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AWARE sees overall rise in cases involving technology-facilitated sexual violence, launches contest to combat image-based sexual abuse

This post was originally published as a press release on 25 November 2019.

25 November 2019 – Gender-equality group AWARE announced today that its Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) has seen an overall rise in cases across three years involving technology-facilitated sexual violence, from 47 in 2016 (out of 338 total cases), to 88 in 2017 (out of 515 total cases) and 118 in 2018 (out of 808 total cases).*

These are cases that involved actions enabled by digital communications technology, such as social media and messaging platforms, digital cameras and dating apps. These behaviours range from unwanted and explicit sexual messages and calls (including attempts to coerce sex or a relationship), to a specific category of image-based sexual abuse.

● Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) is the non-consensual creation, obtainment and/or distribution of sexual images or videos of another person. It also includes threats to carry out the above. These images can be so-called “nudes” taken with the subject’s consent as well as images taken without the subject’s knowledge (e.g. via “upskirting” and placing hidden cameras in public places). IBSA cases seen by SACC doubled over the three years, from 30 in 2016 to 64 in 2018.

● Technology-facilitated sexual violence can be committed by anyone (acquaintances, family members, colleagues, intimate partners or even strangers). Almost half of IBSA cases seen from 2016-2018 were committed by an intimate partner. On the other hand, perpetrators of unwanted or explicit communication were likely to be someone in the survivor’s workplace (close to 40%). The perpetrator profile, where known, cut across age, class, educational background and race.

● From 2016 to 2018, 1 in 2 IBSA survivors reached out to SACC within one month of the incident (with 25% reaching out within 72 hours of the incident). This is unusually fast for cases seen by the centre — in 2018, for example, 58% of cases came to SACC within a year of the incident.

● Of the cases known to SACC over these three years, 1 in 2 IBSA survivors made a police report — a higher proportion than overall SACC cases, of which only 30% report their incident to any authority.

These statistics were presented by Head of SACC Anisha Joseph at the event “Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt 2019”, which took place Monday evening at Lifelong Learning Institute in Paya Lebar. With approximately 150 attendees, the event marked both the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the one-year anniversary of AWARE’s Aim For Zero campaign against sexual violence.

Anisha Joseph, Head of AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre

Said Ms Joseph: “The conversation and media coverage on sexual violence in Singapore this year has largely been dominated by technology-facilitated sexual violence, from numerous incidents taking place on university campuses, to Telegram groups created for the dissemination of explicit images. We believe that public awareness of this issue — and public urgency to curb it — has never been higher.”

“Technology is not the villain here,” she added. “It is not the cause of sexual violence, but a medium through which violence is facilitated by perpetrators—we see it ‘folded into’ pre-existing practices of violence, harm and harassment. New factors — such as the widespread availability of recording technology, and our 24/7 channels of communication — make these actions all the more pervasive and damaging today.”

The “Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt 2019” event comprised a panel discussion featuring speakers Monica Baey, Amber Hawkes, Benny Bong and Priscilla Chia. Lim Xiu Xuan, a senior case manager at SACC, served as moderator.

The discussion covered the psychological and practical impact of tech-facilitated sexual violence on survivors, as well as the recourse options available to them under the Penal Code and Protection From Harassment Act. Ms Hawkes also gave an overview of Facebook’s policies for user safety, and walked attendees through the process of reporting a violation to the social media platform. However, panelists agreed that there are limitations to survivors’ abilities to contain the spread of images once they are uploaded, and limitations on how accountable perpetrators are across platforms.

“At Facebook, we take a comprehensive approach to making our platform a safer place for women, including writing clear policies and developing cutting-edge technology to prevent the spread of non-consensually shared intimate images and to protect women from harassment,” said Ms Hawkes. “We’re also committed to partnering with women’s rights groups, online safety organisations and experts around the world to get feedback on ways we can ensure that we’re a platform where people feel safe.”

“The misuse of technology to violate another is, sadly, another manifestation of how we can exploit others,” said Mr Bong. “Because technology can allow for a degree of anonymity, perpetrators may think that they can get away with these crimes. Our laws must keep abreast of this development.”

Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt 2019 at Lifelong Learning Institute on 25 November 2019

The second part of Monday’s event saw AWARE launching a contest in conjunction with the High Commission of Canada. “Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt: The Contest” invites members of the public to submit their ideas for projects to combat image-based sexual abuse. Proposals will be accepted via AWARE’s website (www.aware.org.sg/tfsvcontest) until 7 February 2020. Winning projects will receive a “kickstarter” sum of up to $6,000, as well as development support for a pilot phase over six months in 2020.

