Are you working for gender equality – and need financial support? Check out AWARE’s women’s rights fund!

We are incredibly excited to announce that AWARE has launched the Power Fund, Singapore’s first national women’s rights fund!

The fund will provide financial and capacity-building support to emerging organisations and new initiatives that work with marginalised women and girls.

We are particularly interested in:

Emerging organisations that are small or not formally registered
Organisations that are struggling financially
Organisations that wish to re-establish themselves after years of dormancy
Passionate, goal-oriented individuals building a cause in the realm of gender equality

What will grantees receive?

Financial support for project – One-year grants to help finance their project(s)
National and regional networking – among individual women’s rights advocates, and other social justice organisations
Capacity building – for communications, governance, finance, project management and mentorship
Learning support – among advocates through the exchange of diverse ideas and experiences.

Want to find out more about the fund? Or do you know a group that fits what we’re looking for? Check out the fund’s site here and don’t forget to spread the word!

Learn more about Power: Women’s Fund for Change

AWARE applauds parliamentary push for housing access for single parents, offers to provide evidence to hearings

This post was originally published as a press release on 7 September 2017.

Seven single parents have signed a parliamentary petition, to be presented at the next parliamentary sitting on 11 September, urging changes to HDB’s current housing policies for single-parent families.

Gender equality group AWARE worked closely with MP Louis Ng to support this push for legislative change.

“Our housing policies must support all parents and children in their striving for stable family lives, if Singapore is truly to become a child-friendly and family-centric society as the Prime Minister emphasised at the National Day Rally,” said Jolene Tan, AWARE’s Head of Advocacy and Research. “The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to which Singapore is party, is clear that every child must have access to adequate housing without discrimination on the basis of marital status.”

The petition proposes amendments to sections 47 and 65 of the Housing and Development Act, so 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. It also proposes that Parliament form a Select Committee to further deliberate on public housing access for single-parent families, with particular reference to Singapore’s CRC obligations.

Following presentation in Parliament, the petition will be referred to the Public Petitions Committee.

“We will reach out to the Committee to urge them to investigate the issue thoroughly, and to speak directly to single parents and their children,” said Jolene Tan. “Much of the lived experience of these families – with unstable or inadequate housing, the anxiety of frequent moves, and financial pressure – may not be captured in broad statistical and bureaucratic classifications. NGOs and VWOs are also an important source of information. AWARE urges the Committee to call upon us to share our experience and research – we have found that the over-reliance on case-by-case appeals to HDB, MPs and other agencies is not good enough to meet families’ needs.”

“We also hope that as far as possible, the Committee will fully document and publish the testimony that it receives, as well as its deliberations, to ensure transparency and public confidence in its conclusions.”

“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. There are many challenges single-parent families already face that add to the stress of managing a household, and securing a home should not be one of them,” said Jackie (not her real name), a divorced mother who is one of the signatories of the petition.

AWARE has been consistently urging for several key changes to HDB’s existing housing policy, including increasing the income cap for public rental housing, waiving the debarment rule for divorced parents with care and control of their children, and allowing unmarried mothers to form a family nucleus with their children.

In May, the group launched a public petition calling for these changes, and received 8,024 signatures in support of them. Over 2,200 individuals who signed were or are from single-parent families.

AWARE’s public petition was built on the findings of their in-depth study (with accompanying Annexes) involving interviews with 55 single mothers, which found that 95% of respondents who sought public housing faced problems like the unrealistic income ceiling, long debarment periods and lack of transparency and clarity in policies.

Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt: A dialogue on the role of technology in cases of sexual violence

By Mandy Chng, AWARE volunteer

Technological advancements and the interconnectivity of new media play an increasing role in women’s experiences of sexual violence. This issue was addressed at a dialogue organised by the Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) on 30 August. Around 50 people attended the session, which explored how modern technology enables abusers to control, coerce, stalk, shame and harass their victims; the laws and legal implications of this issue; and strategies for online safety.

