Registration for the 3rd edition of The Kebaya Run by the Malaysia Women Marathon (MWM) is now OPEN.
Register here – to run and raise awareness of EVAW or to help raise funds for Jewel Malaysia
The virtual run was started during the Movement Control Order for the pandemic, in hopes to highlight the plight of high domestic violence cases that ensued from the lockdown period. Then, a surge of 20% increase in the local domestic violence case was the impetus for MWM to create this secondary event under its wings.
The run was virtual and it still remains a virtual format for this 3rd edition. It commences on 25th November each year as this date is declared by the United Nations as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW); and ends on the 10th of December which is World Human Rights Day. This 16-day period is referred to as 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.
“We believe the awareness on what is tantamount to violence against women is very low in the society let alone the awareness of the day designated for the Elimination of Violence Against Women,” said Karen Loh, the founder of the Malaysia Women Marathon.
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The unique part about this virtual run is the running Kebaya top.
The event t-shirt is designed to be a replica of the traditional Kebaya top, yet made with dry-fit material is suitable for running. The idea is to use a traditional top and make it a symbolic reference as our support and our runners’ acknowledgment of EVAW.
Back for the 3rd time, MWM resumes their collaboration to assist the Johor’s Women League (Jewel Malaysia) for the fund raising needed for their work engaging with survivors of domestic violence.
“We are thrilled to be working together again with MWM, raising awareness on this issue as well as funds needed to aid aggrieved women and their children, for them to start their lives afresh,” said Thanam Visvanathan-Suresh, President of JEWEL.
For most of us, we may hear of the occurrence of domestic violence yet not witness the act of violence. Caregivers and front-liners put in a lot of time to help the victims pick up pieces of their lives and start anew. The organising committee hopes to raise enough to channel the funds for work carried out to rebuild the victims’ lives and become independent.
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Leaving an abusive relationship is never easy. Lodging the police report is only the first step in a long, protracted journey, that involves going up and down the police station, hospital, Welfare Department and court.
It also often involves having to shift out of the marital home, children having to change schools, the family having to undergo counselling, and the survivor having to find a new job, sometimes after years of not having formally worked. JEWEL’s intervention involves supporting the survivor through the process, with special focus on the children’s readjustment.
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The run is a virtual challenge allowing the participants to complete the challenge within the 16 days period. There are three distance category options, namely 32km, 80km, and 120km. Participants can accumulate any runs done within the 16-day period and submit their results automatically via Strava or a manual submission uploading their proof of run as a file.
There is a separate donation page in the event webpage. Every participant can raise money as there is a dedicated profile link that they can share with their donors to donate.
Register here – to run and raise awareness of EVAW or to help raise funds for Jewel Malaysia
About Malaysia Women Marathon
It is the only women’s marathon in the South Asian region and made its inaugural run in 2013. It supports the agenda for women’s empowerment and gender equality as the calendar date for the run commensurate with International Women’s Day in March annually. The movement for a women’s event brought about more women taking up challenges to run longer distances resulting in more women running ultramarathons. MWM has worked with different parties over the years and brought awareness of the different issues that affect women. The event annually organises a side event for talks and dialogues about women’s rights and issues.
