2017 Archives

The clear line between jokes and sexual harassment

An edited version of this article was first published by on Yahoo! Singapore 13 October 2017.

When Channel NewsAsia producer Juwon Park published the sexist and degrading comments made to her by a co-worker, many online commenters responded with demeaning remarks, blaming Park for not “taking a joke”. They made inappropriate comments about her appearance and women’s bodies, and belittled sexist experiences and sexual harassment commonly faced by women in the workplace.

We cannot dismiss these comments as isolated to the internet. The victim-blaming we see online is very much in accord with what sexual harassment survivors commonly face offline. Such judgmental comments are fuelled by a larger society that still takes workplace sexual harassment lightly. By far, employers can play the biggest role, by addressing workplace harassment fairly when it happens, but also – just as importantly – preventatively creating spaces where workers understand the seriousness of such abuse and are well-equipped to support survivors.

In 2016, the largest category (27%) of calls received by the Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) – AWARE’s specialist service for those who face sexual assault or harassment – were by clients whose experiences happened in the workplace or were work-related. Survivors often hear discouraging responses when they speak up about these incidents. Co-workers and HR managers tell them to just deal with it and adjust to the “company culture”, family members tell them to stick it out for the sake of their careers, and friends count them lucky because they can imagine “worse” harassment.

The notion that only physical harassment justifies a formal or public complaint harms many. Sexual harassment extends beyond inappropriate touching and overt sexual advances. There can likewise be an exclusionary effect – a strong message that the workplace is not somewhere women should feel welcome – when a colleague shares topless photos with the department “just for laughs”. Or when a boss asks a new staff member about her sexual history to “get to know” her. Or, in Juwon Park’s case, where a colleague makes degrading comments about her body, appearance and abilities, then casually passes it off as a joke.

In all its forms, sexual harassment creates unsafe work environments and puts survivors in vulnerable positions where their mental and physical health, job security and livelihoods are endangered.

Our laws recognise this, too. Since 2014, the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) has prohibited acts related to sexual harassment, such as unlawful stalking and sending lewd messages. In 2015, MOM, SNEF and TAFEP issued the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment, advising employers to develop a harassment prevention policy, provide staff with information and training on workplace harassment, and implement appropriate reporting and response procedures.

Yet the continuing prevalence of workplace harassment – and the numerous negative experiences of SACC clients with employers – suggest that an optional best practice advisory is not enough to tackle the problem. Singapore should go further and, like other business centres such as London and Hong Kong, make it mandatory for employers to have explicit sexual harassment policies, processes and training. Though employers may presently be unfamiliar with such policies and thus reluctant to institute them, tackling harassment decisively will in fact improve staff morale and productivity, and reduce turnover. In the absence of any clear policy reassuring them otherwise, some workers facing harassment have simply silently left their jobs in the belief that their employers will not take their experiences seriously.

Through Catalyse Consulting, AWARE has been running anti-harassment workshops for employers seeking to understand and implement the Advisory’s recommendations effectively. “Disciplinary action” by employers against perpetrators should not be arbitrary or ad hoc, but should be built into a strong company anti-harassment policy that is comprehensive and formalised. At the very least, policies need clear definitions and illustrations of harassing behaviour, a standard and transparent timeline for investigation, procedures for unbiased and sensitive investigations by knowledgeable parties, an avenue for appeals, resources such as professional counselling for the survivor, and corrective actions such as reminding supervisors and staff on their duties regarding workplace harassment, among others.

These best practices could, if universally implemented, greatly improve the landscape of Singapore’s workplaces and prioritise the safety of all workers. Everyone has the right to a safe and respectful workplace. While we cannot remove all misconceptions about sexual harassment overnight, employers can and should be among the first to take the lead.

If you need help, or feel unsure about a sexual encounter, please call Sexual Assault Care Centre at 6779 0282 (Mon-Fri, 10am-midnight). To learn more about Catalyse Consulting’s training on workplace harassment, visit www.catalyse.sg or contact info@catalyse.sg.