The dialogue session followed the release of a recent research report which found that nearly one in five (18%) cases seen by SACC last year involved technology. The two most common components of technology-facilitated sexual violence were image-based sexual abuse and contact-based sexual harassment. Image-based sexual abuse refers to the use of nude, sexual or intimate images of women to sexually harass or harm them, such as revenge pornography, ‘sextortion’, non-consensual distribution of intimate images and voyeuristic filming. Contact-based sexual harassment refers to the use of communication technologies to facilitate unwanted sexual contact or harassment. This includes explicit, coercive and sexually harassing messages or comments on social media.

Anisha Joseph, manager of SACC, opened the session by highlighting the importance of addressing technology-facilitated sexual violence. She explained, “The use of technology is so interconnected in our daily lives and we are still trying to catch up with their negative aftereffects. For women affected by technology-facilitated sexual violence, there is a debilitating sense of losing control over what’s happening to them.”

“Techniques of control that we would previously see in violent or abusive relationships are now becoming technologically-based. For example, one client reported that she had broken up with a partner, who in the aftermath had sent an intimate image of her to her mother,” said Dr Laura, a criminology lecturer at the University of Liverpool. “Clients felt anxious and fearful, which is why image-based sexual abuse is so impactful. You experience a loss of control – you have no idea where the image is going, what the perpetrator is going to do with it or what might happen in the aftermath.”

While technology is being misused by perpetrators, some participants wondered how technology can be used to combat sexual violence and gather digital evidence. Ng Yi Ling, an Information Security professional, shared that if someone has sent anything threatening online, it is imperative to take a timestamp of it and share the incident with a confidant. “By verifying the incident with someone else, you can ensure the integrity of evidence which casts away any doubt of it being fabricated,” said Yi Ling. Tan Jin Song, a lawyer, furthered this discussion by sharing about the laws that criminalises harassment online and prevents them from taking place. For example, an Expedited Protection Order can be issued when there is a likelihood of offending behaviors being carried out. He added that the order can be issued against both persons and entities.

Participants agreed that the dialogue session underscored the growing concern of technology and violence, and some wondered what we can do as a collective to raise awareness. Dr Laura shared that we should “build up bystander intervention”; rather than placing responsibilities on the victim, we should build our capacities as bystanders, friends and family members to be non-judgmental and to call out incidents that are inappropriate.

One participant reiterated the need to start conversations regarding gender-based violence among youths, who are more likely to be victims of technology-facilitated sexual violence. “It is very important to change social stigma and address larger social issues at a younger age because that is when people are more vulnerable.”

If you or someone you know has experienced any form of sexual assault or harassment, you can reach out to SACC through the helpline (6779 0282) or email sacc@aware.org.sg.

Malay Religious Conservatism: A Historical Survey

Many have observed the rise of Malay religious conservatism that has impacted various spheres such as social relations and politics.

In this presentation organised by Gender Equality IS Our Culture (GEC), AWARE’s programme on gender equality in Islam, the speaker, interfaith activist Mohamed Imran will discuss how religious conservatism is a product of a long historical development, beginning from the arrival of Islam to the region up until the current age of globalisation.

Learn more about the current concerns on religious conservatism from the Malay/Muslim community, and explore how it has impacted gender equality within Islam.

Date: 16 September 2017
Time: 2pm
b: AWARE Centre (5 Dover Crescent #01-22)

Register for the talk here!

Position Filled: Support Services Executive

We are no longer accepting applicants for this role.

AWARE’s Support Services is looking for a full-time executive who can help the Support Services in its day-to-day operational and administrative functions as well as programme development.

Requirements

Minimum of 2 years of related experience
Relevant educational qualification like social work, counselling, psychology or related field
Excellent interpersonal, empathy and communication skills in English (verbal and written)
Good knowledge of Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, MS Word)
Able to use initiative and judgement to solve problems independently
Strong belief in gender equality and the values of AWARE

Job Description

Ensure smooth running of daily operations of AWARE’s Befriending, Legal clinic and Counselling services
Assist in sustaining and supporting volunteers related to Befriending, Legal clinic and Counselling services
Contribute to the improvement of the Befriending, Legal Clinic, and Counselling programs which includes building relevant resources for volunteers and clients, volunteer engagement and training, and identifying and improving current processes of the programs
Assist in covering helpline shifts; answering helpline emails
Participate in networking with other organizations, and assist in promoting AWARE’s Support Services
Supporting in any other Support Services work, as and when required

If you are interested, please send an email with your CV to supportservices@aware.org.sg.

