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Year: 2016

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Parliament question on arrests for suicide attempts

handcuffMP Louis Ng had posed a parliamentary question on how many arrests have been made in 2015 for attempted suicides, police protocol and trainings for such arrests and if the Ministry will consider having police suicide prevention practices that do not involve arrests.

Read the written reply in full here.

In 2014, 901 people in Singapore were arrested for attempted suicide. Astonishingly, that figure is higher than arrests for virtually every other major offence in this chart, including outrage of modesty, rioting, serious hurt, housebreaking, robbery, snatch theft, rape, and theft of motor vehicle.

suicide-graph

Source: https://data.gov.sg/dataset/islandwide-persons-arrested-for-selected-major-offences

In our recent report, we called for the reform of suicide laws and the improvement of support systems for those in distress – specifically, it seeks the reform and eventual repeal of Section 309 of the Penal Code, which makes attempted suicide an offence.

The report includes accounts from women that AWARE spoke to, who had negative experiences with law enforcement action related to Section 309, including traumatising investigations, fear of seeking help and mocking, unsupportive officers. Read our report here.

Parliament questions on foreign spouses policies

housingThere have been many questions of concern raised in parliament about the denial of PR status for non-Singaporean parents of citizen children. NMP Kuik Shiao-Yin had asked: what are the precise circumstances that justify giving a child citizenship but denying their parents PR status? When would you put the parent-child relationship at such risk?

No specific answer was given. The Ministry said that for divorced or widowed foreign parents, the state “would generally facilitate their continued stay… through a renewable LTVP or LTVP+, to allow them to care for their children here”. This is an extremely begrudging recognition of the value of the parent-child bond and caregiving. What happens to the parent when the child grows up?

In another written reply, the Ministry of National Development said: “If the non-citizen widow or widower has Singaporean children who are minors, HDB can consider exercising flexibility, on a case-by-case basis, for the flat to be held in trust by a Singaporean or PR trustee, on the condition that the flat is to be given to the Singaporean children when they reach 21 years old.”

Imagine: you are just bereaved, and you may lose your home – also home to your young children. You face the stress of appealing to HDB to exercise their opaque discretion to let you stay. If you can stay, it is under the legal power of another citizen/PR – hopefully there is someone you can have trust and confidence in. And when your children turn 21, after you have brought them up as a single parent, you remain dependent on them for access to housing. Are these arrangements which value and support parents and caregivers?

Read the related replies at the links below:

Protection for foreign spouses and children when marriages with Singapore citizens break down

Ownership of HDB flat of deceased Singaporeans with foreign spouses and children

Foreigners Married to SCs and their Success in PR Applications

Singaporeans under 21 years of Age Residing in Singapore with a non-PR Foreign Parent

 

Parliament questions on policies that affect unwed mothers and their children

parliamentRecently, there have been some questions raised in Parliament on the rationale behind the policy of not recognising children of unwed mothers as “legitimate” children.

The parliament’s view is: “Where benefits or laws differentiate on legitimacy status, they reflect the Government’s desire to promote strong marriages. Parenthood within marriage is the desired and prevailing social norm, which we want to continue to promote as this is key to having strong families.”

It is very strange to say that “strong families” or any kinds of values relating to marriage or parenthood can be bolstered by denying so-called “illegitimate children” equal inheritance rights, Baby Bonus cash gift and tax reliefs. How do these measures foster or promote any kind of deep-rooted norms? What positive values are inculcated by creating extra hardships and difficulties for vulnerable people – which at the same time can apparently be administratively or legally circumvented by cumbersome approaches like wills, appeals to MPs or (it seems, possibly) attempts at adoption?

Read the full written answer by the Ministry of Social and Family Development here.

Learn more about our campaign to support and empower single parents: www.asinglelove.sg

We raised $370,000 at the WORLD Ball!

buildingdreamsOn Monday, 17 October, AWARE’s funders, donors and supporters gathered for a colourful evening of fun and festive fundraising at the WORLD Ball.

This year, AWARE shed the light on the plight of lower-income women in Singapore, their struggles and triumphs, their heartwarming stories of family, love and ambition, and how our society can support them to break out of the cycle of poverty.