Local NGOs come together to submit joint report to the UN about gender inequalities in Singapore

CEDAW, adopted by the United Nations in 1979, defines discrimination against women and sets an agenda for nations to end inequitable laws, policies and practices. Every few years, Singapore reports to the UN on its progress in achieving gender equality, and NGOs are also invited to offer information.

In the 2011 CEDAW review process, some NGOs took part as individual groups; six years later, there is a coalition of 13 Singapore NGOs, including some first-timers – a successful move toward greater solidarity and collaboration.

The coalition submitted its report, titled ‘Many Voices, One Movement’, to the UN CEDAW Committee on 2 October. This Committee, comprising international experts, monitors the progress of signatory countries to the targets of the treaty.

AWARE is delighted to be a member of this coalition and to have contributed to this thorough report.

To read the full report and the accompanying press release, click here.

Read FAQs about the submission of the CEDAW shadow report here.

Read about the reporting process here.

Comic launch: Celebrate Every Body!

Women receive messages on how their bodies should and should not look like throughout their lives. Messages from the media and even our peers and family constantly pressure women to aspire to unrealistic standards of beauty or to “improve” their bodies through practices, like hair removal, wearing makeup and dieting. It is not uncommon to hear people say things like:
“You would look so much better if you lost all that weight!”
“Wah! You still want to eat so much!”
“She shouldn’t be wearing that – she’s too fat.”
“You’re so skinny, you look like a bamboo pole”

While seemingly harmless on the surface and sometimes in the garb of well-meaning statements, messages that women have to “improve” their bodies or meet a certain “ideal” standard can lead to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in women and girls. It is important that we shift our societal attitudes to be inclusive of the diversity of bodies and reject the culture of body shaming.

As part of this effort, AWARE Youth and Rock The Naked Truth (RTNT) collaborated on a series of body positive comics with the affirmation that no one should ever have to prove that they are healthy enough, pretty enough or muscular enough to deserve respect. These comics acknowledge the painful reality that not all bodies are accepted or viewed equally in society. The comics explore three different aspects of body image issues. One comic discusses the issue of body shaming and how problematic it can be when individuals are judged or made fun of because they don’t meet certain “ideal” standards. Another comic touches on the topic of eating disorders and the importance of seeking help. It also emphasises supporting friends and family members who are going through them. Even though the pressure to fit a certain ideal of beauty impacts girls and women more, one of the comics also depicts the unique experiences of men and boys who are not immune to body image issues.

Limited printed copies of the comic will be distributed at AWARE’s Free Market. After the event, the comics will be accessible online.

Free Market details
Date: Saturday, 28 October 2017
Time: 2-7pm
Venue: AWARE Centre, Blk 5 Dover Crescent #01-22 S130005
**Limited printed copies of the comic will be distributed at the event.

AWARE Youth is a newly formed group comprising of youths who are passionate about gender equality. They aim to provide a space for youths to share their experience and provide a platform for them to bring their ideas to life. Their first chapter focuses on the issue of body image.

RTNT is a body image movement to inspire others to find confidence in their bodies, as well as to encourage them to take care of their body well.

Malay Religious Conservatism: A Talk

The emergence of Malay religious conservatism has profound implications for the lives of Malay-Muslims in the region. Rising conservatism has made its way into many segments of social life, from the policing of women’s dressing in sports to seemingly innocuous dog-petting events. Some observations about this growing trend were made during a recent talk at AWARE by Mohamed Imran, an inter-religious activist and researcher.

The talk held on 16 September 2017 was organized by Gender Equality Is Our Culture (GEC), a project of AWARE. More than 40 people attended the session, which emphasised the importance of understanding modern religious beliefs through long-term historical discourse.

Imran explained that religious conservatism can be defined as “a mode of thinking that manifests itself into social expression, practices, responses and absences”. Religious conservatism also possesses various characteristics, including the preservation of an imagined social order due to the perceived threat to one’s own existence. The language of conservatism is mostly rooted in fear, repression and control.