Deadline for application: 22 September 2017.

One in five sexual assault cases seen by SACC involved technology

This post was originally published as a press release on 30 August 2017.

One employer sexually harassed a woman, telling her at a meeting that he had obtained a nude image of her and was keeping it on his phone.

In another case, a woman reported that her ex-partner sent intimate images of her to her mother and was threatening to release more on social media.

Nearly one in five of the 338 cases (18%) seen by the Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) last year involved a component of technology, according to a research report published by SACC and written by Dr Laura Vitis, a criminology lecturer at the University of Liverpool, Singapore. The report, which looked at 60 SACC cases, also examined whether and how technology shaped women’s experiences of sexual violence or resistance to violence.

Said Dr. Vitis, “In addition to creating new modes of sexual violence, like upskirting, technology is also being ‘folded into’ existing acts of violence. For example, the study shows how perpetrators use technology to further intensify intimate partner violence and workplace sexual harassment.”

Nearly one in three of the TFSV cases last year involved “contact-based sexual harassment”, which included the use of communication technologies by perpetrators to facilitate unwanted sexual contact. This harassment included explicit, coercive and sexually harassing messages or comments on social media.

Nearly one in two of the TFSV cases (i.e. nearly one in 10 of total SACC cases) were “image-based” forms of sexual violence – for instance, revenge pornography, ‘sextortion’, threats to distribute or distributing intimate photos or videos non-consensually, or recording intimate images for voyeuristic reasons.

Said Anisha Joseph, manager of SACC, “Disturbingly, some perpetrators also profited off these images, for example, by exchanging them to pay off a debt or selling them online. This shows that there is a market for such non-consensually obtained nude images of women within Singapore.”

The recent rise of upskirting cases also illustrate how sexual voyeurism, in particular, has become common in public spaces, especially on public transport. One client in the study reported an incident of upskirting by a stranger on the MRT, while another reported being filmed by a man when she was breastfeeding in public.

“Sexual harassment or threats in online spaces or through technology are wrongly thought to be less “real” compared to physical contact,” said Anisha. “Some survivors were told by the authorities, family, or friends, to simply “delete their social media account”. But technology is now a big part of how we work and live – we cannot expect women to withdraw from online activities to avoid sexual violence, and we must take the social and psychological harms of online violence and harassment seriously.”

“The law should effectively reflect our commitment to safeguard survivors’ rights in online spaces as well as offline ones. In cases of ‘sextortion’ or threats to release intimate images, every second counts for the survivors. We hope authorities will consider stronger and quicker remedies beyond protection orders, given the time-sensitive nature of such crimes.”

The report includes recommendations by AWARE on addressing the prevalence of TFSV and improving protection for survivors, including ensuring police officers and criminal court officers are appropriately trained on technology-facilitated sexual violence and image-based abuse, and commissioning educational and media campaigns on TFSV that focus on the behaviour of the perpetrator, rather than the victim.

The report will be presented to the public at an open dialogue led by Dr Laura Vitis; Ng Yi Ling, an information security expert; Tan Jin Song, a criminal and family lawyer; and SACC, on Wednesday (30 August 2017) evening, at the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations.

Please note that representatives of the media will be required to identify themselves prior to the event, and no photos/videos are allowed without explicit consent. We welcome reporting on the points and issues raised, but no names and identities should be included.

Proposed Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and Evidence Act: AWARE’s submission to the government consultation

Through our Helpline and the Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC), the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) has assisted thousands of women with experiences of gender-based violence, including sexual violence. We welcome the efforts to improve victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system. Only with adequate support can victims effectively and safely engage with the processes for holding offenders legally accountable.

At the same time, the criminal justice process must have due regard for the rights of suspects. Victims of gender-based violence seek fairness and accountability in the criminal process. In many cases, the perpetrator is someone previously known to them. A perception that criminal investigations are unduly harsh on suspects can deter victims from reporting. It is in everyone’s interest that criminal investigations respect the rights of suspects.

Our proposal consists of two sections. Section A offers comments on several of the proposed amendments, and Section B offers further recommendations to achieve a more victim-centric criminal justice process.

