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Year: 2009

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AWARE members fly the flag on 8 August

Flag Day

It was an ambitious target given the economic downturn and the H1N1 pandemic, but in the end we did not do too badly.

We had hoped to raise at least $70,000 on the AWARE Flag Day on 8 August. What we managed to raise was a little over $40,000 – a very decent amount considering all the obstacles we faced.

Most of this money came from members who, in the weeks before the Flag Day, generously responded to the call for people to sponsor a tin for $100 each.

This made all the difference because, as we got closer and closer to the day, more and more schools and students who had said they would help pulled out because of concerns about the H1N1 virus.

So on 8 August, we had far fewer AWARE donation tins on the streets than expected. But the volunteers who did turn up went the extra mile and did their best to persuade shoppers and commuters to dig into their pockets and purses.

Some members of the public, noticing the AWARE logo on the tins, made a point of coming over and, as they made a donation, asking whether things had settled down at AWARE.

Thanks are due to all the members who kindly sponsored tins, the staff and volunteers who worked so hard, and the members of the public who contributed to the AWARE Flag Day. – Report by Rina Marie

Together we can fight for a better tomorrow

New Member’s Night 20 August 2009

Exco member Tan Joo Hymn takes the new members on a tour of AWARE
Exco member Tan Joo Hymn takes the new members on a tour of AWARE

Charlene Lee was a supporter of AWARE for a long time but never saw a need to become a member. Then in April this year, when AWARE’s values and policies appeared to be under threat, she decided she had to take a stand.

“I joined AWARE because together we can fight for a better tomorrow,” said Charlene, 29, when she came to the AWARE Centre in August for New Members’ Night, the monthly gathering for new members to learn more about AWARE.

“It was good to have an up close and personal session with the staff and some Exco members,’ said Charlene, adding that she was impressed by the range of programmes undertaken by AWARE.

Another new member, Tiffany Lai, 23, felt the session was very informative and that “AWARE’s programmes are very relevant to the issues that women face today”. Tiffany plans to volunteer in counselling and she hopes to be able to empower women to make their own decisions and be proud of it.

Sueyen Tan, 28, also enjoyed the gathering. She said she had joined AWARE because “AWARE’s values represent mine. I believe that I can learn new things and AWARE is a good place for me to achieve this.”

At these monthly new members’ nights, AWARE staff and some Exco members make presentations and answer queries. The sessions are lively and a good opportunity for members to not just learn more about AWARE but also make new friends. The next session is scheduled for 16th September 2009. – Report by Mardiana Abunaim

Past Training: Financial Awareness & Confidence Training (FACT)

Note: This course is no longer on offer. The information is retained as a record of past activities and training.

img_planningFinancial Awareness & Confidence Training (FACT) Programme

Have you been trying to build up your savings but find that your bank account is hardly growing?

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by all the different types of insurance available to you?

Do you worry about life after retirement but feel clueless about what you can do?

Have you been too afraid to turn to investments to increase your assets?

If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, you are definitely not alone. The life skill of money management presently receives little attention in formal education despite its utmost importance to women. When available, financial education in Singapore is often provided by vendors of financial products who may not be providing objective and impartial financial information.

AWARE has put together a highly affordable 3-part workshop called the Financial Awareness & Confidence Training (FACT) Programme to equip you with the knowledge you need to gain greater financial security.

What makes this course different is its format. Each module comprises a talk and at least 2 Money Club sessions. Participants can opt to their Money Club meetings after the course.

FACT trainers are experienced executives in financial fields such as personal banking, investment banking and asset management.

The training kicks off with an introduction to the foundations of personal finance. Topics include personal budgeting, debt management, savings and compound interest.

The second installment demystifies personal insurance, providing a clear overview on the types of insurance available, as well as the coverage women need during different phases of their lives.

FACT’s final session gives women the knowledge they need to enter the investment market with confidence. We clarify concepts like risk, return and time horizon of investments. We also deepen your understanding of investment fundamentals such as diversification, building an investment plan and assessing new investment opportunities.

A detailed study of women’s financial habits and experiences by Prudential America has shown that women who are financially knowledgeable tend to be more confident and proactive when it comes to achieving their retirement goals. The key to confidence is knowledge, and FACT will give you both.

Here’s a more detailed course outline:

1. FACT 1: Money & Me – Personal Financial Management

• Understanding one’s personal money style
• Understanding one’s financial situation
• Personal budgeting
• Developing a financial plan
• Balancing savings and spending
• Savings and compound interest
• Types of debt and debt Management
• Importance of emergency fund

Training date: Check back for updates

Where:
AWARE Centre (Block 5 Dover Crescent #01-22)

How much?
Single: $50
Pair: $80

AWARE members who log in at the website and purchase will receive a 40% discount. That is just $30 for the workshop or $48 for a pair.

2. FACT 2: Protecting Myself & My Family – Insurance

• Different types of Insurance

Training Date: Check back for updates

Where:
AWARE Centre (Block 5 Dover Crescent #01-22)

How much?
Single: $150
Pair: $240

AWARE members who log in at the website and purchase will receive a 33% discount. That is just $100 for the workshop or $150 for a pair.

3. FACT 3: Growing My Money – Investment

• Understanding risk, returns, and time horizon of investments
• Key investment risks
• Overview of major investment types
• Questions to ask when assessing new investment opportunities
• Basics of diversification
• Basics of building an investment plan

Training date: Check back for updates

Where:
AWARE Centre (Block 5 Dover Crescent #01-22)

How much?
Individual: $300
Pair: $500

AWARE members who log in at the website and purchase will receive a 33% discount. That is just $200 for the workshop or $300 for a pair.

AWARE’s Annual Regular Membership is just $40. Click here to become a member.

