International Women’s Month 2022: all AWARE partnerships and promotions

March is the busiest and most exciting time of the year for AWARE, with International Women’s Day on 8 March, and a veritable smorgasbord of collaborations, special discounts and events throughout the month. To help keep track of everything on offer, we’ve compiled the following page, which we’ll be updating periodically in the weeks to come. Browse away, and let’s #BreakTheBias together!

Banner illustration by @sleepysoymilk

Promotions

AKOSÉE

Clothing label AKOSÉE is a 100% female-owned business. They are honoured to support AWARE this International Women’s Day by donating 2% of their March revenue to assist in our work in forging equality for all. Shop now!

BEDANDBASICS

BEDANDBASICS is an e-commerce furniture and home goods retailer. They specialise in affordable and innovative furniture and feature exclusive designs at the lowest prices. Shop at BEDANDBASICS from 8-31 March and a percentage of each order will be donated to AWARE’s #BreakTheBias fund. Use code AWARE50 to get $50 off (min spend $700). With their 100-day return policy and lowest price guarantee, you can shop stress-free!

The Body Within x Localalla

The Body Within and Localalla bring you a unique, enchanting, uplifting and empowering Secret Sunrise session on Sentosa. With “the woman within” for a theme, join them on Saturday, 12 March, 7.30-8.45 a.m.! Organisers have also partnered with two women-led businesses, The Breakfast Club SG and Le Petit Croissant, to provide attendees some delicious breakfast add-ons to enjoy after the session. Sign up now!

Buoy.swim

Buoy.swim aims to empower women with confidence and freedom. As a tribute to International Women’s Day, Buoy.swim has created a limited-edition lilac capsule collection of swimwear. Up until 31 March, Buoy.swim will be dedicating $5 from every purchase that includes an item from the lilac capsule to AWARE’s Hope in the Dark fund. Visit buoy.swim to check this collection out!

Botanico

From 8-10 March, grab your female tribe for a night of dinner and drinks at Botanico at The Garage, with 5% proceeds going to support AWARE’s work. Choose between a three-course and five-course dinner of contemporary European cuisine with Asian inflections. Find out more and make your reservations here!

ByAlyMo

Alyshea Mo is a local freelance artist passionate about women’s rights and gender equality. Her brand, @byalymo, will be donating 10% of all proceeds to AWARE from 8-31 March for International Women’s Day. This is Alyshea’s second AWARE campaign since 2020 and she hopes that this year will be a similar success! Make purchases on her website.

Carrie K.

Host an afternoon tea with four friends at Carrie K.’s Pearl Bar Workshop. You’ll learn how to discern quality pearls, and jazz them up in your style. This is a 90-minute experience that you’ll enjoy in the great company of friends! One hundred per cent of ticket proceeds ($128/pax.) will be donated to AWARE. Email contact@carriekrocks.com for more details.

Chumma Dance x TwerkFitSG

With weekly sessions that feature a variety of styles and genres, Chumma Dance runs beginner-level dance classes focused on celebrating the South Asian identity. Their aim is to create and sustain a fun and safe community that allows for dancers to explore their personal connection to the art form. 45% of revenues from a special IWD session on 27 March will be donated to AWARE. Book your slot here!

Epigram

Epigram Books is a local publisher that champions Singapore literature. From 7-13 March, 10% of all proceeds online and at Epigram Bookshop’s pop-up at SAM @ Tanjong Pagar Distripark will be donated to AWARE Singapore. Shop now!

Esse

Esse has been paving the way for the slow and sustainable fashion movement since 2017. It was born out of a desire to redefine the way we approach fashion, inspiring us to consider our garment’s purpose and lifecycle. Esse merges elevated classics and timeless designs with environmental and social responsibility to create investment pieces that are thoughtfully made, whilst building a progressive supply chain and business model that encourages longevity, reduces waste and champions transparency. From 8 March to 31 March 2022, 10% of the proceeds from Esse’s IWD collection goes to AWARE’s IWD Fund.

Fat Prince

On Saturday, 12 March, Fat Prince is hosting a brunch to raise funds for AWARE’s #BreakTheBias Campaign, which imagines a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. Chef Simon, Bar Manager Agnes, and the Fat Prince team have some specials for one day only. Out of the kitchen, enjoy their Challah French Toast with lavender ice cream and applewood smoked honey. Over at the bar, look forward to brunch-themed “koktails” such as The Tale of the Tiki, with white rum, raspberry cordial, lime juice, pineapple juice; Stories of the Turkish Spritz with Turkish tea syrup, Aperol, grapefruit juice, sparkling wine; or The Cabbage Less Travelled with purple cabbage, rose cordial, citrus and soda. Those opting for the boozy free-flow will also get to participate in their raffle with gifts contributed by amazing partners @nitwick.sg, @dirtyhandsonly, and @omno.store. Twenty per cent of brunch proceeds will be donated to AWARE.

SATURDAY | 12 March
10.30am to 1pm
1.30pm to 4pm
Check out the brunch menu here.

Book here.

