PETALING JAYA: An alliance of activists have called for students and teachers to protest against rape culture and sexual harassment by being absent from school for one day as part of the #MakeSchoolASaferPlace movement.
“In protest of recent events on #MakeSchoolASaferPlace, we are organising a #NationalSchoolWalkoutDay (NSWD) to demand for changes in schools, ” said organisers, the NSWD Alliance.
The one-day absence, on May 6 or 7, is to call for reforms, challenge norms, improve advocacy, and protect and support survivors of sexual harassment in schools. Some of the demands include introducing institutional changes such as reporting and response frameworks, and proper training for academic staff to handle such situations with care.
The alliance consists of activists from Solidariti Pendidikan, Monsters Among Us, Demokrat Kebangsaan and Rape Watchdog and are supported by many civil society groups and youth movements.
“The recent accounts of rape jokes, sexual harassment and period spot checks perpetrated by teachers and wardens have exposed systemic failures – and parents and students are seeking justice, ” the NSWD said in a statement.
"Rape and sexual harassment cases in schools often go unreported to safeguard reputations of schools and perpetrators, and current public statistics are limited in detail. Therefore, with students speaking out on rape culture, sexual offences, violations of rights to privacy and safety in their schools, it is important that these voices are amplified and taken into serious consideration to set in motion reform in schools across Malaysia," it adds.
Some guidelines suggested for the physical protest include not attending one full day of physical classes for students with the consent of their parents or guardian, or not attending one class period with support from the teacher or school. In the latter situation, students will safely walk out of the classroom for one class period.
For online protests, students are encouraged to not attend online classes for one full day or one class period. Alternatively, students who wish to attend online classes can protest with the #MakeSchoolASaferPlace hashtag, pictures or banners.
Students and members of the public are also encouraged to wear a white ribbon with a red streak or pattern as a sign of solidarity.
The hashtag #MakeSchoolASaferPlace has been trending on social media the past week, since 17-year-old Ain Huzniza's viral posts calling out a male teacher for making a distasteful and dangerous joke about rape.
Along with revelations of inappropriate and invasive 'period checks' taking place in schools across the country, Malaysians have since begun speaking out and raising more awareness about sexual harassment in our society and called for action to be taken and for better protection of schoolchildren.