Women in Singapore are especially vulnerable to poverty, with 41% of women dropping out of the workforce doing so because of caregiving and family responsibilities. That’s why AWARE, together with Daughters Of Tomorrow (DOT), is launching Building Dreams, a new initiative that helps to support these women with back-to-work support including confidence building, skills training, job placements, mentorship, entrepreneurial support and collaboration with industry partners. Our research will also help us to advocate for more supportive policies and services for lower-income women.

Siti and Rene, both beneficiaries of DOT’s services, shared their moving experiences with the night’s audience. We also heard from Noor Asiken, who featured in last year’s #asinglelove video, and is now the Women’s Support Executive at DOT.

Together with our supporters, we raised over $370,000* for the Building Dreams programme through our silent auction, a sure-win lucky dip, and an exciting pledge drive. This is a record high that would not be possible without the generous in-kind and cash donations by our sponsors.

Thank you to everyone who made this night possible! We look forward to embarking on our next journey for Building Dreams with you.

(Check out some snaps from the night at Invertigo Studios’ page here!)

* We had announced a total of $402,000 on Monday. Unfortunately, there was an error in the system and $370,000 is the correct figure. Our apologies for this mistake. 

A look back at the launch of ‘Perempuan: Muslim women in Singapore speak out’

joperempuanGender Equality IS Our Culture (GEC) launched its first e-book, Perempuan, on Thursday, 29 September 2016. More than 50 guests joined in the celebratory event, including 22 authors who contributed to the anthology.

The evening kicked off with a short speech by Zubaida Ali, an AWARE Board member who also wrote a piece for the anthology. The organising team was pleasantly surprised by the number of entries received during the open call. The essays that were sent in were far richer, far more diverse than expected. Associate Professor Maznah Mohamed, who contributed the foreword, shared her thoughts on how important it is that these experiences are told.

The audience were then treated to readings by three authors from the anthology: Zarifah Anuar read “Armpits, Breasts and Vulva”, ‘SAY’ read “The Stage” and Joyene Nazatul read “Allah Take The Wheel”.

Zarifah explained how she wanted to write a piece that would resonate with many while still injecting humour in the everyday struggles that Muslim women face. Many members of the audience expressed that they were able to relate strongly to her experiences. SAY shared about how being a Malay and Muslim women meant that she had to face many boundaries and restrictions about her own body. She felt this most acutely when she pursued her interest in dance. Joyene shared her powerful story to raise awareness about the discrimination faced by woman who do not present themselves in a way that conforms to society’s image of a woman.

Guests who attended also shared their powerful and personal stories of being a Muslim woman in Singapore. One of the stories shared was about a young woman, who wore a tudung, or headscarf, who was molested on the MRT. It questioned the assumption that the tudung provided protection for women.

Another young woman shared about her experience of being consistently assumed to be Malay, and interact in Malay, just because she wore the tudung. The editor, Margaret Thomas also urged the authors and other guests present to continue writing because their stories should be heard.

Complimentary hardcopies of the book were given out to guests and authors at the launch. The e-book can be purchased from major e-book retailers including Amazon, Google Play Books, Kobo and Bookmate for US$2.99. Due to high demand during the launch, we are also taking pre-orders for the hardcopy version of Perempuan book. If you would like to pre-order, please place your order here. Pre-orders are only available to residents in Singapore. Delivery will be via postage or self-collection.

 

 

Buy ‘Perempuan: Muslim Women in Singapore Speak Out’ today!

screen-shot-2016-10-04-at-1-35-55-pmWe recently launched Perempuan: Muslim Women in Singapore Speak Out on 29 September 2016. Due to overwhelming demand, we have opened up pre-orders for the hardcopy version of the e-book. Pre-orders will close Sunday, 6 November 2016. You will receive your book by mid-November 2016. 

Price: $9 (hardcopy)
Only available to residents in Singapore. Delivery will be via postage or self-collection at AWARE office.

To pre-order, please make payment below.

Perempuan includes 31 personal accounts by young Muslim women in Singapore. The first of its kind e-book offers essays and poems that explore issues of gender and sexuality, body image, and cultural identity. Written mostly in English, with a couple appearing also in Malay, the essays and poems focus on the issues of gender and sexuality, body image, and cultural identity.

The e-book is curated by Gender Equality Is Our Culture (GEC), an AWARE project aimed at promoting greater understanding that women’s rights are compatible with the culture of Muslims in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. The e-book can be purchased from major e-book retailers including Amazon, Google Play Books, Kobo, Apple iBook and Bookmate for US$2.99. 