One distinct characteristic of Malay religious conservatism is its predominantly traditionalist roots. Traditionalism is the uncritical insistence on clinging to past formulations, customs and rituals rooted in the idea of the perfection of the past.

The historical arrival of Islam to this region was facilitated by trade, where traders spread a form of Islam that had already been codified from the Middle East. The intellectual discourse prior and leading to this codification was not reflected in the form of Islam that was brought here.

The transmission of Islamic ideas also operated within the framework of traditionalism. In such a framework, knowledge is derived from “dogmatic assertion”, where pre-existing beliefs are justified through tradition. In this manner, ideologies put forth by conservatism rely on the past to develop legitimacy in the present.

Therefore, concepts like gender equality are difficult for religious conservatives to grapple with because in-depth discussions on it are not particularly prominent in historical texts and interpretations. This is perhaps why gender equality is perceived as incompatible with “traditional” religious principles.

However, many classical and contemporary Islamic scholars have argued that spaces for gender justice and equality can, indeed, be created within an Islamic framework. Therefore, in accounting for why gender equality is not perceived to be a legitimate pursuit, one has to include the possibility that religious conservatives may also be rather selective of historical evidence.

More importantly, Imran stressed the importance of situating certain ideologies in the modern postcolonial context. Colonialism caused a dent in the Muslim psyche that continues to retreat into defensive postures against change seemingly imposed from the outside. For example, gender equality is seen as “Western” and therefore to be rejected, because Islam has its own exceptional position. At the same time, it is also the colonial legacy – the rise of religious bureaucracies with coercive powers over religious life – at the root of today’s contestation.

In the case of Malay religious conservatism, culture is another factor that needs to be considered. While culture is not monolithic and it is constantly evolving, a fossilised view of culture predominates, due to identity politics.

Answering a question from a participant about whether one’s Malay culture and identity can be detached from the Islamic faith, Imran answered,

“No religion can exist devoid of any culture. In fact, if you were to strictly demarcate that, you will find extremism on ready grounds. Because the person who has been totally decontextualised and has no notion of his cultural heritage… and has no understanding of his position in the whole political trajectory, he or she will be more open to be radicalised.”

Indeed, culture and history play important roles in shaping Malay identity. Imran brought up Malay-Muslims’ lack of affinity with the Srivijaya and Majapahit empires, two grand but somewhat forgotten Malay civilisations, noting how the Malay identity is disproportionately tied to Islam. Though these empires were not spheres of Islamic influence (they were, in fact, predominantly Buddhist and Hindu empires), they are a significant part of the Malay civilisation.

Therefore, understanding multiple layers of Malay historical identity is key to uncovering what is useful from tradition and how it has and can evolve in the changing context of today’s reality and experiences, including in matters of gender relations. If we understand the historical process, we will not think that things are determined by fate: they are the products of dominant ideas, types of elites and institutions, and power relations in society. In short, a new mode of understanding and practice can emerge if we take hold of the process of change in the present. More importantly, we need not fear change in itself and conservatism need not be the default position.

Imran then ended the talk with a rather apt quote by Islamic scholar Fazlur Rahman, who said, “It is of the greatest importance to determine exactly where society is at present before deciding where it can go. To talk about reforming society without scientifically determining where the society is, is certainly like a doctor treating a patient without taking his case history or examining him.”

AWARE’s Free Market: Give or Take Anything You Want!

Have heaps of pre-loved items that take way too long to sell on Carousell? Running out of places to go thrift shopping? Or simply looking to share your skills with other people?

If you find yourself nodding to any of the questions above, then come join us at our free market!

Our free market is also a call for our community to stand together to end poverty in Singapore – in line with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Ways you can participate:

Bring your family and friends down and get to know your neighbours!
Bring any items in good and clean condition – books, clothes, toys, electronics, etc.
Offer any skills or services such as henna painting, sewing, watercolour painting, etc. If you require a booth, please register with us at tinyurl.com/awarefreemkt or call us at 6779 7137.
Volunteer with us to help make the event a spectacular success!
If you can’t make it for the event, there’s still the Kopi Session held at 4PM so we can get to know you better!

