Association of Women Lawyers

24/09/2026

Our immediate past president and current EXCO member, Dani Zulkifili will be speaking next Tuesday, on 29.9.2026 at 10.45am during "Session 2: Incorporating CEDAW into National Legislation: Anti-Discrimination Against Women Bill and Gender Parity in Political Representation Bill" alongside her distinguished speakers, Dr. Hiriko Akizuki (UN CEDAW Committee Member) and Dahlia Madanih (Vice-Chairperson KOMNAS Perempuan) and moderated by Hemalatha Parasa Ramulu (Co-Deputy of the Bar Council Women's Rights Committee).

This is but one of many sessions that will be held during the Symposium organised by the Bar Council Women's Rights Committee, in collaboration with Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (SUHAKAM) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Gender Equality :

Title: Legislating Equality: CEDAW & Beyond, Symposium on Legislative Reform for Women's Human Rights

Date: 28 and 29th Sept 2026

Time: 8:00am to 5:00pm

Venue: Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Level 2, Wisma Badan Peguam Malaysia, 2 Leboh Pasar Besar, 50050 Kuala Lumpur

Registration Fee: *Free of Charge*

Seats are limited based on a first come and first served basis. Do register ahead of time!

Register at: https://lnkd.in/gEXUhSs7

REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED | Circular No 337/2026 | Symposium on Legislative Reform for Women’s Human Rights (28 and 29 Sept 2026)

Please be informed that the registration deadline has been extended from 24 Sept (tomorrow) to 27 Sept (Sunday), at 12:00 am.

Click here (https://forms.gle/NCbiwWmggxvN1KsY6) to register, and click here (https://mybar.my/4d2uJrH) to view the full circular on our website.

21/09/2026

This week, AWL president Jasmine Wong spoke to Free Malaysia Today on why Malaysia doesn't need chemical castration for s*x offenders. Her point: s*xual violence is driven by power and control, not libido, and layering an invasive punishment onto a justice system where access and social standing already shape outcomes risks doing more harm than good.

Read the full piece linked below.

Lawyers and a criminologist say the punishment is inhumane and only addresses one aspect of what drives s*xual crimes.

04/09/2026

Tune in to RTM tomorrow at 8am to listen to our Immediate Past President Daniella Zulkifili and Gopal Papachan (Empower) who will be discussing the developments of Projek30%.

07/07/2026

On 12 June, AWL's Azira Zainal and the Empower team had a dialogue with YB Adam Adli on Projek30% and the proposed Akta Projek30%. Engaging with decision-makers is a critical part of the Projek30% journey. Terima kasih YB for meeting us.

04/07/2026

The meetings continued with AWL's Daniella Zulkifili and Azira Zainal, and the Empower team meeting YB Fahmi Fadzil on 10 June 2026 for a focused discussion on Projek30%. Terima kasih, YB for making the time.

03/07/2026

AWL's Azira Zainal together with EMPOWER met with YB Wong Chen on 9 June 2026 to discuss Projek30% and the proposed Gender Parity in Political Representation Act (Akta Projek30%).

That meeting was one of many steps in a journey that culminated on 22 June 2026, when the Projek30% team held the Forum Impak Projek30% "Menjadikan 30% Satu Realiti" and formally submitted our Memorandum and the proposed Akta Projek30% to the Government.

Thank you to YB Wong Chen for taking the time to engage with us.

26/06/2026

Selangkah demi selangkah. Bersama-sama, kita bergerak ke hadapan.

Immediately after the Forum "Menjadikan 30% Satu Realiti", more than 100 participants marched from Padang Merbok to the gates of Parliament in a powerful show of solidarity for Projek30%.

This was not just a march. It was a message.

At Parliament, our Projek30% team were met by Members of Parliament who came to receive our Memorandum and the proposed Gender Parity in Political Representation Act (Akta Projek30%) on behalf of the Government — YB Yeo Bee Yin, YB Hajah Mumtaz, YB Zakri Hassan, YB Syerleena Abdul Rashid, YB Rodziah Ismail, YB Doris Jones and YB Aiman Athirah, including representatives from YB Azalina Othman and YB Nancy Shukri's office.

To everyone who marched with us: thank you. You showed up not just for women in politics, but for a Malaysia that is stronger, fairer and more representative for all.

The Memorandum has been delivered. The proposed law is on the table. Now, we watch. We push. And we keep going until 30% is not a ceiling, but a floor.
Empower Bersih Penang Women's Development Corporation-PWDC

24/06/2026

30% bukan satu angka yang mustahil. Yang mustahil ialah membina demokrasi yang benar-benar adil tanpa suara wanita di meja pembuat keputusan.

