Malaysia's Women, Family and Community Development Ministry yesterday offered some tips for wives and mothers working from home during the movement control order, Malay Mail reported.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, the ministry offered tips to prevent household strife for married couples stuck at home together.

Some of these tips included asking women to dress properly and put on makeup at home, and to speak coyly to their husbands to get them to do the chores.

"If you see your partner do something that is contrary to what you want, avoid nagging but use ‘humorous’ words like ‘this is the way to hang up clothes to dry, my dear’ while emulating Doraemon's tone and follow through with a giggle," said the above tip.

Searing criticism

Many were incensed at the ministry's tips toward both women and men.

The comments on their Instagram page reprehended the ministry's tips for exacerbating the objectification of women - the very people they were meant to protect.

Instagram user yvvoneyee pointed out that these tips also implied that men are ignorant, irrational, and impatient if they don't even know what chores to do and have to be patronised by their wives.

User ruykava also called out the double standard of only requiring women to look presentable, when work productivity should be people's concern instead.

Men don't have to put on makeup, so why do women need to? Isn't productivity more important? What is this?

Women's rights organisations, such as All Women's Action Society, also responded to the ministry, saying that they forgot that women are human too.

Yes, sometimes people get so busy telling women how to behave, how to dress, how to feel, how to take a joke, how to act, how to keep a husband and maintain a family that it becomes easy to forget that she is human.#COVID19Malaysia#PKP#DudukRumah https://t.co/cM7Xi35dZ7

— All Women’s Action Society (AWAM) (@AWAMMalaysia) March 31, 2020

Increasing domestic strife in countries under Covid-19 lockdown

With many families forced to confine themselves at home as part of Covid-19 measures, there has been an increasing trend of arguments, divorces and family violence cases across countries under lockdown.

There are many reasons for the escalating tensions. Stress from losing livelihoods, a loss of control, and a reduction of social services are some reasons that exacerbate conflict at home.

in Singapore, CNA reported that AWARE’s Women’s Helpline has seen a 33 per cent increase in February over calls received in the same month last year.

If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, you can reach out to AWARE’s Women’s Helpline (1800 777 5555, Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm), or to Family Violence Specialist Centres such as PAVE.

Top photo from kpwkm/ Instagram