If you have any questions, please contact Xiu Xuan at wecan@aware.org.sg.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Be child-centric all the way, including in housing

An edited version of this piece was originally published as an op-ed in The Straits Times’ Opinion section on 23 September 2017. The print version as well as the initial online version contained a number of edits introduced by the newspaper without our consent. The Straits Times subsequently apologised and amended the online version; however, there remains one insertion by the newspaper which we did not agree with. The version on this page is the text that we submitted.

Children are a priority in Singapore. That was clear from the National Day Rally speech last month, which opened with a slew of pre-school education initiatives. Hearteningly, the Prime Minister referred repeatedly to social mobility, equal opportunities and a level playing field for all children – key drivers behind measures like KidStart.

But this child-centric ethos falters when it comes to housing for unmarried and divorced parents. Around 1,000 children are born to unmarried mothers yearly. From 2005 to 2014, more than 50,600 children saw their parents file for divorce.

MP Louis Ng recently presented a petition by seven such parents in Parliament, echoing a public petition organised by the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) with 8,000 signatures, overwhelmingly from Singapore citizens and permanent residents – including 2,200 members of single-parent families.

The petitioners in Parliament seek two key changes.

One is to allow unmarried parents equal access to Housing Board flats as married couples, instead of making them wait till they are aged 35 and limiting their options for subsidised flats to smaller, two-room units in non-mature estates.

Another is to allow divorced parents to access subsidised flats immediately, without any consent needed from their former spouse, even if care and control of the children is split (that is, each parent takes one or more children) or shared (that is, one or more children spend different parts of the week with each parent).

Currently, these rules present serious barriers to single parents accessing affordable housing on a timely basis.

The Government has argued that all benefits relating directly to children and their care are provided regardless of parents’ marital status. It draws a distinction between, on the one hand, support said to be more for parents, such as housing and child-dependent tax reliefs, and, on the other hand, child-specific measures such as maternity leave and Child Development Accounts.

Yet, reality is not so tidy.

For example, can housing benefits really be said to be “for parents” more than for their children? The material conditions of children’s lives are inextricably bound up with the positions of their parents or caregivers. Children of divorced or unmarried parents end up having to move often if their parents’ living arrangements are insecure. They may cram in with relatives who, even if welcoming at first, can come to feel the strain from overcrowding themselves.

These vulnerable children’s family environments are marked by financial and emotional stress from their insecure housing. If their parents of limited incomes rent on the expensive open market, they may suffer from their parents’ depleting resources that could have been invested in their education.

Single parents pressing for change are driven not by individual monetary gain but by concern for their children.

Children have only one shot at growing up; no one wants them to spend precious formative years jammed three or four or more to a bed, uprooting every few years or months.

This intimate connection between parents’ circumstances and children’s welfare is embedded in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC is one of only three global human-rights treaties that Singapore has ratified, and it is invoked in the text of the parliamentary petition. The treaty, in discussing children’s rights to an adequate standard of living, including housing, phrases the state’s obligations in terms of measures to “assist parents to implement” this right.

The HDB’s debarment rules are one clear example where outcomes seem at odds with the emphasis on supporting children.

Presently, a divorced parent with children cannot get a subsidised flat within three years of divorce, unless she has care and control of all the children from her marriage; or can secure agreement from her former spouse to waive all rights to a subsidy of his own – no small sacrifice to ask for in the aftermath of a potentially acrimonious split.

If she has shared care and control (where the children move between parents during the week), she cannot get subsidised housing without consent from her former spouse even after three years.

The housing fate of divorced parents and their child can thus turn significantly on whether that child has siblings. A parent of only one child, with sole care and control of that child, has sole care and control of all children by definition and is exempt from the three-year waiting period to get subsidised housing.

But bigger families such as a divorcee with more children may find it harder to get subsidised housing because care and control may be shared or split.

This is an arbitrary, even perverse, outcome from the point of view of human need – a divorced parent with two or more children will need more space and more help – and especially given the Government’s exhortations to have more babies.

