Coronavirus: Campaign tells women to 'stop nagging' husbands amid lockdown

The Malaysian Government has apologised for campaign posters telling women to wear makeup and refrain from being “sarcastic” if they needed help at home.

The Malaysian Government has apologised after telling women to speak with a cartoon cat voice and avoid nagging their husbands during coronavirus lockdowns, a move that sparked a sexism row.

The women’s affairs ministry issued advice on how to avoid domestic conflicts during the partial lockdown, which began on March 18, with a series of online posters with the hashtag translating as #WomenPreventCOVID19.

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One of the campaign posters depicted a man sitting on a sofa and asked women to refrain from being “sarcastic” if they needed help with household chores.

Avoid nagging your husband, another poster said, but use humour or imitate the infantile voice of Doraemon, a blue robot cat from Japan that is hugely popular across Asia.

DORAEMON IS A MALE CAT did any of you down there at the Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat think that?

— Michelle Yesudas (@chelle_yesudas) March 31, 2020

Prioriti Kementerian Wanita waktu #COVID19Malaysia nak suruh isteri nada Doraemon? (apa kebenda tu?) @KPWKM @drwanazizah @hannahyeoh pic.twitter.com/Qdd83B6o3F

— Nik Nazmi (@niknazmi) March 31, 2020

#DoraemonRespectsWomen pic.twitter.com/2CxG8wjPqE

— HAKAM Youth (@HakamYouth) March 31, 2020

The ministry also urged women to dress up and wear makeup while working from home.

“We apologise if some of the tips we shared were inappropriate and touched on the sensitivities of some parties,” the ministry’s women development department said in a statement.

The apology came after the online posters sparked a public outcry.

The posters have since been removed.

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Disinfectant is sprayed at a market in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 1, 2020. Picture: Vincent Thian/AP

“(It) is extremely condescending both to women and men,” said Nisha Sabanayagam, a manager at All Women’s Action Society, a Malaysian advocacy group.

“These posters promote the concept of gender inequality and perpetuate the concept of patriarchy,” she said.

Malaysia’s Women’s Aid Organisation said women should never have to act “childlike” to be taken seriously.

Additionally, the All Women’s Action Society said women have more than enough to do during the outbreak “without the added pressure of putting on makeup and looking good”.

“Women are human too – not an object or a commodity,” the independent feminist organisation said.

Yes, sometimes people get so busy telling women how to behave, how to dress, how to feel, how to take a joke, how to act, how to keep a husband and maintain a family that it becomes easy to forget that she is human.#COVID19Malaysia#PKP#DudukRumah https://t.co/cM7Xi35dZ7

— All Women’s Action Society (@AWAMMalaysia) March 31, 2020

A government hotline that helps domestic abuse victims and vulnerable children has received nearly 2000 calls – more than doubled the usual numbers – since the start of the partial lockdown, local media reported.

“How did we go from preventing baby dumping, fighting domestic violence to some sad variant of the Obedient Wives Club?” Twitter user yinshaoloong wrote before the apology.

“No tips on how to deal with domestic violence?” asked another user honeyean.

Avoid wearing home clothes. Dress up as usual, put on make-up and dress neatly. OMG! This is what Rina, our Minister of Women, Family & Community Development thinks is important during the #COVID19 lockdown? No tips on how to deal with #DomesticViolence? Just state DV is a crime. pic.twitter.com/FfswtPBIPH

— Honey Tan (@honeyean) March 31, 2020

Ministry’s #MCO advice to women: Wear make-up while working at home, speak like Doraemon & don't nag husbands https://t.co/aluuaGTopW

The posts by @KPWKM have since been panned not only by women's rights groups, but also members of the public. #WanitaCegahCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/had3nXIJwc

— Zurairi A.R. (@zurairi) March 31, 2020

Women’s groups have warned lockdowns could result in a rise in domestic violence, with women trapped with their abusers.

Some governments have stepped up in response, including in France which offers hotel rooms to victims.

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