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​Sharing new ideas to advance gender equality

Graphic: Dr Nik Salida, centre, with representatives from the APF and the Australian Government

Dr Nik Salida, a Commissioner with Malaysia’s NHRI, has taken part in a study tour exploring strategies to counter the systemic barriers facing women.

How can changes to law and policy make a genuine difference in the lives of women and girls?

What are effective ways to advance gender equality, promote the economic empowerment of women and tackle the root causes of domestic violence?

These are some of the challenging questions that Dr Nik Salida, a Commissioner with Malaysia's national human rights institution – SUHAKAM – explored as part of a five-day study visit to Australia.

Dr Salida, who took up her role with SUHAKAM's leadership team in June 2016, also serves as a senior lecturer at University Sains Islam Malaysia, specialising in international and Islamic human rights law, women's rights and Islamic family law.

She regularly appears on talk shows on Malaysian television to talk about these issues.

Her visit to Australia included a range of meetings that looked at Australian approaches to human rights, multicultural policies and religious tolerance.

Other issues canvassed in these meetings included:

  • Family law in Australia and its interaction with Islam
  • How to communicate concepts of gender equality and women's rights to people who may not understand legal or human rights terminology
  • Strategies for applying the Yogyakarta Principles to promote and protect the human rights of LGBTI community
  • Possible future areas of collaboration between Australia and SUHAKAM.

In addition to meeting with colleagues at the APF and the Australian Human Rights Commission, Dr Salida also met with academics, NGOs and government agencies during her visit from 23-27 July 2017.

She was invited to Australia as part of the Australian Government's Special Visit Program, a tailored international visit program aimed at building long-term relationships with future leaders.

Date: 28 July 2017


Image credits

  1. Dr Nik Salida, centre, with representatives from the APF and the Australian Government - APF