All Women’s Action Society (Awam)

AWAM was born out of the campaign, Violence Against Women, launched in March 1985 in conjunction with International Women’s Day. For the first time in Malaysia, issues of rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, prostitution and the portrayal of women in the media were highlighted to the public. The event inspired the formation of several women’s groups in the country, one of which was AWAM, which was officially registered in 1988. AWAM is a non-governmental, non-profit, women organization and committed to improving the lives of women in Malaysia. AWAM’s vision is to create a just and equitable society where women are treated with respect, and free from all forms of violence and discrimination.

The success of this historic two-day event inspired the formation of several women’s organizations. One of these was AWAM. Some of these organizations have gone on to become part of an established network called the Joint Action Group against Violence against Women (JAG) which continuously works to achieve the objective of a violence-free community.

Since then, AWAM has developed its programs to secure women’s human rights for a gender-equal society through various ways. These include providing counseling services and legal assistance; training or public education to continue creating awareness on issues of violence against women. Such actions and processes contribute to the expansion of democratic space and help in building multiculturalism in Malaysia.

Some of the significant milestones for AWAM are as follows:
> 1987 : Citizens Against Rape (1st Campaign)
> 1989 : Amendments to laws relating to rape
> 1994 : Enactment of the Domestic Violence Act
> 1996 : Setting up of the One Stop Crisis Centre in Hospital Kuala Lumpur and subsequently, in all major government hospitals
> 1999 : Introduction of the Code of Practice on the Prevention and
Eradication of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
> 2004 : Citizens Against Rape (CAR 2nd Campaign)