“Women are disproportionately affected by a range of unintended negative consequences enabled by technology,” said Canadian High Commissioner Lynn McDonald. “Canada is committed to promoting gender equality by addressing gender-based violence, which impedes women and girls from realising their full potential. We therefore are pleased to support this important initiative and look forward to collaborating with the contest winners.”

Find SACC’s 2017 report “Technology and Sexual Violence” here.

*This post was updated in 2020 to reflect more accurate numbers of TFSV cases seen by SACC. The numbers previously reported were: 46 in 2016 (out of 338 total cases), to 99 in 2017 (out of 515 total cases) and 124 in 2018 (out of 808 total cases).

Photographs by Kaspen Paraskakis Narayan.

 

Annex

Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt 2019: Panelists

● Monica Baey, advocate for sexual violence survivors
As a Communications student at the National University of Singapore, Monica Baey stood up for herself after an experience of sexual voyeurism, eventually driving a major shift in attitudes towards sexual violence. Monica was honoured with AWARE’s “Woman of Courage” Award at the 2019 AWARE Ball in early November.

● Amber Hawkes, Head of Safety Policy, APAC at Facebook
Amber Hawkes works with NGOs, academics and policymakers to improve Facebook policies, products, tools and resources to keep its community safe. Previously, Amber spent over a decade combatting human trafficking and online child sexual exploitation.

● Benny Bong, counsellor and Society Against Family Violence president
Benny Bong is a counsellor, lecturer and trainer. As director and principal consultant at The Family Therapist, he has a long history with working against violence in the home. He is a founding member and current president of the non-profit Society Against Family Violence. Benny received the AWARE Hero Award in 2011.

● Priscilla Chia, litigator and SACC volunteer lawyer
Lawyer Priscilla Chia’s practice focuses on commercial, public interest and criminal litigation, as well as non-contentious corporate advisory. Outside of her legal practice, Priscilla is actively involved in non-profit work with AWARE and other civil society organisations.

Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence: Some SACC Cases

Case A: The client sent “nudes” to her previous partner, who promised to delete the images after receiving them. However, her intimate images were instead shared online without her knowledge. Friends and acquaintances sent her messages over various social media platforms to let her know that they saw the images. She told SACC that she has been struggling with suicidal thoughts ever since. She feels shame, regret, confusion and depression. She credits her daughter for helping her stay alive.

Case B: The client works in the same department as the perpetrator, who sends her unwanted sexual messages. She blocked him on WhatsApp, but he contacted her on Facebook; she blocked him on Facebook, but he contacted her on Instagram; then Skype. Eventually he took to sending her emails through his work email.

Case C: The client was harassed by a former intimate partner whom she met online. After she stopped seeing him, the perpetrator threatened to reveal her intimate images to others, including her current partner. He also continued to stalk her: He took her photo on the MRT without her knowledge, and at one point assaulted her. Even though she has blocked him on all platforms, she is worried that he will act upon his threats to release her photos, or show up to her house to physically hurt her. She is also hesitant to file a police report or take legal action, because the images were taken during consensual sex, and others have told her that this is her fault.

Case D: Without her permission, the client’s boyfriend uploaded videos of them having sex. She found out because two acquaintances approached her to inform her that they had seen the video. Her boyfriend told her that he did not know why he did it. The client agreed not to go to the police if he would help her to take the video down from the Internet. However, although he contacted several websites, only some of them have responded and taken it down. The client is increasingly paranoid about others seeing the video, which would have a serious impact on her professional and family life.

AWARE’s statement on the “outrage of modesty” posters

AWARE posted a brief comment on social media on 14 November about two new “outrage of modesty” posters by the Singapore Police Force.

Our intentions were to contribute constructively to the ongoing public conversation about sexual violence in Singapore. Our earlier comments did not fully spell out our position on this, which is set out below.

Sexual violence is a pervasive problem in our society, and language (visual or verbal) plays a huge part in shaping how our culture views sexual violence, even in very subtle ways.

It is a complex and emotive issue, with nuances that cannot reasonably be encapsulated in a single poster.

That said, it is important for AWARE, as a gender equality advocacy group, to discuss the negative impact that public education materials may have on women and sexual assault survivors, even when these implications are unintended.

