CHAPTER 4 - REPORT OF THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS WORKING GROUP Issues Raised by Participants (i) (ii) Alimony • Many single mothers are not paid alimony by their former husbands although court orders have been obtained. • Delays in the resolution of court cases pertaining to alimony have caused hardship for unemployed single mothers who have custody of children. • Alimony payments are insufficient to meet the current cost of living, especially in urban areas. • In some cases, single mothers cannot take custody and alimony cases to court because they cannot afford the legal fees. Legal aid is only available to those earning less than RM500 a month. Support services • Sisters in Islam and the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality have jointly established a Child Support Agency to provide temporary support to children from broken families, pending the issuance of a court order on alimony. • Single mothers can access the Family Support Division established by the National Council for Islamic Affairs Malaysia. It provides moral support and financial advice. (iii) Assistance from the MWFCD • Many women, including single mothers, are not aware of the types of assistance made available by the Ministry. It was therefore suggested that Ministry should distribute a booklet listing all forms of assistance. • In providing assistance to women in Malaysia, equal access needs to be ensured, regardless of the political opinion of the individual. • The Ministry could organise more development and self-help programmes for single mothers to ensure that they have the means to fend for themselves and their families. Based on the concerns expressed, the Commission will next meet with the relevant Government agencies to take up the plight of single mothers, especially on issues that affect their inherent human rights. The Commission will also raise the recommendations of the seminar and work with the Government and NGOs to produce and distribute booklets on forms of assistance and services available for single mothers. 75