The Government may make the point that it needs to make sure public monies are sparingly spent – to prevent a divorce from increasing the number of households receiving subsidies from one to two.

But when care and control is split or shared, it is because a family court has determined that this is in the best interests of the children. It is a simple reality then that two households with children exist.

If we keep the needs of children at the centre of our thinking, we should provide the necessary support to help all of them get secure, affordable housing.

As split and shared care and control are comparatively rare, with judges generally keeping siblings together, the additional expenditure to support such households should be limited.

In any case, fears about the possible costs of child-centred thinking may be unfounded. Japan has found that reducing legal discrimination against unmarried mothers did not increase their numbers.

But we need look no further than our own past to see another precedent: unmarried mothers could access subsidised HDB flats until the mid-1990s. In 1994, then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong announced an intention to revoke this access in order to signal moral disapproval. Yet in the same speech he also acknowledged that “few children [were] born out of wedlock” under the status quo then prevailing.

It is ironic that so much is being done to boost pre-school education today to level the playing field for children from all backgrounds, when official policies tilt the playing field against a subset of children by making it difficult for their parents to get secure, affordable housing.

Children do not live only in the schoolroom. Our commitment to them must extend to all the spheres of their lives, including the homes which form the foundation of their family lives.

Here’s another chance to press the government for action on single parents’ housing

Today, a parliamentary petition – signed by seven single parents – was presented to Parliament, urging changes to HDB’s current housing policies for single-parent families.

AWARE worked closely with MP Louis Ng to make this happen. Like you, we believe that our housing policies must support ALL parents and children in their striving for stable family lives.

This legislative push was sent to the Public Petitions Committee. Parliament was called to ensure that all parents with any care and control of their children are no longer subject to HDB’s debarment rule, and those with legal custody of a child are not discriminated against on the ground of their marital status.

This is an incredible opportunity to make real change and we need your help to press the committee into taking this petition seriously. It’s crucial for those deliberating these rules to fully understand the adverse impact they have on single-parent families, and to hear directly from them on their struggles with housing. To be truly reflective of their experiences, we must urge the committee to produce an extensive report looking into this issue, in order to strongly convince Parliament to take action.

These amendments, if enacted, will benefit thousands of families. Said a divorced mother who signed the parliamentary petition, “I dealt with so many difficulties trying to find a stable home for my kids because of rules that discriminate against families like mine. I hope by contributing my name to this petition, other families won’t have to go through the same obstacles.”

Let’s show the government that we are among thousands who want equality for single parents – and that we are paying attention.

Here’s how you can take action.

1. Write to the Public Petitions Committee.

The public petitions committee are the ones who consider the petition in the first instance and will report to Parliament with findings and recommendations. Tell the committee members how changing the restrictive debarment and family nucleus rules will help single-parent families in Singapore. Urge them to speak and listen to single parents firsthand so that their final report reflects real experiences.

Get in touch with the committee members:

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: fengshan@pap.org.sg
Dr Janil Puthucheary: janil_puthucheary@mci.gov.sg
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: LouisNg4NSE@gmail.com
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: dphua@pathlight.org.sg
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: tan_chuan-jin@parl.gov.sg
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: dennis.tan@wp.sg
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: Melvin.Yong@pap.org.sg

2. Submit letters to the newspaper forums

MPs are sensitive to the public’s perspectives on issues they are addressing, and publishing letters in the media is one major way to show there is public support. Tell our MPs and the public why you think it’s important for these changes to be made, and how the amendments will impact children’s development and improve family lives – especially for low-income households. If you are from a single-parent family, you can also talk about how your own challenges with housing has affected you!

Write to:

The Straits Times Forum
TODAY Voices
Lianhe Zaobao Forum (Email: zbyanlun@sph.com.sg)

3. Keep the conversation going within your social network and community

To make change, we need greater social awareness and stronger public pressure. Share our video of conversations with single parents, our eye-catching comics based on real experiences of single parents, and our in-depth research exploring the effects of housing policy on these families. Let others know why you support the amendments, and how it contributes to a fairer society.

