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Year: 2018

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Poverty Has A Woman’s Face Part II

“Inequality is one of the most serious issues facing Singapore today and if not tackled carefully, will cause society to fracture.” – Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam

Following AWARE’s enlightening panel discussion on poverty and inequality in August, 1880 continues the important conversation on inequality in Singapore. Why do some women from low-income households choose to remain unemployed? What sort of challenges do they face striving for economic security while balancing responsibilities at home? The discussion will explore how members of society and the state can improve and fix the situation.

Corinna Lim, Executive Director of AWARE, will kick off the discussion with a short presentation on AWARE’s low-income mothers’ report.

Teo You Yenn is a sociologist whose research focuses on issues around inequalities, poverty, welfare, state-society relations, citizenship, and gender. She is currently Associate Professor and Head of Sociology at Nanyang Technological University and received her PhD in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley in 2005. She has written two books: Neoliberal Morality in Singapore: How family policies make state and society (Routledge, 2011) and This is What Inequality Looks Like (Ethos Books, 2018).

Corinna Lim is the first Executive Director of AWARE, the Association of Women for Action and Research. Prior to joining AWARE, Corinna practised law for more than 10 years. She has a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University and is a Fulbright Scholar.

Fannie Lim heads Employer Engagement at Daughters of Tomorrow and oversees the bridging efforts of beneficiaries to meaningful jobs while advocating for conducive work environments, creating a network of enlightened employers which forms that community for every woman to realise their full potential. DOT’s work helps families break out of the poverty vicious cycle and positively impact their children. In Singapore, DOT addresses urban poverty by providing support to channel underprivileged women into flexible and sustained employment to help uplift their families into financial-independence.

The Salon Night will start promptly at 7pm. Please come at 6:30pm if you intend to get drinks or food before the event.

RSVP here.

Please note that there is limited capacity and sign-ups will be taken on a first-come-first-served basis. As courtesy to other members, we request that you attend the events you have signed up for.

Date: Monday, October 15
Time: 7:00 pm
Cost: Free
Venue: Studio, 1 Nanson Road, Level 3, Singapore, 238909 

 

Position Filled: Programme Executive, Sexual Assault Care Centre

We are no longer accepting applicants for this role.

AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) is looking for a case manager who can support survivors of sexual assault in their journey of recovery, help the centre in its day-to-day functions, and support community engagement efforts to raise awareness about sexual violence. The role also requires significant time to be spent supporting SACC team in advocacy and project-based work. You can read more about SACC here.

Position: Programme Executive, SACC
Commitment: Full-time
Last date of application: 5 November 2018
For any enquiries, please write to saccintern@aware.org.sg

Job description:

  • Managing and ensuring adequate and timely response to people reaching out to SACC through calls, WhatsApp, emails, walk-ins, referrals and other platforms.
  • Conducting intake interview, client support and management of SACC cases (case work), including providing and arranging for SACC services
  • Liaising with authorities, including the police, hospitals and lawyers, to facilitate the above
  • Regular data management and filing for reporting and analysis, including creating and improving standard operating procedures for SACC
  • Conducting data analysis and secondary research to aid in SACC’s advocacy efforts
  • Building and sustaining relationships with various community stakeholders to engage them on issues on sexual violence
  • Designing and facilitating workshops, dialogue sessions, talks, events and other interactive programmes in community and institutional settings
  • Assisting in the promotion of AWARE’s SACC programmes through marketing projects, including drafting content and communications for community outreach initiatives

Requirement:

  • Minimum of 2 years of related experience
  • Relevant educational qualification like a degree in social work, counselling, psychology or related field. Training on trauma and Singapore experience is a bonus.
  • Excellent inter-personal, empathy and communication skills in English (verbal and written).
  • Good analytical skills and commitment to confidentiality
  • Superb time management skills and ability to meet deadlines
  • Strong presentation and facilitation skills
  • Strong project planning and highly creative, adaptable and a self starter.
  • Ability to work independently to organise events, logistics, manage volunteers
  • Able to use initiative and judgment to solve problems independently
  • Experience or interest in supporting or empowering individuals
  • Strong belief in gender equality and the values of AWARE
  • Computer savvy, proficient in MS office, especially Excel and Word

 

If you are interested in this position, please fill up the interest form here. If you are facing any issues with the interest form, please send an email to saccintern@aware.org.sg.