For more information, contact Filzah at filzah@aware.org.sg.

 

UN Expert to Singapore: offer more state support for eldercare, pension for all, minimum wage, poverty statistics

By Chong Ning Qian, AWARE Research Executive

Key recommendations from the United Nations Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons:

  • State should be main entity providing eldercare in Singapore
  • Pension should be available to all, even though who cannot contribute from income
  • Institute a minimum wage across all sectors of employment – older people should not work out of need
  • Full population-related statistics, including data on poverty, should be made widely available

unLast Thursday (29 September), I attended a press conference held by the United Nations independent expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Ms Rosa Kornfeld-Matte.  At this press conference – conclusion to her week-long visit to Singapore – she presented her preliminary findings and recommendations for Singapore on the human rights situation of older persons here.

The Expert began by expressing general impressions and identifying best practices in Singapore, before moving on to make recommendations in specific areas of healthcare, employment, pensions etc.

While largely lauding the Singapore government for having put in place an Action Plan for Active Ageing and the multi-disciplinary nature of its policies, Ms Kornfeld-Matte pointed out that these policies are all relatively new.  More time, she said, is needed to assess what is working and what is not. The policies also need to be institutionalised over time, and require active monitoring and follow-up.

In the area of healthcare and caregiving, she noted that there are many volunteers involved in supporting the elderly. However, she added that caregiving should not be wholly dependent on volunteers and the state should be the main entity in the provision of care.

On a similar note, she agreed that the family plays an important role in caregiving, but again stressed that the state must be present to support the family. When pressed on how exactly the state could better support families, she raised the example of state monetary contribution through non-contributive schemes and health support for families to alleviate the stress of caregiving.

The suggestion of utilising non-contributive schemes was also made for improving the CPF system, such that even those who do not contribute would still receive a pension. This would provide better support for low-income earners and non-working caregivers (such as stay-at-home parents).

She also suggested instituting a basic minimum wage across all sectors of employment. While she was impressed that older persons can stay in employment, Ms Kornfeld-Matte stressed that employment for older persons should be entirely voluntary. This means that they should not be working out of necessity because they lack the means to meet their daily basic needs.

She also stressed that full population-related statistics, including data on poverty should also be made publicly available.

In her closing remarks, she suggested that the ‘ideal’ society for older persons was one which offered a full spectrum of support, bringing together the state, society and the elderly population, and where the autonomy of older persons are taken into account when formulating policies for them.

AWARE lauded for its excellent standards of governance

This post was originally published as a press release on 28 September 2016. 

award-feature-website

Gender equality group AWARE has won the Charity Governance Award 2016 for the Medium Charities/IPCs category.

The Charity Governance Awards, (CGA), organised by the Charity Council, aim to promote good governance in the charity sector by acknowledging the excelling work of charities, while inspiring others to emulate their best practices.

AWARE qualified as a candidate for the CGA by becoming a winner of the Charity Transparency Awards (CTA). The CTA recognises charities with good disclosure practices.

“We are hugely honoured,” said Corinna Lim, Executive Director of AWARE. “AWARE works hard to live up to our values of transparency and accountability. We couldn’t do our work without our stakeholders and donors, so it’s important that our processes, activities and impact are clear to them. We are highly committed to integrity in our work, and continually find ways to improve and adopt best practices in governance and donor relations.”

Teh Hooi Ling, President of AWARE, said, “It’s gratifying to have our practices recognised by the Charity Council. Changing from a more volunteer-based group to a  professional one brought challenges, and this award is an encouraging sign that our efforts to ensure  exemplary governance have paid off.  Our supporters can be assured that accountability to our stakeholders and winning public trust will always be a top priority.”

cga-2016In order to qualify for the CTA and participate in the CGA assessment, organisations are required to submit their annual reports, financial statements and Governance Evaluation Checklists (GEC) to the Office of Commissioner of Charities/Sector Administrators. The CTA winners were then invited to take part in the CGA process. They had to complete a detailed questionnaire, after which shortlisted finalists were interviewed by a panel of independent judges determined by the Charity Council.

AWARE will be presented with the awards on 28 September at a ceremony where Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Ms. Grace Fu, will be the Guest-of-Honour.

