WELCOME TO MALAYSIA, WORLD’S NUMBER ONE IN CONDOMS -Solaade Ayo-Aderele Though many intending visitors to Malaysia may have certain reservations, Solaade Ayo-Aderele, who was in the Southeast Asian country, reports that it’s fun all the way Though the e-mail was terse, it still sent cold shivers down the spines of those of us slated to participate in the Women Deliver 2013, a triennial conference that brings together voices from around the world to call for action to improve the health and well-being of girls and women. We’d been scheduled to visit the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development under the National Population and Family Development Board in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and one of the numerous helpers at the conference, Mari Rasmussen, had written to us on behalf of Women Deliver, warning us about the “acceptable” dress code. The email reads, in part: “Attendees are expected to wear business casual attire. Please, consider keeping your shoulders, upper chest, and knees covered.” The Programme Director, International Media Training of the Population Reference Bureau, Debroah Mesce, saw the need to still draw our attention to the important message should it have escaped our eyes. And just as we were trying to sort out the appropriate clothes to take to Malaysia, Stephanie Platis, another volunteer and an Associate with the Global Health Strategies, New York, wrote to tell us that we needed permission to bring in certain communications equipment. Here’s her email to that effect: “Please note that if you are planning to bring camera/video equipment to the conference centre, you will need to apply and get approval through the Malaysian Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture. “I am more than happy to help you secure the appropriate approvals. If you are planning on bringing camera/video equipment to the meeting, please send me an email indicating exactly which equipment you will be taking with you by Tuesday, 23 April. “I will then pass this information along to the conference centre staff, who can help secure the customs letter you will need to bring this equipment into the country. “Please note, if you do not send me the necessary information by Tuesday, 23 April, we cannot guarantee that you will get approval to bring your equipment.” The mail turned out to be unnecessarily alarmist, because we not only took in all sorts of communications gadgets, we also enjoyed our stay in Malaysia, while the social scene in the Southeast Asian country left us gaping with wonder. The reason is simple: Malaysia is predominantly Muslim, and we had expected people to be conservative, but they are not. The Suria KLCC shopping mall provides one of the best glimpses into the Malaysian socio-economic life, as it daily fills up to the brim with citizens and foreigners alike. The social life of Malaysians is a study in amazement, considering the Muslim population. Though the Muslim women are clad in burqa, which may be partial or full, they don’t fail to express affection openly towards their men. It’s virtually hard to see lone women walking the streets or the malls, as they are always accompanied by male partners. Couples who are conservative and older simply hold hands tightly, while the young ones smooch around, kissing openly and pressing against each other. In terms of dressing, we were in for a big shock, what with the fact that designer tattered shorts and micro mini rule the dressing of the younger Malaysians, even as they rub shoulders with women in burqa. The shops parade all manner of clothes that you don’t expect to see in an Islamic country; but it only goes to show the freedom that citizens enjoy. Another surprise is that though we moved round the city, we didn’t see ubiquitous worship places, nor were there those early morning or mid afternoon calls to prayers. Even on Friday, the Muslim Sabbath, worshippers simply went in groups to designated worship places, and there was no conversion of public spaces to emergency prayer grounds. One other thing that intrigued a visitor like me — considering the religious tension back home where certain religious sects claim that western education, especially for women, is antithetical to the Islamic faith — is that Malaysia has one of the largest populations of highly educated women any nation can boast of. According to official statistics, the 2012 Malaysian population is 29,179,952, out of which women number 14 million. Out of these, a whopping 99 per cent (13.86 million) of girls ages between 15 and 24 years are literate, and 71 per cent of the entire female population are enrolled in secondary school. A further 45 per cent (6.3 million or one out of two) are enrolled in tertiary education, while 44 per cent (6.16 million or one out of two) of women are economically active as from age 15. And in government, women make up 10 per cent of members of parliament. What this means is that in Malaysia, poverty does not have the female face, unlike what obtains in most developing countries like Nigeria. Since the Women Deliver Conference, generally, is all about improving the health and well-being of girls and women, population control is also an integral aspect of the global do. Consequently, manufacturers of family planning devices , especially condoms, had more than enough opportunity to showcase their ware. While the male condoms were on display and also available for the asking, female condoms took the shine off the male stuffs. From one length of the expansive exhibition halls to the other, various sizes, shapes, colours and makes of female condoms were not only on display but also on offer to everybody. And we aren’t talking of 5,000 people here! Not to be outshined, Malaysia, our host, flew this imposing banner across one of its many stands: “Malaysia, World’s No. 1 in condoms.” This is not altogether surprising, as Malaysia is a rubber exporting country; and for a country that believes in population control to achieve developmental goals, what better way can it prove it than to be at the forefront of those who work round the clock to shield (literally) women from unwanted and unplanned pregnancies. Apart from condoms, another product that caught attention was the reusable 12-hour period protection called Softcup. Manufactured by Evofem Inc., Softcup is touted as a flexible cup that is worn internally around the cervix. Unlike the traditional sanitary pad that is used to line the pant during a woman’s monthly period, Softcup is inserted into the vagina where it collects, rather than absorb, menstrual flow. The manufacturers claim that it is hypo-allergenic, latex-free and completely safe when used as directed. The snag here is that Softcup has an intimidating look in terms of presentation. With an elongated tail that features what looks like milestones, its rubbery round edge is another thing to behold. The salesman who manned the Evofem Inc. exhibition at Women Deliver swore that Softcup was one of the easiest and most efficient devices women are “fortunate” to have. Some male onlookers were unimpressed. A man standing near this reporter asked, “And where’s that going to enter?” to which the salesman quipped, “The holy place.” End of story. While women laughed hysterically, the male inquirer scurried off in embarrassment. The five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel where we stayed is good, except for the astounding bills that attended each breakfast. I was taken aback when I was presented a bill of 216 Malaysian Ringgit which, at three to a dollar, translates into $72. At a conversion rate of one U.S. dollar to N160, that’s a princely sum of N11,520 for breakfast alone. Awesome.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 17:49:19 +0000
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