A recap: Intersectionality in Malaya’s feminist movements

By Firqin Sumartono, AWARE volunteer

On 25 September, Associate Professor Maznah Mohamad held a talk at AWARE on intersectionality of the women’s movement in Malaya. The term ‘intersectional’ was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989) which views that “cultural patterns of oppression are not only interrelated, but are bound together and influenced by the intersectional systems of society. Examples of this include race, gender, class, ability, and ethnicity.”

The term ‘intersectional feminism’ has been gaining momentum and visibility recently. However, the idea of intersectionality in social justice and in women’s rights in the local and regional context may still be in its early stages. This lecture highlighted how movements in the past may be intersectional in nature.

According to Maznah, women in the colonial era played a major role in determining regional politics and power. But recorded history mostly focused on those from the elite class – the efforts made by the working class in Malaya during that time were largely forgotten. The erasure of women’s roles in historical events has led to the assumption that women did not play a part in the region’s nation-building movements.

Maznah noted the anti-colonial movement led to other movements that transcended class. The need for liberation from colonisers required a coordinated effort from everyone in the region, regardless of gender, or class. Anti-colonial movements and groups fighting for national liberation were set up. However, these efforts were still divided by race. Women like Rasammah Bhupalan, Shamsiah Fakeh, Devaki Jayar and Lim Min, fought for the same cause, but their organisations were based on their ethnic background. Racial categorisation – a legacy of colonial practices – divided these women within the stipulated racial silos of Malaya.

The postcolonial world brought about the beginnings of a women’s movement created by women for women; where the fight for rights and equal access to education and work became more united and was not restricted to the categorisation of ethnicity. Maznah pointed to the formation of Singapore Council of Women (SCW) in 1952 where the founder, Shirin Fozdar, played a key role in mobilising women politically. The multiracial committee of SCW was significant in presenting women’s issues on a national stage and lobbied for the billing of women’s rights in marriage, which resulted in the Women’s Charter Bill being passed in 1961.

During the Q&A session, there were questions on how to be more intersectional in practice and not just in theory. Maznah emphasised that intersectionality does not live in a vacuum. It requires a deep understanding of the diverse lived experiences of women. It is important to understand that individuals do not exist within a constructed boundary, nor are our issues independent of each other. While intersectionality as a concept is gaining currency and interest, it should also be reflected in our actions too; where we hold spaces for marginalised groups and include these narratives in discourses and perspectives.

Keep state and religion separate

This post was originally published as an excerpt in The Straits Times on 2 Oct 2018.

We thank Professor Tommy Koh for speaking up clearly and firmly on the vital need for Singapore to draw a clear line between religion and our secular state.

I and my fellow founders and past presidents of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) – Dr Kanwaljit Soin, Ms Constance Singam and Ms Dana Lam – strongly agree with the points made by Prof Koh in his commentary (Section 377A: Science, religion and the law; Sept 25).

He said: “There is an important point which I wish to make to the Christian and Islamic authorities. I would respectfully remind them that Singapore is a secular state. It is not a Christian country or a Muslim country. It is not the business of the state to enforce the dogmas of those religions. In Singapore, there is a separation between religion and the state. Church leaders and Islamic leaders should respect that separation.”

Almost a decade ago, in March 2009, this line was crossed when a group of fundamentalist Christian women took over Aware, which is a secular organisation, to push their religious agenda. We countered their action by calling for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) where we regained control of Aware with a two-thirds majority vote.