The post was not targeted at the Singapore Police Force (SPF), with whom we have worked and continue to collaborate. The Singapore Police Force, the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Home Affairs have been extremely dynamic and effective in the last few years to enhance sexual assault laws, and reduce the trauma faced by sexual assault survivors while they step up their enforcement efforts. Much progress has been made and the commitment of the State to address sexual assault issues is not in question. We are heartened to see the State commit resources to continue its crime prevention efforts.

We fully support SPF’s key deterrence message—that molest is a crime recognised by the state, and that perpetrators will be held accountable for their actions. It is critical that the consequences of committing sexual violence be known to the general public. We were not suggesting otherwise and there was no criticism directed towards this.

We also want to recognise that these new posters are a significant improvement from some of the older “outrage of modesty” posters, with taglines like “Don’t get rubbed the wrong way”, which seemed to place responsibility of preventing sexual harassment on the potential victim, instead of on the perpetrator. We are, however, concerned with how the message was conveyed in these new posters. Namely:

a) the visual motif of the price tag on the molester’s hand

b) the tagline “2 years’ imprisonment: It is not worth it”.

Putting a price on molest likens the victim to an object on a store shelf that can be purchased if one is willing to pay the price. The poster does not say that this act is wrong, only that it is expensive. This analogy has the effect of erasing the experience of the victim and any viewer’s empathy for the victim.

AWARE takes a survivor-centric approach that underscores each individual’s dignity and rights. And we would like to see all ads, public-service or otherwise, informed by that belief. Survivors have, in fact, written to us to share their discomfort with the posters’ messaging.

We understand that these posters are part of a series that also target theft of property and rioting. While the price tag approach may work for those crimes, they do not work so well when applied to sexual assault crimes. These posters, while targeted at perpetrators, will be read by survivors as well, who may be put off by the messaging.

As the posters had been posted in public, at MRT stations where they had already seen by many commuters, we thought it was appropriate to post our comments in public. These ideas affect all of society, so there is value in opening this discourse to the public.

Given how complex and nuanced these matters are, we would be very happy to offer feedback and suggestions on any posters that the Police and other authorities wish to launch before they are published.

2019 AWARE Award Winners: Teo You Yenn, Monica Baey, Liyana Dhamirah

At our Time Traveller’s Ball on 2 November 2019, we handed out our annual AWARE Awards, celebrating individuals and organisations that promote gender equality in Singapore. This year, the winners were sociologist Teo You Yenn (“Woman of Insight”), sexual harassment survivor Monica Baey (“Woman of Courage”) and “Homeless” author Liyana Dhamirah (“Woman of Resilience”).

Watch to learn more about how these three women have changed Singapore for the better over the past year.

Video created with the help of WomenTalk.

The Art of Advocacy: how AWARE’s research and advocacy create change

“Advocacy”. Maybe you’re still unclear about what that really means, or what it looks like in practice.

Here’s a short primer on our work at AWARE: how our services for women (like our Women’s Helpline and Sexual Assault Care Centre), along with our research, evolve into our campaigns for more gender-equal policies and mindsets.

This is how social change builds in Singapore. It can be a slow and difficult process, but when it succeeds (and over AWARE’s 34 years, we’ve seen quite a few successes!), there’s nothing like it.

 

This video was screened at AWARE’s Time Traveller’s Ball on 2 November 2019. 
Illustrations by Elizabeth Goh.
Animation by Erica Tan.

Position Filled: Graphic Designer (Project), Catalyse Consulting

We are no longer accepting applicants for this role.

Catalyse Consulting is looking for a dynamic, creative and resourceful individual to create high-impact and attractive visuals for the rebranding of our sales and marketing collaterals; design an icon library (20-30 icons), infographics, and standardise PowerPoint slide decks to enhance our corporate image.

Position: Graphic Designer
Department: Catalyse Consulting
Commitment: Approximately two months
Project fee: $4,000

Job Description:

The ideal graphic designer should be able to:

  • develop a solid understanding Catalyse Consulting and AWARE’s vision and our target audience;
  • work independently but interact well with other staff members to gather information for the design process;
  • conceptualise messages into visually appealing and attractive collaterals (for eg, icon library, infographics, and PowerPoint slide decks) to connect to local and international audiences;
  • be proactive and responsive in delivering high-quality designs that support the team.

