WAO:

Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) refers to the front page article in the NST of 29 November 2009 entitled “Sex and the hubby".

WAO wishes to categorically state that we are completely opposed to the view that career women are to blame when their husbands turn to sex workers. We are given to understand by Vicky Alahakone that she spoke in her capacity as a Family Law practitioner and not as Vice-President of WAO, and that she was merely presenting the views given by some male clients to justify why they went to sex workers. These views in no way represent the views of WAO.

WAO further adds that some married men, irrespective of class, ethnicity and age, and with or without working spouses, choose to pay for sex for a variety of reasons, including the belief that they have a right to have more than one sex partner.

It is regrettable that the prevalent attitude of viewing women as sex objects and not according them full respect as equal partners is further reinforced in a society of unequal gender relations.

Women’s Aid Organisation

For further information call Ivy Josiah, Executive Director (WAO) at 03-7956 0636/5636

I refer to the article published in the New Sunday Times dated 29 November 2009, titled “Sex and The Hubby – career obsessed wives blamed as men turn to call girls.”

I would like to clarify and categorically state that I did not at any material time state or suggest that career minded women were partly to be blamed if their spouses resorted to call girls. I was interviewed as a family practitioner to seek some of the reasons given by some men, justifying their reasons as to why they visited prostitutes. What was reported in the said article were merely views given by some of my male clients, and did not reflect my own.

My personal stand from the women’s perspective and as vice president of WAO [which was never discussed between me and the writer] is that there is no justification what so ever for men to visit prostitutes as it merely reflects the fact that these men have no respect for women and treat them as mere sex objects.

The objective of the article was to highlight the increase in the number of women from foreign countries coming into Malaysia to prostitute themselves and the increasing demand for them by our local men.

I trust the above would clarify my stand and the position of the Women’s Aid Organization [WAO].