DESPITE spaces clearly marked for women only, there are still occasions when men occupy them.
A Malaysian woman recently spoke up about the topic, claiming she was unable to park in women-only spaces at shopping malls after discovering that several of these spots had been taken by men.
“What infuriates me even more is that within five minutes in the parking area, three cars had parked there. The drivers and passengers were all men.
“Not disabled, and not possessing a single feminine trait — just unable to differentiate between rights,” she said in a Facebook post.
The content creator added that she saw a woman forced to park at the furthest corner and walk a considerable distance to the shopping mall with her children.
She also pointed out that women-only parking spaces were introduced following the tragic death of Malaysian woman Canny Ong, who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and brutally murdered in 2003.
“Women’s parking is not just for show. It exists because a life was once lost,” she said.
Since that harrowing incident, such parking spaces have been introduced to ensure the safety of female drivers. However, some men have increasingly occupied them simply for convenience, according to the local content creator.
“Women-only parking spaces are not a privilege, but a form of protection — for our mothers, our wives, our sisters, and our daughters.
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“We are not asking to be protected, just not to have our safe spaces taken away.
“If we ourselves do not learn to respect these parking spaces, then don’t wait until a crime has been committed to feel guilty about it,” she concluded.
Netizens echoed her sentiments, pointing out that the misuse of women’s parking spaces is similar to that of disabled parking spaces — often taken by those who clearly do not qualify.
Some have suggested that men who park in these spaces — especially if unaccompanied by a woman — should be fined a hefty amount as a deterrent.
Another user added that single women, especially those unaccompanied by a man, should be given priority in using women-only parking spaces due to safety concerns.