Requirements:

  • Diploma/Degree in Graphics Design or related field; or proven track record/portfolio
  • Expert proficiency in design and documentation development tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator and Microsoft Office, etc.
  • Displays sensitivity and adaptability to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences
  • Able to commit to a full-time, short-term contract to complete the project.
  • All resumes should be accompanied by portfolio and/or website link.

(Read our privacy policy here.)

Please note that due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview. If you have any questions about this position, please email careers@aware.org.sg.

10 April 2020: Superwomen in Concert

Nearly 10 years ago, AWARE celebrated its 25th anniversary with the Superwomen in Concert gala, to resounding success. The concert, which featured Singapore’s best and brightest female musical talents, was an unforgettable night for everyone lucky enough to attend.

To mark its upcoming 35th anniversary in 2020, AWARE is bringing back this star-studded charity event. On 10 April, Superwomen in Concert 2020 will celebrate the talents, imagination and tenacity of the women in Singapore who dare to dream.

Conceptualised, produced and directed by the indomitable entertainer (and force of nature) Pam Oei, Superwomen in Concert 2020 will be headlined by stars such as Stefanie Sun, Rahimah Rahim, the irreverent Dim Sum Dollies, female pop stars Narelle Kheng and Sandra Riley Tang of the Sam Willows, rapper Lady Kash, groundbreaking comedian Sharul Channa, and many more. Incredible music and fun with a healthy dose of female empowerment: what more could you want?

We’re currently looking for sponsors interested in supporting this monumental night.

Email Corinna at corinna.lim@aware.org.sg or Desiree at fundraising@aware.org.sg to inquire.

Commentary: She’s practically asking for it? Do Singaporeans subscribe to rape myths?

This commentary was originally published on Channel News Asia on 4 November 2019.

by Shailey Hingorani, Head of Research and Advocacy 

Surrounded by rape myths that undermine the seriousness of sexual assault, some survivors may hesitate to call their experiences sexual assault, discuss it with others, or seek assistance, says AWARE’s Shailey Hingorani.

SINGAPORE: Victim-blaming comments — i.e. comments that put the onus of avoiding sexual assault on the victim — are unfortunately commonplace in our society.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that they’ve reared their ugly head in recent days – when news broke about the rape of 15-year old girl after a game of Truth or Dare, and the 13 Telegram groups circulating explicit images without the knowledge of the people pictured.

Garbed as well-meaning concern and advice, the comments nevertheless perpetuate deeply harmful rape myths.

TOXIC SOCIAL MEDIA CHATTER

Three issues have featured prominently in many of the online comments about the teenage rape case: The girl’s intoxication, her choice of company in a gang of boys, and her lack of parental supervision. They all place at least partial blame of her rape on her, and her parents when they did not impose strict curfews on their daughter’s movements.

Separately, in CNA’s story about the Telegram groups, a victim referred to as Dania is quoted as saying that in her experience, women who have revealing photos taken are shamed as being improper, and responsible for their own predicament when those photos (inevitably, it is assumed) get circulated publicly.

The following statements might be obvious, but are worth repeating:

Drinking alcohol is not equivalent to consenting to sex. Spending time with boys is not equivalent to consenting to sex. Leaving your child unsupervised for a night is not equivalent to consenting to her having sex.

Taking a revealing photo intended for private use is not equivalent to consenting to have it circulated to thousands of strangers.

When the majority of comments on these news stories discuss what the victims did wrong, instead of what the perpetrators did wrong, you might be tempted to dismiss that as idle social media chatter.

But these comments speak to underlying rape myths we continue to hold about sexual violence, alcohol consumption, the company of men and women’s behaviour as a society.

RAPE MYTHS

Rape myths are beliefs about rape that serve to deny, downplay or justify sexual violence.

They help people ignore the complexity of rape in its full context — for example, the understanding that abusive relationships can feature genuine love alongside manipulation and victimisation.

Rape myths determine which incidents of assault are taken seriously and considered more “real” than others.

Rape myths can take one or a combination of four forms. They can blame the victim (e.g. “she should have resisted the attacker more”), cast doubt on allegations (e.g. “she just regrets having sex with him and is now looking for a way to feel better”), excuse the accused’s behaviour (e.g. “he was too drunk to know what he was doing”), or insist that sexual violence only happens to specific types of women (e.g. “slutty girls get raped and good girls don’t”).

