Welcome to Malaysia, world's number one in condoms.

Though many intending visitors to
Malaysia may have certain reservations,
Solaade Ayo-Aderele, who was in the
Southeast Asian country, reports that it's
fun all the way
Though the e-mail was terse, it still sent
cold shivers down the spines of those of
us slated to participate in the Women
Deliver 2013, a triennial conference that
brings together voices from around the
world to call for action to improve the
health and well-being of girls and
women.
We'd been scheduled to visit the
Ministry of Women, Family and
Community Development under the
National Population and Family
Development Board in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia; and one of the numerous
helpers at the conference, Mari
Rasmussen, had written to us on behalf
of Women Deliver, warning us about the
"acceptable" dress code.
The email reads, in part: "Attendees are
expected to wear business casual attire.
Please, consider keeping your shoulders,
upper chest, and knees covered."
The Programme Director, International
Media Training of the Population
Reference Bureau, Debroah Mesce, saw
the need to still draw our attention to
the important message should it have
escaped our eyes.
And just as we were trying to sort out
the appropriate clothes to take to
Malaysia, Stephanie Platis, another
volunteer and an Associate with the
Global Health Strategies, New York,
wrote to tell us that we needed
permission to bring in certain
communications equipment. Here's her
email to that effect:
"Please note that if you are planning to
bring camera/video equipment to the
conference centre, you will need to
apply and get approval through the
Malaysian Ministry of Information,
Communications and Culture.
"I am more than happy to help you
secure the appropriate approvals. If you
are planning on bringing camera/video
equipment to the meeting, please send
me an email indicating exactly which
equipment you will be taking with you by
Tuesday, 23 April.
"I will then pass this information along
to the conference centre staff, who can
help secure the customs letter you will
need to bring this equipment into the
country.
"Please note, if you do not send me the
necessary information by Tuesday, 23
April, we cannot guarantee that you will
get approval to bring your equipment."
The mail turned out to be unnecessarily
alarmist, because we not only took in all
sorts of communications gadgets, we
also enjoyed our stay in Malaysia, while
the social scene in the Southeast Asian
country left us gaping with wonder.
The reason is simple: Malaysia is
predominantly Muslim, and we had
expected people to be conservative, but
they are not. The Suria KLCC shopping
mall provides one of the best glimpses
into the Malaysian socio-economic life,
as it daily fills up to the brim with
citizens and foreigners alike.
The social life of Malaysians is a study in
amazement, considering the Muslim
population. Though the Muslim women
are clad in burqa, which may be partial
or full, they don't fail to express
affection openly towards their men.
It's virtually hard to see lone women
walking the streets or the malls, as they
are always accompanied by male
partners. Couples who are conservative
and older simply hold hands tightly,
while the young ones smooch around,
kissing openly and pressing against each
other.
In terms of dressing, we were in for a
big shock, what with the fact that
designer tattered shorts and micro mini
rule the dressing of the younger
Malaysians, even as they rub shoulders
with women in burqa.
The shops parade all manner of clothes
that you don't expect to see in an
Islamic country; but it only goes to show
the freedom that citizens enjoy.
Another surprise is that though we
moved round the city, we didn't see
ubiquitous worship places, nor were
there those early morning or mid
afternoon calls to prayers. Even on
Friday, the Muslim Sabbath, worshippers
simply went in groups to designated
worship places, and there was no
conversion of public spaces to
emergency prayer grounds.
One other thing that intrigued a visitor
like me -- considering the religious
tension back home where certain
religious sects claim that western
education, especially for women, is
antithetical to the Islamic faith -- is that
Malaysia has one of the largest
populations of highly educated women
any nation can boast of.
According to official statistics, the 2012
Malaysian population is 29,179,952, out
of which women number 14 million. Out
of these, a whopping 99 per cent (13.86
million) of girls ages between 15 and 24
years are literate, and 71 per cent of the
entire female population are enrolled in
secondary school.
A further 45 per cent (6.3 million or one
out of two) are enrolled in tertiary
education, while 44 per cent (6.16
million or one out of two) of women are
economically active as from age 15. And
in government, women make up 10 per
cent of members of parliament.
What this means is that in Malaysia,
poverty does not have the female face,
unlike what obtains in most developing
countries like Nigeria.
Since the Women Deliver Conference,
generally, is all about improving the
health and well-being of girls and
women, population control is also an
integral aspect of the global do.
Consequently, manufacturers of family
planning devices , especially condoms,
had more than enough opportunity to
showcase their ware.
While the male condoms were on display
and also available for the asking, female
condoms took the shine off the male
stuffs. From one length of the expansive
exhibition halls to the other, various
sizes, shapes, colours and makes of
female condoms were not only on
display but also on offer to everybody.
And we aren't talking of 5,000 people
here!
Not to be outshined, Malaysia, our host,
flew this imposing banner across one of
its many stands: "Malaysia, World's No.
1 in condoms." This is not altogether
surprising, as Malaysia is a rubber
exporting country; and for a country
that believes in population control to
achieve developmental goals, what
better way can it prove it than to be at
the forefront of those who work round
the clock to shield (literally) women from
unwanted and unplanned pregnancies.
Apart from condoms, another product
that caught attention was the reusable
12-hour period protection called
Softcup.
Manufactured by Evofem Inc., Softcup is
touted as a flexible cup that is worn
internally around the cervix. Unlike the
traditional sanitary pad that is used to
line the pant during a woman's monthly
period, Softcup is inserted into the
vagina where it collects, rather than
absorb, menstrual flow. The
manufacturers claim that it is hypo-
allergenic, latex-free and completely safe
when used as directed.