We were able to win back Aware because hundreds of Singapore women, appalled by what had happened, signed up as Aware members in the weeks before the EGM and then turned up at the meeting to cast their vote for us. There was no doubt in their minds that a religious agenda should not be imposed on a secular organisation.

As key stakeholders of a secular organisation that was once taken over by a religiously motivated group, we are keen to see a clear separation between what is religious and what is secular. We are troubled that religious considerations continue to be held up as grounds for maintaining the antiquated law of Section 377A of the Penal Code.

A secular state should not be inspired by religion when formulating laws and policies for all.

Margaret Thomas (Ms)

President

AWARE

AWARE welcomes repeal of marital rape and suicide decriminalisation, recommends clear definition of consent and comprehensive public education

Gender equality group AWARE applauds the long awaited repeal of marital immunity for rape and the decriminalisation of suicide in its submission to the public consultation on the Penal Code review. To increase reporting of sexual crimes, the group recommends comprehensive education for the public, professionals and all officials in the criminal justice system, and a clear definition of consent in the Penal Code.

“After more than a decade of steadfast advocacy for the full, unqualified repeal of marital immunity for rape, AWARE is delighted to finally welcome this monumental change. This sends a powerful signal that our government does not condone violence against women under any circumstances, including in marriage,” said Corinna Lim, Executive Director of AWARE.

“But a repeal on its own will not be enough to dismantle the barriers that prevent women from reporting sexual assault. It is crucial that we also see state-led, widespread public education on consent and gender roles, especially in pre-marriage workshops, in order to chip away at the harmful gendered expectations around spousal sexual relations.”

AWARE’s recommendations on section 309 on the decriminalisation of suicide are made together with Silver Ribbon in a joint submission to the public consultation, which can be read in full here.

Prioritise gender-sensitisation training for professionals and all in criminal justice system

Despite the steps taken to address gaps in the law that pertain to offences against vulnerable persons, AWARE is concerned about the general over-reliance on harsh penalties such as more caning and longer sentences to deter crime.

Said Anisha Joseph, Head of Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) at AWARE, “Eight in 10 survivors of sexual violence that we see at SACC know or are close to their perpetrators. Most times, the prospect of harsher punishment against their abusers can heighten their fears of destroying the perpetrator’s life and also of retaliation, hence deterring survivors from reporting.”

Instead, AWARE recommends that the Government work closely with partners to roll out an effective and comprehensive communications and education programme as part of the changes to the Penal Code to increase reporting of sexual offences.

AWARE also recommends that relevant Ministries conduct trauma-informed gender-sensitisation training for professionals on the ground who come across survivors of marital rape and other forms of sexual violence in their work, including social workers, doctors and police officers.

Said Ms. Joseph, “Some clients we see have received discouraging and victim-blaming comments from professionals when they disclosed their experience of sexual violence – for example, survivors of marital rape have, upon reporting their assault, been told that sex is simply expected in a marriage. Or there is an unreasonable level of suspicion that they are vindictive wives falsely accusing their husbands. We need to dispel the prevailing myth that marriage grants automatic access to a spouse’s body. ”

Other major recommendations from the group are stated below:

Section 12 – Voyeurism and non-consensual distribution of intimate images

  • AWARE welcomes the recommendations to criminalise non-consensual voyeurism, and recommends that mechanisms be set up for the swift removal of the materials from the accused’s control, from other persons that the accused has passed the images to, and from general circulation, even before conviction.

Section 23:6 – Consent

  • AWARE cites its experience working with sexual assault survivors to support its call for a clear, statutory definition of “consent”. “The Penal Code defines consent in a convoluted manner, relying on many different sections under the Code. Professionals on the ground like social workers, counsellors, and laypersons, including survivors, find it difficult to understand the term,” said Ms Lim.  
  • AWARE said it has seen several cases where investigation bodies and/or the authorities seemed to believe that a survivor who did not use physical force to resist the perpetrator must have consented to sexual assault, even though the Courts have already ruled that physical submission does not in itself amount to consent. 
  • Based on already existing case law and research on how consent is conceptualised in other common law countries, AWARE recommends that consent for sexual activity be defined as the “free, informed and voluntary participation of the complainant in the sexual activity in question” and that “lack of resistance and submission to sexual activity, in itself, is not consent as a matter of law.”