For example, we see the first and fourth types in the case of the teenage rape. Online commenters rushed to declare that a girl who is the “type that drinks”, responds to sexual questions from boys when playing Truth or Dare, and stays out at night is practically asking to be raped.

Rape myths enjoy a high level of acceptance in Singapore. About 45 per cent of over 1,000 respondents to an IPSOS survey agreed with this statement: “Women who wear revealing clothes should not complain if men make comments about their appearance.”

Would those respondents also agree that “women who wear revealing clothes should not complain if men take non-consensual upskirt photos of them and share them in Telegram groups”? It doesn’t seem like that much of a stretch. The sheer size of those 13 Telegram groups points to how normalised an opinion that may be.

WE HAVE TO CHALLENGE RAPE MYTHS

Rape myths are pernicious for three reasons.

First, they discourage help-seeking behaviour. By undermining women’s experiences — for example, by asking questions that focus on the victim’s behaviour, mannerisms — they create a sense of violation that revictimises survivors.

They can spin survivors into a cycle of self-doubt (“Did my clothing communicate consent to sexual activity? Should I not talk to men in bars?”), which makes them feel too ashamed or too guilty to share their experiences with friends and family.

Even as many survivors try to consciously reject rape myths, they may find it difficult to escape the socially ingrained feeling they should have done something differently or that they are somehow at fault. Many end up isolated and do not get the support they need to help recover from the trauma of the rape.

Second, for the same reasons as above, rape myths discourage reporting. AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre finds that seven out of 10 of its clients do not report their experiences to the police. This means that most perpetrators are never brought to justice, and live out their lives without any consequences for their violent actions.

Third, rape myths are used to create cautionary tales, mostly aimed at women, outlining behaviour that is appropriate. Women are routinely advised to monitor their alcohol intake when they go out, never leave their drinks unattended, or only spend time with men when other women are present.

At an event AWARE hosted on so-called “revenge porn” in 2018, a couple of well-meaning parents suggested the best way for young women to protect themselves from seeing their doctored photos on pornographic websites was to withdraw entirely from social media.

Whether or not these measures strike you as realistic (is it reasonable to expect women to be able to withdraw from online spaces in this day and age?), you may find the act of advising them to be harmless.

But there is harm in prescribing these “safety tips” to women. The harm lies in the implication that if you fail to take any of these steps, you have somehow caused yourself to be assaulted, and should be held responsible for this failure, whereas the full responsibility for assault should lie upon the assaulter’s shoulders.

WHAT WILL HELP

Traditional gender norms — e.g. that men are always the initiators of sex, that women must offer token “resistance” to sex to be considered lady-like, that sex is some kind of conquest and women sexualised objects to conquer — inform rape myths.

Sex education in schools often reinforces these traditional gender norms, and, by focusing on abstinence only, does not adequately prepare students to deal with intimate relationships.

Although gender equality education has long been suggested as a key component to violence prevention strategies, it does not feature prominently in most school curricula.

Irresponsible media also, reinforces these gender norms through the hyper-sexualisation and sexual objectification of women, which leads to greater acceptance of violence against women and victim-blaming.

We need a two-pronged strategy to promote gender equality that will help address violence against women. First, we must introduce comprehensive sex education in schools, and in-person mandatory anti-harassment trainings in colleges. These should cover gender roles and consent, and deconstruct rape myths.

Second, we need media-based interventions. Apart from public awareness campaigns that challenge traditional gender norms, we need new media guidelines that discourage the use of gender stereotypes and hypersexualised female bodies.

We could learn from the Advertising Standards Authority of UK, which banned the depiction of men and women engaged in gender-stereotypical activities earlier this year. News outlets should adopt reporting guidelines on sexual violence to sensitively and ethically communicate sexual violence trauma.

It’s time we addressed these cultural attitudes, and promised survivors that we will indeed aim for zero tolerance of sexual violence.

AWARE awards Teo You Yenn, Monica Baey and Liyana Dhamirah, breaks fundraising record with $600,000 in donations at Time Traveller’s Ball

This post was originally published as a press release on 3 November 2019.

3 November 2019 – For its annual gala on Saturday, 2 November, gender-equality group AWARE set its fundraising target at $500,000.  

The total amount raised—around $600,000 in all—amply exceeded that goal. The amount is the largest sum ever raised by the 34-year-old organisation through a single event.

