Advice For Women

Speaking

Have you seen the posters that went viral. What do you think about the advice?
Poster 1

• Do you think women should dress up and wear make up at home? Why?

• What is the purpose of it? For the pleasure of women or men?

• Does women wearing home clothes affect how the men treat them? Why?

Poster 2

• Should women refrain from nagging when they ask for help with household chores?

• Does using humourous words help to avoid conflict?

• What do you think about the example given - imitating Doraemon's tone and following by giggling?

Reading

Read the article below and answer the questions.

Malaysian Government Apologizes After Advising Women To Wear Make-Up And To Avoid Nagging During Lockdown

The Malaysian government was forced to apologize after its Women's Development Department advised women to wear makeup, to dress up and to avoid nagging their husbands during the coronavirus lockdown. Malaysia, which currently has 2,908 confirmed cases of COVID-19 seems like it should have bigger issues to address.

One campaign poster shows a man sitting on a sofa, and advised that women should refrain from being sarcastic if they need help with household chores. Another suggested that women should use humour and imitate the high-pitched, infantile voice of Doraemon, a blue robot cat from Japan that is popular across Asia. Yet another showed a picture of a woman wearing leggings with a giant slash through it. A picture of a woman’s face was shown with two make-up brushes and a lipstick.

Not surprisingly, the campaign was met with fierce backlash online, and the posts which were placed on Instagram and Facebook have been deleted from the department's social media account. “We apologize 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.

Although nothing as extreme is happening in the U.S., some have raised alarms that coronavirus lockdowns could reinforce gender stereotypes here as well. During the lockdown, when both parents are working from home with kids in tow, routines change. Although divisions of labour have become more equal between men and women, significant gender gaps remain. Women are still taking on the large majority of childcare, and during the lockdown, there’s more childcare to do than ever. Schools and daycare facilities are closed, and many young students need parental help with home-schooling.

Yet another gender issue potentially impacted by the virus is domestic violence. Women's groups around the world have warned that the lockdowns could result in a rise in domestic violence. The fear is that some victims will find themselves trapped at home with their abusive partners. France and Spain have started suggesting victims who are unable to call the police should head to the local pharmacy to report abuse. If they are afraid to speak openly, they can use the codeword “mask 19” to alert the pharmacist.

In times of crisis, problems that existed before the crisis tend to be exacerbated. Gender issues seem to be no exception to this rule.

Writing

If you were the minister of Women Development Department, what are the advice that you will give to the women? In around 80 words, write your advice for all the women.