interested communities in order to achieve these goals;

  • To conduct fundraising from other organisations (corporate, non-governmental, or governmental) and members of the general public in order to achieve the above goals; and

  • To educate the public about various aspects of aid in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

MEET OUR LEADERS

SOFEA HAFEK
Head of Advisory Council

Sofea is a very passionate person with lots of stories to tell. Besides being the founder of Nasi Campur Tales (be sure to check out their Instagram!), she also acts as the “Mom” of the DoNation team, offering advice whenever she can.Coming from a mixed background, she learned her way to stand strong and decided to join DoNation as a pillar for the team to further give support to the society and connect more stories regardless of race, skin colour and culture.

KHAIRIAH MALIK
Director

Taking care of 11 cats at home, Khairiah has developed an indestructible patience, will and wit. Furthermore, as a person who studies law, she definitely knows how to set the facts straight and silence the room with her presence when needs be. Leading the discussion, providing consultations and advice on matters, Khairiah loves to lead and inspire by setting an example to others through her actions, visions and goals. This led her to become the Director of DoNationMY who is well-respected and loved by those around her.

WENDY WONG
Executive Director

There is nothing more satisfying for Wendy than a day at home, binge watching her favourite TV shows and to shop her hearts out. However, there is one thing which she loves even MORE than that & that, is supporting our Director, Khairiah and learning new things through overseeing campaigns that were done by our organisation.With her bubbly personality, she brings everyone together and provides the mental support we all need.

MEET THE COMMITTEE

NEWS & ARTICLES

Sexual Harassment on Social Media

Online sexual harassment is defined as an unwanted sexual conduct on any digital platform and it is recognised as a form of sexual violence (Childnet International, 2018). It encompasses digital content such as images, videos, posts, messages, pages (Childnet International, 2018). The objective of this awareness is to enhance social consciousness on abusive sexual jokes and harassment circulating in social media nowadays. Chart 1 outlines the gender breakdown of sexual harassment survivors from 2013 to 2017. Based on the chart, the female survivors exceed the number of cases reported for male every year. However, to clarify, we can never deny both genders' vulnerability towards being sexually harassed despite the difference in the number of cases reported as every case is a victim's tragedy which should be validated and addressed rightfully.

Chart 1: Gender breakdown of sexual harassment survivors in 2013 - 2017
(Source: Women's Aid Organisation, 2020)

Malaysia has no stand alone laws on the sexual harassment act and AWAM has been fighting for the parliament to pass the bill on sexual harassment. Referring to AWAM (2020), AWAM has been working with many NGOs through the coalition Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) to draft and propose a Sexual Harassment Bill for over 20 years.

Image 1: Sexual Harassment Bill Campaign poster
(Source: AWAM, 2020)

However, under Section 292, 354, 503 and 509 of the Penal Code, circulation of obscene literature, outrage of modesty and insulting modesty will be penalised. Section 233 of the Multimedia and Communications Act 1998 outlined the use of a network facility to knowingly make, create, solicit or initiate a communication which is obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive with the intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person. In Malaysia, the sexual harassment law is only applicable in the corporate and government sector. OSHA, Conduct Discipline and Employment Act mentioned that these laws only apply in companies and industries. Companies could adopt the 1999 Code or make their own policy regarding sexual harassment. If dismissed, they can appeal to the Industrial Court. The Code of Practice on the Prevention and Eradication Sexual Harassment at the Workplace 1999 (1999 Code) listed “any unwanted conduct of sexual nature” as:

  • Verbal

  • Non-Verbal or Gestural

  • Written

  • Visual

  • Psychological

  • Physical

Thus, a dire need in implementing a specific law on sexual harassment in Penal Code and Communication and Multimedia Act is needed to further address these issues.

The impacts of sexual harassment towards victims

Deteriorates physical and mental health
As the perpetrator has widely shared sexual jokes and targeted victims on social media, other abusers will additionally comment sexual-related content on the victim’s status just for the fun of it and to jump on the bandwagon of what is currently trending in the interactive social media scene. This will make the victims’ life uneasy and gradually affect the health, mental state and wellbeing of the victims.Insecurities
The victim will feel insecure as he/she is constantly harassed by unknown strangers on social media. This will cause the victim to be afraid to leave their house and may start developing a paranoia of sharing their life updates on social media. This may also lead them to deactivate all their social media accounts due to the toxicity of the social media landscape.News spread widely through social media
Extensive internet facilities make it easy for the perpetrators to steal pictures or videos of the victims by merely downloading and editing them, creating pornographic materials to feed their lust and ignorance. Then, these obscene materials will be widely shared amongst other perpetrators on the various virtual platforms available which will adversely affect the victim.Negatively influence others
As mentioned, since these online sexual jokes are being normalised nowadays, this will create a major drawback towards the growth of youngsters as they will be negatively influenced and in a way, ‘socially permitted’ to repeat the acts committed formerly by the perpetrators.

5 ways to deal with sexual harassment through social media

Know the truth
Remind yourself that you are not to blame. There is no such thing as “asking for it”, no matter what the harasser says. You are entitled to a sense of security and a safe space to express yourself.Inform the perpetrator to stop their actions
When it happens for the first time, let them know that their actions are not acceptable to you. Be succinct, cool, and direct. Then take a step back. That will suffice in certain circumstances.If said perpetrator does not stop their actions, do confide in a close friend or authorities who are able to help you
You should not attempt to deal with this on your own. Speak with your parents, a relative, a coach, a teacher, a school counselor, or a doctor. Bringing it up can seem difficult at first. But don`t let it hold you back. Try taking a small step such as writing someone you trust a note about the incident.Report on it
If this occurs on social media, inform a responsible authority. To safeguard you, authorities have a sexual harassment or bullying policy that they look into. They need to know so that they can assist you. Also, to prevent it from happening to others.Get Support
Contact organisations for help (i.e, AWAM, WAO, SIS and WCC). Consult a therapist or counselor if you are agitated, sad, nervous, or losing sleep as a result of this. They can assist you in coping with and recovering from stress.AWAM Counselling service - 03-78770224Befrienders - 03-79568144 or [email protected]

In conclusion, sexual harassment remains a major and persistent problem in both the online and offline worlds, despite decades of attention, legal action, and advocacy to combat them. Sexual harassment must be handled and treated as a serious problem as it produces many issues in the lives of individuals who are often unaware of what is going on. In order to enact significant and lasting change, each of us must play an essential part in assisting victims of sexual harassment and ensuring that their stories are heard. Individuals must also educate themselves on this topic in order to understand and identify sexual harassment. We can address the judicial systems' failure to seriously and appropriately punish sexual harassment offenders. With this change, they will be able to enjoy healthier, more secure, and powerful lives.

References