Only Half of Malaysian Women Can Refuse Sex With Spouse, Survey Finds

Only half of Malaysian women who were married or in a sexual relationship polled in a nationwide survey said they could refuse sex with their spouse or partner, with those who gave in saying they believed it was their marital duty or that they were guided by their faith.

The survey, commissioned by Muslim women’s advocacy group SIS Forum and released on Thursday, polled 1,004 women above 18 years old, the Malay Mail newspaper reported.

They were categorised into three marital statuses: 61 per cent were married, 33 per cent were single and the rest were divorced, separated or widowed. Most, or 67 per cent, were Muslim, with 16 per cent Christian, 12 per cent Buddhist, 2 per cent Hindu and 2 per cent non-religious.

Most respondents, or 78 per cent, said their decision to marry was largely their own. However, money played a part, as those who were financially dependent on others said their marriage was likely to be a family decision. Among women earning below 1,000 ringgit (US$244) a month, 21 per cent of them said their marriage was primarily decided by their parents.

Of those who were married or in a sexual relationship, 52 per cent said they were able to refuse sex compared with 86 per cent among other women in the region, while 37 per cent said they could say “no” only sometimes.

“Malay and Muslim women report the least sexual autonomy – only 44 per cent report being able to refuse sex, compared with around three quarters of Chinese and Indian women,” the survey said.