On 22 June 2026, AWL stood proudly alongside our Projek30% coalition partners as hundreds gathered at the Forum Impak 30% "Menjadikan 30% Satu Realiti" for an honest and urgent conversation about why Malaysia needs the proposed Gender Parity in Political Representation Act (Akta Projek30%): a proposed legislative reform which would require political parties to field at least 30% women candidates in parliamentary and state elections while introducing financial incentives for parties that meet the target.

Bringing together voices from academia, politics, advocacy and the legal sector, the forum was anchored by a powerful keynote address from YBrs Maria Chin Abdullah, followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr Zaireeni Azmi, Kasthuriraani Patto, and Daniella Zulkifili, moderated by Wathshlah G Naidu.

AWL believes that a Malaysia where women are equal partners in governance is not a distant dream. It is an achievable reality. And days like today remind us that we are closer than ever. The momentum is here. The law is ready. The time is now.

24/06/2026

Selepas selesai kupas isu di forum, semalam Mandiri bersama ratusan solidariti rakyat melangkah teguh dari Padang Merbok terus ke Parlimen. Kami turun padang bukan sekadar suka-suka tapi untuk serahkan Memorandum Akta Projek 30% terus ke tangan pembuat dasar negara.

Langkah semalam adalah mesej jelas kesaksamaan gender dalam politik bukan satu keistimewaan atau ihsan, ia adalah hak asasi yang wajib ditunaikan.

Kami menuntut :

Kuasa politik yang adil minima 30% calon wanita di Dewan Rakyat & ADUN seawal GE16, sistem yang inklusif di mana suara wanita bukan sekadar hiasan, tapi penentu dasar.

Kerana demokrasi yang sebenar tidak akan wujud selagi separuh daripada populasi negara dipinggirkan daripada meja keputusan.

24/06/2026

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗸𝗮𝗻 𝟯𝟬% 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶: 𝗞𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗯𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿

Pada 22 Jun 2026, Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) menjadi penganjur bersama forum Menjadikan 30% Satu Realiti di Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur, bersama rakan strategik EMPOWER Malaysia, Association of Women Lawyers (AWL), Wanita Berdaya Selangor (WBS), BERSIH dan MANDIRI.

Forum ini menghimpunkan ahli politik, penggubal dasar, ahli akademik, pengamal media dan wakil masyarakat sivil untuk membincangkan satu persoalan penting: jika komitmen terhadap 30% perwakilan wanita telah lama dinyatakan, mengapa realitinya masih belum berubah?

Majlis turut menampilkan ucaptama oleh YBrs. Puan Maria Chin Abdullah, Penasihat Martabat untuk Semua Petaling Jaya dan mantan Ahli Parlimen Petaling Jaya, yang menekankan bahawa kesaksamaan gender bukanlah ihsan, tetapi hak asasi.

Sesi forum yang dikendalikan oleh Puan Watshlah G Naidu, Pengarah Eksekutif Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), menampilkan barisan panelis berpengalaman iaitu Dr. Zaireeni Azmi dari KANITA USM, Puan Kasthuriraani Patto, Setiausaha Hal-Ehwal Antarabangsa merangkap Naib Pengerusi Wanita DAP, serta Puan Daniella Zulkifli, Ahli EXCO dan mantan Presiden Association of Women Lawyers (AWL).

Perbincangan meneliti realiti semasa penyertaan wanita dalam politik di Malaysia, termasuk jurang sistemik yang terus mengehadkan akses wanita kepada ruang kepimpinan dan pembuatan keputusan.

Forum ini turut membincangkan cadangan reformasi berstruktur melalui Akta Projek 30%, termasuk mekanisme kuota, sistem pelaporan dan langkah akauntabiliti yang bertujuan memastikan penyertaan wanita tidak lagi bergantung kepada komitmen sukarela semata-mata.

Dalam ucapan aluannya, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif PWDC, Dato’ Ong Bee Leng menegaskan bahawa cabaran sebenar bukanlah ketiadaan wanita yang layak untuk memimpin, tetapi sistem sedia ada yang masih belum menyediakan peluang yang adil dan setara.

PWDC percaya bahawa perubahan bermakna memerlukan lebih daripada sekadar komitmen. Ia menuntut reformasi struktur, mekanisme akauntabiliti dan keberanian politik untuk menterjemahkan aspirasi kepada tindakan yang nyata.

Gambar Ehsan: Empower dan Mandiri - Pusat Pembangunan Rakyat