Section 26: Updating sexual offences

  • AWARE recommends updating and amending the language of “outrage/insult of modesty”. ““Modesty” is an outdated concept and in the sexual context, associated with regressive notions of women’s chastity and should be done away with,” said Ms. Lim.  Instead, the group said, “outrage of modesty” should be renamed “sexual assault” to reflect the prevailing understanding of non-consensual sexual conduct as a violation of an individual’s right to control what is done to their body, instead of as an “outrage” of an abstract quality called “modesty”. “Insult of modesty” should be renamed to “sexual harassment” to supplement the provisions under the Protection from Harassment Act, which does not specifically include an offence of sexual harassment.

377A

  • AWARE strongly calls for section 377A of the Penal Code to be repealed. To be a truly inclusive and humane society that values all its people equally, Singapore must repeal the law that discriminates against a group of persons based on their sexual orientation. 
  • “Although it is unenforced, 377A is used to embed norms and values that are discriminatory against groups of persons, and we have come across this on a regular basis. Many people have reached out to us to seek help on how to deal with discrimination they face at the workplace or schools because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, and there is a general lack of public education on sexuality,” said Ms. Lim. “The repeal of section 377A in ex-British colonies such as India and Trinidad and Tobago has created momentum toward a more inclusive and equal international community. We urge the government to seize the opportunity presented by the Penal Code review to repeal 377A and offer protection and equal treatment to all its citizens”.  

Growing Up Perempuan: Book Review

By Diana Rahim

First published here. 

“The last time I was beaten terribly was during my fourth pregnancy.”

“My older sister would ask our neighbours for an egg or something to feed us.”

“[He would] demand sex even when she was still recovering from multiple miscarriages.”

“Colleague: Eh you not bad ah. You Malay but you smart.”

“A little bit over a decade ago, men were told that unless a woman’s response to marriage was hysterical, they could assume they have her consent.”

These are a few lines from a book that has sent so many readers in tears. Growing up perempuan (as a woman) is not easy. Growing up as a Muslim woman is even harder. As Singaporean-Muslim women, most of us deal with being a woman as well as being minorities in a country where the Muslim community and its issues are brought up and represented by our male counterparts. Representational politics render so many people voiceless. The Muslim woman is often spoken over and spoken for. The image of Muslims are often monolithic in the first place. We do not understand sufficiently the diversity in our own community. And rarely are we given the chance and platform to authentically express ourselves with the safety and assurance that we will be heard and that our concerns will not be ridiculed or trivialised.

To be heard and seen as a valid member of society, one often has to conform to a narrow, acceptable view of what a Muslim woman should be. Anything else and you are threatened with being seen as rebellious or heretical. Part of the pain of gendered violence and discrimination is the command that we also be speechless. We are expected to repress our pain and bear it alone.

A culture of silence means that we are unable to connect with each other, find strength in solidarity & to collectively disturb the main narrative imposed on us. Especially in a country like Singapore where most Muslims are also racial minorities, we struggle in speaking out about our issues because to speak about our problems also runs the risk of shaming our community to Islamophobic sentiments. Often, while our male counterparts may passionately rail against racial discrimination, they do not extend that nuance and awareness of injustice when it comes to gendered violence and discrimination.

The women in this book struggle with domestic and sexual violence, racial harassment, body image issues, sexuality, amongst others. They talked about internalised racism, workplace discrimination, and being overlooked by their fathers in favour of their brothers. So much of what I read hit so close to home. The body policing, the realisation late in life that you have undergone female circumcision, racial microaggressions, questioning literalist & dogmatic ideas in religion and being met with unsatisfactory answers and so much more.