4. Do you have other ideas on how you can help? Write to us: media@aware.org.sg

Add your voice to the cause today.

Singapore’s only Women’s Helpline celebrated 25th birthday at AWARE Love Ball

This post was originally published as a press release on 8 September 2017.
Photos from the event

Gender equality group AWARE celebrated 25 years of its Women’s Helpline – Singapore’s only crisis helpline for women – at its annual fundraising gala, the Love Ball, on Friday evening at St. Regis Singapore.

The gala event was hosted by stage actors Pam Oei and Siti Khalijah, and welcomed some 400 guests, who donated generously to support AWARE’s programmes and services, including its critical support services for women: the Women’s Helpline, counselling, befrienders, support group and legal clinic services.

AWARE also unveiled immediate plans to build capacity to support and empower minority communities in Singapore, with support services to be run in all four major languages. Previously, the services were run only in English and Mandarin.

This year’s aim was to raise $350,000 from the donation pledges, silent auction and lucky dip, as well as the net proceeds from the sale of tables at the gala dinner. The money raised will also go towards AWARE’s public education programmes, and research and advocacy efforts for more supportive policies for all women.

“Our donors and supporters top themselves every year at the Ball. The fundraising gala has made a name for itself as an unmissable opportunity to transform women’s lives and contribute in a big way to the women’s movement in Singapore,” said Corinna Lim, Executive Director of AWARE.

She said: “We’ve been running the Women’s Helpline for 25 years and have supported over 25,000 callers since we started. Throughout the years, it’s become clear we need to ensure that every woman can access and feels welcomed in our support network. The money raised tonight will allow us to develop our staff, volunteers, counsellors and lawyers’ capabilities to run services in Malay, Tamil and Mandarin, as well as in English. We are also developing our team’s knowledge of Syariah law in order to better support Muslim women. No woman should be turned away from the help they need.”

At the Ball, AWARE also announced a new initiative, the POWER Fund: Women’s Fund for Change, to provide seed funding and other resources to emerging women’s rights groups. The first batch of grantees will be announced in November 2017.

Recognising champions of gender equality and women’s empowerment

Every year since 2011, the AWARE Awards have proudly celebrated individuals and organisations that promote gender equality in Singapore. The award winners were presented with their respective awards at the Love Ball. Previous years’ winners include The T Project, Singapore’s only shelter for transgender women; Aidha, an NGO that runs programmes to financially empower foreign domestic workers; and Sarah Tan, a business owner who employs single mothers at her bao stalls and uses her home to shelter vulnerable women and girls.

This year, AWARE awarded the Champions for Gender Equality and Justice awards to Women and Law in Islam, a group that promotes gender equality in Islam through conversation, debate and public awareness; and Eden Law Corporation, a law firm that has aided many vulnerable women – including divorcees, survivors of domestic violence and single mothers – through their low-bono business model.

Crisis shelter, Casa Raudha Women Home, bagged the Safe Haven award, for their shelter which has, since 2008, housed and supported 760 women escaping abusive relationships, family violence and homelessness.

Finally, the Champions for Women’s Economic Empowerment award was given to Ieshah Abdul Majid and her daughter, Nur Shazlina Sulaiman, who provide stable employment to lower-income women and single mothers through Ieshah’s hawker stalls.

“Every year, the competition for the AWARE Awards gets tougher,” said Awards judge Professor Tommy Koh, who is the Ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Professor Koh has been on the judging panel of the AWARE Awards since 2011.

“We are honoured to witness more work being done for gender equality. From individuals using their entrepreneurship skills to support underprivileged women, to bigger organisations providing crucial services, we know that no effort is too small. We hope the Awards encourage more initiatives that improve the landscape for all women. As always, we are proud to recognise our winners’ achievements.”

2017’s Alamak! Award winner

But as AWARE works hard to foster gender equality, many obstacles still get in the way. To recognise this, the tongue-in-cheek Alamak! Award was created to “honour” people and institutions who have contributed to the most jaw-dropping sexist moment of the year.

