About AWAM

Founded in 1985, All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) is one of Malaysia’s leading feminist organizations advancing gender equality, justice, and freedom from violence and discrimination. AWAM advocates for legal, policy, and social change while providing direct support services to survivors of gender-based violence and building public awareness around women’s rights. 

Anchored by feminist principles, collective action, and social justice, AWAM combines advocacy, public education, survivor support, and capacity building to strengthen institutional responses to violence against women, advance public accountability,  and promote long-term social change. The organization works closely with government agencies, educators, civil society organizations, frontline service providers, and community leaders to improve protections for survivors and advance gender-equitable policies throughout Malaysia. 

A central part of AWAM’s work is supporting women in crisis through its long-running Telenita helpline, which provides counseling, information, and assistance to survivors of violence. Through nationwide awareness campaigns, media engagement, and community education initiatives, the organization also works to challenge harmful social norms and increase public understanding of gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence. 

Since joining Women’s Learning Partnership in 2006, AWAM has expanded its leadership and political participation programming by adapting and translating WLP curricula, including the flagship manual Leading to Choice, into Malay. The organization regularly conducts Training-of-Trainers (TOT) programs using WLP methodologies to strengthen feminist leadership and community organizing across Malaysia. 

Celebrating 40 years of feminist advocacy and movement building, AWAM continues to mobilize communities, civil society organizations, and private sector partners to advance women’s rights, strengthen protections against gender-based violence, and build a more just, democratic, and inclusive society for all Malaysians.

Key Accomplishments

• Supported long-term advocacy efforts that contributed to the passage of anti-sexual harassment legislation in Malaysia. 
• Convened national forums on women’s economic participation, bringing together civil society, employers, and government actors to address workplace barriers and policy reform. 
• Led large-scale public campaigns promoting gender equality and engaging men as allies in ending gender-based violence. 
• Contributed to government consultations on protections for women affected by natural disasters and emergency displacement situations. 
• Influenced national education policy reforms to improve school-based reporting and response mechanisms for sexual harassment cases. 
• Expanded services during the COVID-19 pandemic, including remote counseling and targeted support for marginalized communities. 
• Contributed to legislative reforms strengthening protection orders for survivors of domestic violence through sustained advocacy coalitions. 
• Conducted legal education and gender training workshops for university students to strengthen future professional practice and awareness of gender equality. 
• Developed educational resources analyzing patriarchy and its links to gender-based violence in the Malaysian context. 
• Strengthened national coordination among service providers, including hospitals, police, and social welfare agencies, to improve responses to domestic violence cases.

Organizational Programs and Activities

• Women’s Leadership and Feminist Education: Conducts annual feminist leadership programs for young women, alongside trainings on gender equality, women’s rights, and feminist organizing for diverse communities including students, indigenous groups, and public sector actors. 
• Ending Violence Against Women: Leads national advocacy and service coordination efforts addressing domestic violence and sexual assault, including training for first responders and collaboration with government agencies. AWAM also contributes to strengthening One Stop Crisis Centers that provide integrated survivor services. 
• Legal Advocacy and Policy Reform: Works with national coalitions and policymakers to advance legal protections for women, including reforms related to domestic violence, sexual harassment, and access to justice. 
• Public Education and Social Change Campaigns: Uses media, publications, and public engagement campaigns to challenge harmful social norms, raise awareness of gender inequality, and promote feminist perspectives in public discourse. 
• Training on Diversity and Social Inclusion: Implements programs addressing the politicization of ethnicity and religion, promoting human rights-based approaches to social cohesion, inclusion, gender equality.