And then there were things that I could not relate to and could only read with an aching heart: girls who wrote about growing up in shelters, in severely abusive homes, being so poor they had to beg neighbours for food, being so neglected that they took themselves to school each day. There are stories by sex workers who talk about how and why they took up that profession and the struggle and stigma they bear. Women who endure horrific partner abuse or take on responsibilities when their husbands leave them, or are in jail. We often think of these things as exceptional cases affecting troubled youths or individuals. But these are not problems that should be individualised. They are the natural result of a society that is deeply unequal, deeply prejudiced, and unwilling to allow women full agency in their own life-decisions and choices. A capitalistic society that is hostile to helping the poor and provide them with a decent living wage. It is a reflection of our own values and attitudes when people in our community say that the people that have disappointed them most were members of their own community who judged them instead of helped them.

Because the dispossessed do not have the social capital to be heard; because the system benefits from forcing them into silence, there are often people who go through life with the illusion that our society is not at all unhospitable. People think that these kinds of stories are few and far between when the fact is that these everyday violences are so common. You have to approach this book with an open heart. Middle- and upper-class Muslims I think especially are sheltered from so much of the realities that are happening and affecting their brethren. They often discuss issues like gender violence, polygamy and marital rape in the abstract, without understanding the lived realities of people on the ground. This is it. These are women speaking for themselves. It is up to us if we will listen or not.

Growing Up Perempuan can be purchased for $15 at all major bookstores or online at www.ethosbooks.com.sg

Statement of support for proposed removal of marital immunity for rape

This post was originally published as a press release on 25 September 2018.

As women’s and social sector groups in Singapore, we are very pleased to welcome the proposal to fully remove marital immunity for the offences of rape and sexual penetration of a minor. This important and long awaited reform will make it possible to hold men who commit sexual violence against their wives accountable under the law, in accordance with due process.

Every person has the right to live their lives free of all kinds of violence, including spousal sexual violence. Marriage is meant to be a union for mutual support and care, not a licence for sexual coercion. Doing away with marital immunity is an important affirmation that a married woman – no less than any other woman – has the right to be heard and respected when she says ‘no’.

When this law is changed, Singapore will take an enormous step toward a more humane society – one which values consent and equality. We are proud to be counted in support of it.

List of supporting groups:

Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE)

Beyond the Hijab

Brave Spaces

Crit Talk

Disabled People’s Association (DPA)

Daughters Of Tomorrow (DOT)

Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME)

Lean In Singapore

MARUAH

No To Rape

Penawar Support Group

Project X

Sayoni

Singapore Association of Women Lawyers (SAWL)

Singapore Committee for UN Women

Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO)

The Local Rebel

The T Project

Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2)

Women and Law in Islam (WALI)

Zonta Club of Singapore

Position Filled: CARE Admin Executive

We are no longer accepting applicants for this role.

AWARE’s CARE team is looking for a part-time executive (4 days weekly x 6 hours daily) who can perform day-to-day operational and administrative functions for two departments – the Women’s Care Centre and the Sexual Assault Care Centre. This is a paid contract position for one year.

Requirements

  • Minimum 2 years’ experience as an office administrator, office assistant or in a relevant role
  • Experience in the social service industry is advantageous
  • Excellent interpersonal, empathy and communication skills in English (verbal and written) and strong organisational skills
  • Strong 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
  • Able to meet deadlines in a high-paced environment while balancing workload and competing priorities
  • Able to maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive information

Job Description

  • Providing administrative and operational support to the counselling team and Sexual Assault Care Centre
  • Scheduling clients with counsellors, case managers, etc. via phone, emails and/or face-to-face
  • Maintaining payment records and being responsible for prompt processing of invoices for the department
  • Creating various project reports as well as supporting incoming client queries
  • Documentation and filing of confidential notes, intake forms, etc
  • Establishing processes for client feedback and ensuring prompt submission to relevant parties/systems
  • Assist in supporting staff and volunteers on various projects and ad-hoc programmes as required by the line manager

Deadline for application: 19 October 2018

If you are interested in this position, please fill up the interest form here. If you are facing any issues with the interest form, please send an email to ssvolunteer@aware.org.sg.

