End Violence Against Women

An art exhibition focusing on emphasising the need to end violence against women

Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), in collaboration with journalism platform Saksi, recently held an art exhibition/fundraiser previously, in conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the UN’s 16 Days against Gender-Based Violence.

Sumitra Visvanathan, the executive director of WAO, launched the exhibition by emphasising the need to end violence against women.

“If you eliminate violence against women, you create a safer society, you create a better community, you create a stronger economy and you create a country that is resilient, inclusive and which stands for everybody’s rights”.

She thanked the artists of the night for ‘opening people’s eyes to violence against women’. 

She also said: “One of the things we believe in making Malaysia a better country is to understand culturally who are we —  do we embrace gender equality, do we abhor violence against women, do we victim blame, do we shame survivors, do we support, do we listen, do we hear, do we step forward and say that this is wrong?”

“What we do today will create the country of tomorrow.”

The event, titled ‘Strokes of Resilience: Empowerment through Art’, was held at GMBB, Kuala Lumpur, and featured various artists showcasing their pieces of work which were up for sale.

One of the artists that night was Cassielelolea, who traded her job in advertising to work in art full-time. Her watercolour piece, created this year, was titled ‘Wildflower’.

“This piece was made from my perspective because of the pain that I suffered in a personal injury,” Cassielelolea said. “I related this piece to the women who are suffering physically and mentally.”

Aeslinn Tay, a twenty-something full-time student and art freelancer on the side, was another artist that night. Proudly displaying her piece titled ‘Mimosa’(2023), she said:  “Advocacy and women’s rights have been close to my heart, so when I saw this exhibition I thought it would be a good time to produce something”.

“This piece is called ‘Mimosa’ because the flowers that she is holding are mimosas and they are the International Women’s Day’s official flower,” Aeslinn explained. “When I created this piece, I was thinking of something to show that even though there is  a kind of terror in the experience of being a woman, there is also a lot of beauty and strength in it.”

“The flowers represent blooming and growth despite the adversities and there is a little hidden fun fact about this piece. If you look at the hands, they have a colour that you can see through them – that is, perpetrators have their own complex stories behind them so they can’t be completely villainised.”

1 in 3 women worldwide have faced or are facing violence. In Peninsular Malaysia alone, 9% of women are currently facing or have previously faced cases of domestic violence.

WAO is a prominent feminist group dedicated to addressing gender-based violence and advocating for women’s rights. Established in 1982, WAO provides a range of services, including a helpline, shelter, counselling, and legal support for women experiencing domestic violence and abuse.

Beyond immediate assistance, the organisation actively engages in advocacy efforts to challenge and change systemic issues contributing to gender inequality and violence against women. WAO is committed to promoting gender justice, empowering women, and fostering a society that recognises and respects the rights of all individuals, irrespective of gender.

Meanwhile, Saksi is ‘an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces journalism, data and reports with feminist force’. You can view the exhibition’s catalogue on Saksi’s website here.