Malaysia rethinks school textbook that shames girls for having sex
- The book warns girls to wear clothes that “protect the modesty of their genitals”, to shut the door when they change, and to avoid quiet places when alone
- The Deputy Education Minister, describing the content as insensitive and sexist, said the textbook would be amended with immediate effect
A textbook which warns young girls that having sex would bring dishonour to their families and cause them to be shunned by society will be corrected with immediate effect, said the Malaysian Education Ministry on Tuesday, after a photo of the offending content went viral on Twitter.
“Not only does this put the responsibility of preventing sexual harassment solely on the shoulders of a girl, it also implies that she had it coming! Shaming kids is not acceptable,” tweeted the user.
Using the example of a girl named “Amira”, the textbook warns that failing to protect one’s modesty would bring girls shame, cause them to be disliked by peers, and chip away at the family’s honour.
The textbook also told girls to wear clothes that “protect the modesty of their genitals”, to shut the door when they change, and to avoid visiting quiet places alone.
The photo of the infographic riled many Malaysians, with many asking their elected representatives and ministers to take action.
Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Cheng, describing the content as insensitive and sexist, said she had met the department responsible for drafting the content for national textbooks to demand an immediate revision.