Women have long borne the brunt of comments with sexual innuendoes in almost every conceivable workplace: the office, the school staff room, the home. It has generally been the purview of men to make such comments with sexual connotations. And it has generally been the women who - perhaps because of cultural codes and norms - have either giggled out of embarrassment or kept quiet (so as not to appear rude) when these comments are made.

Enough is enough, and it is good that both men and women are beginning to speak up against such comments whenever and wherever they occur. These jokes are offensive and denigrate women (and men) who are working towards a nation free of gender chauvinism. If the Code of Practice on the Prevention and Eradication of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace is actually implemented in workplaces, then people who make such comments can be made accountable.

It is therefore dismaying to hear about the recent innuendoes uttered by certain parliamentarians. It shows just how much of an uphill struggle it is for Malaysians to work towards eliminating all forms of discrimination against women, let alone for women to be respected as equal counterparts in society. It is shameful that MPs in Parliament consider a lewd statement (intentional or otherwise) a laughing matter. It is not just an insult to the MP at whom the comments were aimed but to all of us.

Such behaviour and thinking displayed in the highest legislative body in our country is cause for much concern. What sort of example are our leaders setting for young people in society and the public in general when such remarks are made during a parliamentary debate and considered amusing? Given the calibre and mind-set of some of the present MPs, it is no wonder that laws that discriminate against women continue to exist in our statute books.

Gender sensitisation is clearly needed not only in Parliament but at all levels of society. It is clearly necessary to increase the representation of women in Parliament, but this is not the solution to gender bias in Malaysia. Society as a whole needs to be re-educated on gender sensitisation. This cannot be achieved by running weekend workshops about gender sensitivity for small groups. What is needed is a commitment to implement a carefully thought-out programme in primary schools, where young minds are relatively uncluttered by gender bias.

To be respected and treated fairly as human beings is a basic right for all of us. Sexual innuendoes and gender bias is not a women’s issue – it is an issue for all of us. So, both men and women need to work together to stop the situation where one half of our people are treated as lesser citizens by words, thoughts and deeds.