Entitled the Time Traveller’s Ball, with a “Back to the Future” theme evoking both past victories and future hopes, the gala dinner (in its ninth edition, since 2011) welcomed 500-odd attendees clad in retro-futuristic costumes. These guests enjoyed a full night of revelry at the Shangri-La Hotel’s Island Ballroom. 

Donations were raised through AWARE’s annual pledge, “donor’s draw” lucky dip, silent auction and a new live auction segment, as well as the net proceeds from the sale of tables at the gala dinner. Beyond the organisation’s critical services for women, such as the Women’s Helpline and Sexual Assault Care Centre, this year’s pledge shone a spotlight on AWARE’s long-standing research and advocacy work. 

“Research and advocacy has always been the beating heart of AWARE, since its founding in 1985,” said AWARE Executive Director Corinna Lim. “That’s how an organisation like ours can effect real, structural change. But—as any researcher will tell you—that work is not always easy to fund. So we’re thrilled that AWARE’s research and advocacy efforts, which contribute to positive changes in our laws, policies and public attitudes, will receive some much-needed support from tonight’s pledge.”

In her address to the crowd, Ms Lim cited recent reforms such as the repeal of marital rape immunity and the decriminalisation of suicide as changes successfully advocated for by AWARE and other non-governmental organisations. 

AWARE’s research team this year published the report “Make Care Count”, examining the financial impact of eldercare on female caregivers in Singapore. Upcoming projects include a report on foreign domestic workers performing eldercare in Singapore, and the career effects of workplace sexual harassment on female workers. 

(L-R) AWARE founding member Dr Kanwaljit Soin, Monica Baey, Liyana Dhamirah and Teo You Yenn

At the Ball on Saturday, the organisation also handed out its annual AWARE Awards, celebrating individuals and organisations that promote gender equality in Singapore. This year, the winners were sociologist Teo You Yenn (named “Woman of Insight”), sexual harassment survivor Monica Baey (“Woman of Courage”) and Homeless author Liyana Dhamirah (“Woman of Resilience”). All three women were honoured on stage. 

“When we reflected on the people who sparked conversation and inspired real action in Singapore this year, You Yenn, Monica and Liyana immediately stood out to us,” said Ms Lim. “In their own way, each of them faced substantial challenges getting their messages out into the world, but against the odds they made people listen, and Singapore is the better for it. We’re so proud for them to join our illustrious group of AWARE Award recipients.”

Entertainment for the night came courtesy of actor-comedians Pam Oei and Rishi Budhrani, who paired up as hosts. One particular highlight for audiences was an inspired special edition of AWARE’s famed tongue-in-cheek Alamak Awards. Entitled “200 Years of Alamaks”, the side-splitting routine (by performers such as director Jo Tan, playwright Joel Tan and musical director Elaine Chan) chronicled landmarks of sexist history in Singapore.

Sponsors for the Ball included “Diamond” sponsors KAH Motor and KOP Limited, as well as an array of other organisations and individuals who pledged, purchased tables and contributed items for the live and silent auctions. Among the line-up of auction items were exclusive art pieces by Singaporean artists Jimmy Ong and Sam “SKL0” Lo, a stay at the Datai Langkawi luxury resort, and such unique experiences as a tour of graphic novelist Sonny Liew’s studio and a beer-tasting session with female master brewer Foo Lan-Xin.

Photography courtesy of Studiokel Photography.

Read information about the Time Traveller’s Ball here.

AWARE Award winners 2019

Teo You Yenn. Courtesy of Ethos Books

Teo You Yenn 

In her book This Is What Inequality Looks Like, researcher, activist and author Teo You Yenn brought to light the ways gender and inequality intersect in Singapore. Immersing herself in the lives of low-income families, she wrote about issues some would rather dismiss, igniting an ongoing conversation about the systemic shortcomings in our famously affluent nation. You Yenn’s approach is measured, anchored in data; she is always respectful, but clear about what needs to change.

Monica Baey. Courtesy of WomenTalk

Monica Baey

Monica Baey, an undergraduate, bravely stood up for herself after an experience of sexual harassment on campus. Though the uproar that ensued was intense and unexpected, she persisted, eventually driving a major shift in Singaporean attitudes towards sexual violence. By asking her university to own up to its inadequate policies and procedures, Monica fostered the creation of a safer campus for all students, and galvanised other schools and institutions to follow suit.