Nominees for the Alamak! Award were submitted by the public and shortlisted by AWARE. The “winner” was chosen through online voting on AWARE’s website.

The nominees this year were last year’s victim-blaming “Dear Kelly” column response in Teenage magazine; a recent court judgment that perpetuated myths about sexual assault; a sexist movie review by retailer Absolute Comics; ROM and HDB for annulling a couple’s marriage and taking away their right to a home; and vocal online shamers of public breastfeeding.

It was a close fight, but with 144 of 467 votes, the Alamak! nominee with the most votes is the victim-blaming court judgment.

In April, a man was acquitted of sexually assaulting a 15 year old girl. Despite the victim’s young age and the fact that the accused was the live-in boyfriend of her mother, the court, in acquitting the accused, found that the victim was not “prompt in her complaints” and that “there were no reasons for her not to confide in members of her family or her boyfriend. …Someone so abused and humiliated would be expected to seek help and redress when she breaks her silence.”

Said Jolene Tan, AWARE’s Head of Advocacy and Research, of the court judgment: “It is well-established that survivors are often reluctant to report and seek help for sexual crimes, which are vastly stigmatised. Authorities should be looking to bust myths about sexual crimes, instead of reinforcing them in court.”

Read more about the AWARE Award winners and Alamak! Award nominees in the Annexes attached.

Annex A
AWARE Award Winners 2017

Champions for Gender Equality & Justice
Women and Law in Islam

Women and Law in Islam (WALI), led by lawyer Halijah Mohamed and interfaith activist Imran Taib, was formed to provide alternatives to Singapore’s “rigid and conservative interpretation of Islam” through conversation, debate and public awareness. WALI has allowed a growing community of Muslim women and men to speak out against gender inequality by providing much-needed space for honest debate of Muslim texts and interpretations. WALI’s work is especially admirable considering the environment that makes it difficult for them to flourish. They have also worked with other women’s groups and academics on CEDAW submissions and a submission paper with 20 other signatories for the Family Justice Act in 2015.

Champions for Gender Equality & Justice
Eden Law Corporation

Established in August 2014 and led by Managing Director, June Lim, Eden Law Corporation provides high quality legal services at a Low Bono rate, using a sliding scale fixed fee model on clients’ disposable income. In 2016, 60% of their work was done at a Pro Bono or Low Bono rate. They are powerfully positioned to aid the many vulnerable women they have counted among their clients, including divorcees, survivors of domestic violence and single mothers. The only law firm of this nature in Singapore, Eden Law’s impact on Singapore has the potential to grow beyond its already impressive contributions. Eden Law hopes to encourage other lawyers to offer affordable legal services to women and vulnerable communities.

Champions for Women’s Economic Empowerment
Ieshah Abdul Majid and Nur Shazlina Sulaiman

Eleven years ago, Ieshah, a single mother, was struggling to make ends meet, until a friend entrusted her with the management of Cafe Cocoa. Today, Ieshah is the one making a difference in the lives of fellow single mothers, having employed 10 single and low-income mothers over the last ten years through her three hawker stalls. Her compassion and entrepreneurship inspired her daughter, Shaz, who runs a cafe at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, which creates opportunities and provides accessibility for the deaf community. This inspiring mother-daughter team is the perfect example of how compassion from one person can start a chain of events that helps countless others.

Safe Haven
Casa Raudha Women Home

Casa Raudha Women Home, one of the four crisis shelters for women in Singapore, has provided a safe shelter for women escaping abusive relationships, family violence and homelessness since 2008. Over the past nine years, they have housed 760 women and children. Most of these women come from low-income backgrounds with nowhere else to turn to for the support and stability they need. Their strong survivor-centric approach means that those under their care are able to regain control and autonomy of their lives and circumstances, something that many domestic violence survivors have had stolen from them, and independently make decisions that will positively impact not only themselves, but also their children, family and society.

WOMEN'S HELPLINE

1800 777 5555

SEXUAL ASSAULT CARE CENTRE

6779 0282

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6779 7137

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Year: 2017