Please write to us at publiceducation@aware.org.sg if you have any questions.

AWARE will not try to recover cost of EGM from previous Exco (6 Jul 2009)

AWARE Media Release 6 July 2009
At the 2 May EGM several members queried Josie Lau and her Exco about the cost of the EGM. Calls were made, both at the EGM and in media forums subsequently, for the money to be recovered from the members of that Exco.

After taking office, the current Exco formed an internal review team to look into the expenses incurred by the previous Exco and determine whether their decisions and actions adhered to the AWARE Constitution and other established practices.

The EGM cost a total of $99,291.28. This was not quite covered by the $98,765.70 in membership fees paid by the 2,748 people who joined AWARE or who renewed their membership between 29 March and 2 May.

The current Exco wrote to all the companies that provided services at the EGM, explained the financial situation and asked them to consider making a donation to AWARE. So far, Rajah & Tann have donated $5,000 and Deloitte & Touche $3,000, while Boardroom has yet to respond. Suntec and Ape Communications declined on the grounds that they had, in total, given AWARE a 26.5% discount on the facilities and services provided.

egm

The review team found that the previous Exco did not adhere fully to the AWARE Constitution and established practices. Also, they could have avoided some of the costs, for instance, by trying to get pro bono legal advice and asking AWARE volunteers to act as scrutineers.

“We will not, however, be taking any action against the previous Exco,” said Ms Lam. “There are several reasons for this. We recognise that they were handicapped by their lack of NGO experience. Secondly, we have been able to recover part of the costs through the generosity of some of the vendors.

“Most importantly, we want to get on with our work – which is to identify and help remove the obstacles that prevent women from realising their full potential. This is, and has always been, AWARE’s agenda.”

State of the Nation’s Women report (6 Jul 2009)

AWARE Media Release 6 July 2009

AWARE launches project to publish State of the Nation’s Women report

AWARE, Singapore’s leading women’s rights advocacy group, is launching a two-year project to reach out to a wide range of women in Singapore and gather their views on the issues that most affect them. These views, together with other research findings, will be published in 2011 in a report titled The State of the Nation’s Women.

In its scope, the State of the Nation’s Women (SNW) report will be similar to the CEDAW shadow reports that AWARE produces and submits to the United Nations. CEDAW, or the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, is regarded as an international bill of rights for women. Countries that sign the convention have to submit national reports at least once every four years on the progress they have made to remove all discrimination against women. Shadow reports are submitted by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and are considered alongside the national reports by the UN’s CEDAW Committee.

Like the CEDAW report, the SNW report will examine the state of Singapore’s women in areas such as employment, health, family, leadership, and media. But a key difference is that the voices of Singapore’s women will feature prominently in the SNW report.

“Our CEDAW shadow reports have identified the inequalities that still exist and the many issues that need to be addressed, such as the lack of sexual harassment laws, stereotyping in the media, the need for more day care centres for young parents and for greater financial security for older women,” said Dana Lam, AWARE president.

“What we will now do, in parallel with our CEDAW work, is reach out to women in Singapore and get their views on all these issues. We want to get the women to talk and we will listen carefully. We want to find out what they see as the key challenges in their lives, what they would like to see by way of changed or new policies and laws. The State of the Nation’s Women report will cover largely the same ground as the CEDAW reports but it will be from the perspective of a cross-section of Singapore’s women.”

AWARE will reach these women in a variety of ways, including a forum series called ‘Stand Up and Speak Out’. There will also be talks and small group discussions, and at least one major conference. Joint projects and other forms of collaboration with the media and with other NGOs will be explored.

ON-GOING PROJECTS

  • The CEDAW subcommittee will continue to work on AWARE’s 3rd shadow report.
  • The AWARE Training Institute (ATI) will be going full steam ahead with the following programmes to educate, enable and empower women to achieve their highest potential in society:
    • ATI’s Body Image Workshops will help young girls to reflect on body image, and concepts of attractiveness and beauty, to enable them to deal with body image and self esteem issues.
    • Following from AWARE’s major recent report on sexual harassment which showed that more than 50% of respondents had experienced sexual harassment at work, ATI is currently developing workshops to train organisations to deal with sexual harassment and assault. The sexual harassment team comprising HR practitioners, lawyers and social workers target to provide by the end of the year a comprehensive package of services to train and advise companies on policies and practices to prevent and deal with sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
    • The financial training programme for women is being enhanced. The aim here is to help women with financial empowerment. Further announcements on this will be made shortly.
    • Women in Conversation is an innovative approach to learning. ATI provides safe spaces for women to get together in small groups to learn from each other and to share their personal and common experiences in matters such as sex, dating, marriage, gender discrimination, career development, leadership.
  • AWARE will expand its Direct Services, particularly the Helpline which now operates Mondays to Fridays from 3pm to 9.30pm. With AWARE’s increased membership and a greater pool of volunteers to take the calls, the plan is to:
    1. Extend the operating hours
    2. Handle calls in more languages
    3. Train the Helpline volunteers to handle a wider variety of situations. Collaborations with complementary NGOs may be explored.

    AWARE is also looking into the possibility of extending its Counselling Service and the Legal Clinic.

  • A recently launched project is a study by the Singles Subcommittee to identify the attitudes and public policies that affect how single women live in Singapore. The study will examine various categories of singles including ageing singles and single care-givers of the elderly or children.

 

AWARE TURNS 25

AWARE, which was registered on 25 November 1985, will turn 25 in November 2010. To celebrate its 25 years, AWARE will organise a Festival of Women which will showcase the talent and achievements of Singapore women. This Festival will be spread out over 2010 and 2011, with events that range from the literary and artistic to the entertaining and energetic.