Below is a brief summary of our submissions in each section, but further explanations can be found in the full document:

A) Comments on proposed amendments

– We welcome the use of video recording for police interviews with suspects and witnesses in the service of due process.
– However, we recommend against the video recording of police interviews with sexual assault complainants as it is likely to inhibit the rendering of a full account.
– We support the proposals to protect the identity of complainants of child abuse and sexual offences, to allow them to give evidence by video link (though we question the need for a psychologist’s or psychiatrist’s report), to use a physical screen in the courtroom to shield them from the defendant, and to automatically have them testify in camera (though we seek clarity on the issue of victim advocates being present for this).
– We strongly support the proposal to disallow questioning on prior sexual history and behaviour of sexual assault victims that do not relate to the charge, as we have asked for similar protections before, but we seek greater clarity on the scope of the exemption for where this would be “manifestly unjust”.

B) Further recommendations

– Counselling and other professional communications supporting sexual assault victims should be privileged.
– Self-representing defendants should be prohibited from cross-examining sexual assault complainants.
– Victims should have the right to accompaniment by a victim advocate throughout the criminal justice process.
– Section 424 of the Criminal Procedure Code should be reviewed, and in particular the scope of the “reasonable excuse” should be clarified as it relates to victim support services such as SACC.
– The use of the polygraph lie-detector test on sexual assault victims is traumatising and lacks scientific basis; it should be discontinued and prohibited.

Read our submission in full here.

Blank Run: A visceral depiction of the impact of trauma on memory

By Mandy Chng, AWARE volunteer

Can one reconstruct a clear and authentic memory of a traumatic event?

Pursuing an answer to this led Theatre Practice to create Blank Run, a raw and immersive portrayal of the aftermath of sexual assault, which explores the impact of trauma on memory. Hundreds of people attended the multidisciplinary theatrical performance on 17 to 20 August, as part of the M1 Chinese Theatre Festival.

The erratic and unstable nature of traumatic memories was viscerally depicted through the play’s use of video projection, movement theatre and soundscape. As director Kuo Jian Hong explained, each of these elements had its own narrative. They were pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, alluding to the fragments of the character’s memories, which she struggled to piece together to make sense of her experience.

On the opening night, the post-show panel consisted of Gloria Ang, the actress of Blank Run, and Anisha Joseph, manager of AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre.

“Trauma impacts survivors differently. There’s not one specific way survivors react to sexual assault. When a traumatic incident happens, people’s immediate response can be fight, flight or, what most people forget, freeze,” said Anisha. “Without understanding that a survivor can react in different ways, questions like ‘why didn’t you fight or run or scream for help?’ adds on to their confusion and guilt. This could cause survivors to blame themselves which creates a barrier in seeking help.”

Anisha also pointed out that after the incident survivors can react in different ways – some might be completely numb or detached, while others might be completely devastated or hysterical. All reactions are valid and no two people respond to sexual assault in the same way.

Survivors often grapple with their own memories of the incident; they may lose clarity and struggle to recount the details coherently or chronologically. “If we fail to understand this, we may mistakenly perceive the discrepancies in their accounts as lies,” Anisha explained.

“Survivors can’t always remember the exact colour of the sheets or the position and so on,” said Gloria, who worked on the story concept in addition to performing. “Anything can trigger an onslaught of memories – it could be a smell, a sound, or a taste. Many things can be a trigger, which is why we created this piece of work with the concept of many threads of storytelling.”

The session concluded with what the general public can do to support someone who has gone through sexual assault. Anisha stressed that it is important to reassure survivors with a simple ‘It wasn’t your fault’, offer counselling resources or accompany them should they wish to make a report or seek medical help.

She also emphasised, “Any response to trauma is a very normal response to a very abnormal event.” Survivors often worry that the people they confide in will react with disbelief, judgment or discouraging comments. This prevents many of them from seeking help. It is crucial that we all understand how our words and actions have an impact on their psychological well-being and experience of overcoming a traumatic event.

If you or someone you know has experienced any form of sexual assault or harassment, you can reach out to SACC through the helpline (6779 0282) or email sacc@aware.org.sg.

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6779 0282

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Year: 2017