An impressive track record with stakeholders

AWARE has also been recognised for its management and governance by other entities.

In 2015, Just Cause Asia, a social enterprise aimed at promoting excellence in the non-profit sector, considered 10 different women’s-focused organisations and ultimately recommended AWARE as one of its top four charities to donate to. Its conclusions were based on surveys of staff, volunteers, beneficiaries and partners, together with a review of finances and other key documents of each organisation. AWARE scored particularly highly in legal, governance and finance, mission and strategy, beneficiary and staff satisfaction and reputation.

Similarly, a public value survey on AWARE conducted by Brightpurpose, a UK-based consultancy, found that respondents valued AWARE’s influence on policy and legislation, its visible, vocal role in driving discourse by taking public stands, its strong hands-on grounding in its Support Services and its longevity and strong organisational ethos. Brightpurpose conducted in-depth interviews with 24 stakeholders who have experience with AWARE’s work, including policy-makers, public agencies, foundations, NGOs, higher education institutes and the media.

 

‘Perempuan’ reveals complex lives of Muslim women in Singapore

This post was originally published as press release on 27 September 2016.

First of its kind ebook offers essays and poems that explore issues of gender and sexuality, body image, and cultural identity

 

14263993_1771152716469554_7081830659645738943_nDiana does not wear the hijab but says its cultural weight is still present in the very fact that it is not there.

Nazihah, who is studying for a diploma in Islamic studies, really wanted to become an engineer but was told engineering is not for girls.

Oman is bisexual but keeps quiet about it, feeling unsafe every time the topic of sexuality comes up in conversations.

Raudah points to the little instances of racism and discrimination, not always intentional, that Muslim women face in the workplace.

‘Batgirl’ listens to Oasis and Bon Jovi as she grapples with the challenges of being the perfect Muslim, with the culture of her community.

These are five of the 31 personal accounts by young Muslim women in Singapore of their complex lives and identities. The accounts appear in a powerful anthology titled “Perempuan: Muslim women in Singapore speak out” that will soon be available as an ebook.

Written mostly in English, with a couple appearing also in Malay, the essays and poems focus on the issues of gender and sexuality, body image, and cultural identity.

The e-book is curated by Gender Equality IS Our Culture (GEC), an AWARE project aimed at promoting greater understanding that women’s rights are compatible with the culture of Muslims in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

“This is the first publication of its kind written by and for young Muslim women in Singapore,’ said Filzah Sumartono, Project Coordinator of GEC.

“It reveals how Muslim women’s ethnic and religious upbringings have shaped their lives. Even in modern, multicultural Singapore, being a Muslim woman still comes with a myriad of social pressures, expectations and harmful stereotypes – all of which ought to be critically addressed in our everyday social interactions and in our national conversation.”

Said Dr Vivienne Wee, Programme Director of GEC, “Although no one book can fully capture all the voices and perspectives within society, we hope that Perempuan can start conversations within families and between communities about what it can be like living as a Muslim woman in Singapore.”

Perempuan began with an open call in July this year.  

“We were pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic response,” said Filzah Sumartono. “These were clearly stories that needed to be told and were just waiting for a chance to be heard.”

In her foreword, Associate Professor Maznah Mohamed of the National University of Singapore’s Department of Malay Studies, describes the book as “a potent burst of voices from the wellspring of the heart and soul of ordinary women”.

She says: “The writers are the picture of multiple identities – female, Muslim, Singaporean; not necessarily in that order of priority, but the identity overlays, intersections and clashes are the crux of the contemplation.

“Conversations about gender equality, diversity and freedom of choice can begin around these stories, not just among women but also between families and communities.”

Perempuan will be launched on 29 September at 7pm at the AWARE Centre. The e-book will   be available for purchase from mid-October 2016 at all major e-book retailers including Amazon, Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Google Play Books and Bookmate.

For further information, please contact Nabilah at media@aware.org.sg.

About Gender Equality IS Our Culture

Gender Equality IS Our Culture (GEC) is a programme funded by UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality. GEC works within the local Muslim context to promote gender-equitable interpretations of Islam. GEC has conducted several workshops and support groups for young Muslim women in Singapore, including personal empowerment training and sex education workshops. GEC also facilitates support groups for Muslim women who are single mothers and young Muslim women who have experienced religious trauma. ‘Like’ GEC on Facebook here!