A recap of our panel, “Poverty has a Woman’s Face”

By Xenia Low, AWARE intern

On 11 August, more than 300 people showed up at the Singapore Post Auditorium for the Poverty has a Woman’s Face panel, where we launched AWARE’s report ”Why are you not working?: Low-income mothers explain challenges with work and care. The panelists delved into a nuanced discussion of how low-income mothers balance work, home and care responsibilities while striving for economic security.

The panel comprised four speakers: Corinna Lim, Executive Director of AWARE; Dr Teo You Yenn, author of bestselling book This Is What Inequality Looks Like; Carrie Tan, Executive Director of Daughters of Tomorrow; and Siti Aishah, a participant of AWARE’s research and a mother of three. The session was moderated by Ng Kok Hoe, Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

The event started off with a personal sharing by Siti Aishah who talked about her challenges with returning to work. In her attempt to switch from a part-time to a full-time job, she found that many companies were inflexible. To better support mothers in the workforce, Siti suggested that employers provide subsidised childcare near the workplace. She concluded her sharing by proudly professing how DOT, which has been providing its services to her for over a year, was like family to her.

Corinna then introduced AWARE’s report, which compiled findings from interviews with 47 mothers from low-income households. The report found that there were three major structural issues preventing low-income mothers from re-assimilating back into the workforce: a lack of family and public support for childcare, a lack of decent work; and the fact that work does not pay enough. AWARE had a few recommendations such as free childcare for children from low-income families, more flexible childcare hours in order to account for shift work, a new employment framework on the rights and benefits of casual workers, and enhanced ComCare and Workfare Income Supplement schemes to ensure that employment does not cause low-income households to be financially worse-off.

Carrie shared her thoughts on the structural barriers low income mothers face in the workplace. She points out that hard as it is to find full-time employment, the turnover rate amongst low-income mothers was rather high due to lack of services provided for mothers to balance both job and family responsibilities. So DOT started providing services for mothers such as child-minding and financial support. But overall, structural changes have to be made in the workplace so that the work service providers do can be sustained.

The final speaker was Dr Teo You Yenn, who stressed that while the struggle to “reconcile care work and paid work” is a common problem for women across socioeconomic backgrounds, women from lower-income households face additional inequalities. The choices middle-income families make on caregiving – for instance, paying for childcare or caregiving services – is not something that everyone can afford. Moreover, it normalises one particular solution to the problem, which takes away the possibility of meeting needs through the pooling of all available resources.

A panel discussion moderated by Dr Ng Kok Hoe followed after all the speakers, where they discussed issues such as minimum wage, potential benefits of fair treatment of workers, and whether early childhood education should be nationalised and made compulsory. An important question was raised in the audience Q&A segment, on how to bring such issues into daily conversation with family and friends. The panel suggested inviting friends and families to volunteering events and forums to spark their interest in these topics. You Yenn also mentioned that normalising these conversations is important to inspire more discussion amongst different groups of people.

Learn more:

 

  • Meet and learn from low-income women, or those working with them, to understand the challenges they face day-to-day

 

Spread the word:

 

  • Speak to at least 5 persons about what you have learnt  
  • Share articles on inequality and poverty in Singapore on your own digital platforms

 

Stronger together:  

 

  • Sign up here if you are interested in volunteering on our future work / campaigns on issues relating to social inequality, including organising events related to Eradication of Poverty Day in October.
  • Be a Donor. Your kind donation will go a long way to help women and to promote more equitable and inclusive policies through our various programmes and services.
  • Become a Member. Our voice is louder and stronger when we have more members behind us.
  • Register as a Volunteer to contribute your time and skills to AWARE.