Liyana Dhamirah. Courtesy of MJ Photography

Liyana Dhamirah

In her book Homeless, Liyana Dhamirah shares her journey from the darkest of situations to her current position as a self-made entrepreneur. She sheds light on how society lets the individual down—the confluence of circumstances that led to her homelessness—and how it can pull an individual up again. She embodies resilience, determination and public spirit, in her continuing work to support lower-income families and the homeless.

25 November 2019: Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt 2019 – Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence in Singapore (Panel and Contest)

Digital technology and sexual violence seem to elide more and more in our hyper-connected, hyper-visual world. Here in Singapore, it feels like a new case of technology-facilitated sexual violence breaks in the newspapers every week. There’s the distribution of explicit materials by intimate partners on social media. Upskirting, shower videos and other acts of voyeurism. Cyber-flashing, or the sending of explicit material to someone without their consent.

A 2017 research report by AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) revealed that nearly one in five cases involved a component of technology. Of these, one in two cases involved image-based sexual abuse (the subset of tech-facilitated sexual violence that encompasses voyeurism, cyber-flashing and non-consensual image distribution). Survivors whose personal information or intimate photos/videos are leaked without their consent often feel intense helplessness, anxiety and frustration.

Recent changes to Singapore’s Penal Code, which criminalise the aforementioned actions, reflect society’s growing recognition of this issue, and a desire to safeguard survivors’ rights in online spaces. Currently, survivors can file police reports or apply for non-publication orders, under which information can be taken down. However, these processes can be limited, time-consuming and tedious, and don’t take into account the time-sensitive nature of such crimes. And while changes in the law are welcome steps forward, more needs to be done in terms of prevention and better access to justice and support for survivors.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November 2019), join AWARE for Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt 2019, a panel event centred on technology-facilitated sexual violence and how to fight it.

First, SACC will release a new set of statistics on the technology-facilitated sexual violence cases seen by the centre in the past couple of years. Then, with a line-up of expert speakers, we’ll talk in depth about the barriers and challenges faced by survivors of this type of sexual violence. Lastly, we’ll work towards finding ways to combat image-based sexual abuse, by launching a solutions-oriented contest.

The Panel:

Monica Baey, advocate for sexual violence survivors

As a student at NUS, Monica stood up for herself after an experience of sexual voyeurism, eventually driving a major shift in attitudes towards sexual violence. Monica was honoured with AWARE’s “Woman of Courage” Award at the 2019 AWARE Ball.

Amber Hawkes, Head of Safety Policy, APAC at Facebook

Amber works with NGOs, academics and policymakers to improve Facebook policies, products, tools and resources to keep its community safe. Previously, Amber spent over a decade combatting human trafficking and online child sexual exploitation.

Benny Bong, counsellor and Society Against Family Violence president

Benny is a counsellor, lecturer and trainer. As director and principal consultant at The Family Therapist, he has a long history with working against violence in the home. He is a founding member and current president of the non-profit Society Against Family Violence. Benny received the AWARE Hero Award in 2011.

Priscilla Chia, litigator and SACC volunteer lawyer

Priscilla’s practice focuses on commercial, public interest and criminal litigation, as well as non-contentious corporate advisory. Outside of her legal practice, Priscilla is actively involved in non-profit work with AWARE and other civil society organisations.

The Contest:

AWARE is calling for collaborators to work with on possible solutions to image-based sexual abuse. At this event on 25 November, we will launch a contest for various solutions from the community. Selected project(s) will receive funding from AWARE and partners for a five-month pilot run, from May to October 2020.

The solutions should involve at least one of these three themes:

∙ Prevention (e.g. policies for companies to ensure safety at the workplace, sustainable awareness-raising about image-based sexual abuse)

∙ Better access to support for survivors of image-based sexual abuse (e.g. initiatives to minimise the distribution of personal info/images/videos)

∙ Better access to justice for survivors of image-based sexual abuse (e.g. proposed changes to the law or to policies, procedures for better protection of survivors)

Details on how to apply will be announced during the event.

Date: Monday, 25 November 2019
Time: 6:30 – 9:00pm
Venue: Lifelong Learning Institute, Hall 1-2, 11 Eunos Road 8, Singapore 408601
Tickets: $5

Digital communication platforms are here to stay, so let’s make sure they’re used for more good than harm. Be a part of a much-needed change and join our campaign for zero tolerance for sexual violence. #AimForZeroSG

Register here!