Ferne Health

Ferne Health is a digital health platform that delivers accessible solutions for sexual health. It provides tele-consultations, self-testing kits or home visit tests, birth control and supplements. Ferne also actively advocates for body positivity, mental wellness and actively engages with like-minded brands to raise awareness on topics that promote self-care. Throughout the month of March, Ferne is pledging $1 for every supplement sold to AWARE’s IWD fund.

Firangi Superstar

Throughout the whole month of March, modern Indian restaurant and bar Firangi Superstar will put forth three special drinks by Bar Manager, Benedict Poh: Zero Proof #4 (Shirley Temple), Cocktail #20 (Chai Wine Spritzer), and Cocktail #21: (Indian Manhattan) will be available from 1-31 March. Twenty per cent of proceeds from all three cocktails will be donated to AWARE’s #BreakTheBias Campaign.

Book here.

GRAYE

Embracing diversity and building a gender-equal community have always been key values to the team at GRAYE, as a fashion brand that caters to all genders. In March, GRAYE is contributing 10% of proceeds from the sale of their Unisex Boxer Collection to AWARE, in the hopes that the donation can be a small stepping stone to gender equality in Singapore.

Gryphon Tea

Celebrate diversity this International Women’s Day with Gryphon Tea x Zee & Elle’s IWD exclusive sets: Morning Pick-Me-Up and Afternoon Indulgence, crafted to enliven your mornings and help build an inclusive world. Ten per cent of the proceeds from each set goes to supporting AWARE. Plus, receive a Gryphon Tea Eco Tote Bag (worth $5) with your purchase!

The Gym Pod

The Gym Pod is hosting a series of fitness classes for IWD! Come and join one of their many classes, ranging from Muay Thai to Dance. One hundred per cent of proceeds from these classes will be donated to AWARE. Each class fee includes a free exclusive Gym Pod shirt (colour of your choice). Once you have registered via the Gym Pod App, do look out for the email receipt to confirm your shirt sizing and other class details.

Also during the month of March, purchase a three-month subscription plan from the Gym Pod and receive an exclusive free shirt! The Gym Pod will be donating 10% of proceeds from these subscriptions to AWARE. In order to purchase, download the Gym Pod App and tap on the menu icon in the top left-hand corner. Tap on “Subscription” and select the “3 Month” option. Upon completing your purchase, you’ll receive an email receipt with a special link for you to fill out the relevant details to claim your T-shirt.

In honour of International Women’s Day, Singapore’s first socially conscious nail salon, The Nail Social, is pledging $5 from every transaction’s total bill to AWARE’s IWD Fund from 1-31 March 2022. Pick a purple polish for your manicure or pedicure, and The Nail Social bumps the donation to $10! The fundraiser runs at both their Kreta Ayer and Haji Lane outlets. Head over to their website to book an appointment today.

Neon Pigeon

It’s that time of the year again: time to get the gal gang and channel your inner Spice Girls, All Saints and TLC for an International Women’s Day Brunch on 19 and 20 March. Twenty per cent of proceeds from brunch on both days will be donated to support AWARE’s #BreakTheBias Campaign, imagining a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. P.S.: The top three groups dressed as their fave ’90s band get a prize! Say you’ll be there.

SATURDAY and SUNDAY | 19 and 20 March
11.30am to 2.30pm
Check out the Brunch menu here.

Book here.

OliveAnkara

Slow fashion brand OliveAnkara’s IWD campaign is all about celebrating AWARE’s achievements, in the hopes of forging positive visibility for women all over. Their goal is to fundraise for AWARE by contributing 10% of profits made from the sales of the AJO AYE Collection in the month of March. Shop now!

Perk Coffee

Perk Coffee is the largest online coffee subscription in South East Asia. Born out of a passion for amazing coffee, they source high-quality specialty coffee and deliver it to your doorstep within 48 hours of roasting. During the month of March, in the spirit of looking beyond themselves, they are collaborating with Sttoke—the world’s first shatter-proof ceramic reusable cup—and give 10% of proceeds from every Sttoke Classic Cup sold from 1-31 March to AWARE. Even if you’re not a coffee person, Sttoke is great for any beverage as it keeps temperatures good for up to six hours. Buy one now!

Quantum

In support of inspirational women around the world, Quantum (a one-stop centre for diagnostic imaging and health screening services) is launching FUN-RAISE this IWD. From 1-15 March, they will donate $10 from every health screening or ultrasound package purchased to AWARE. To add on, local enterprise wan2tree will be at #QMIconnect—the first and only insta-corner in a medical centre—to conduct complimentary terrarium workshops on 8 March 2022. Be ready to work those creative juices and create your very own masterpiece. Who says that you can’t care for yourself and others at the same time, and still have a dose of fun? Book an appointment on their official landing page.

Revered Artistry

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Revered Artistry is partnering with AWARE to continue to give voices and action to women, to strive for a gender equal world, a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. Throughout the month of March, Revered Artistry will donate 10% of the proceeds from the sale of their Plush Sponge in Hourglass to AWARE. Plush Sponge is a super soft and gentle makeup sponge that is latex-free and comes in a variety of colours. It’s the perfect sponge for someone who wants to achieve a flawless and airbrushed look. Shop now!

r y e

r y e is a Singapore-based womenswear label that aims to take fashion at a slower pace through considered designs. From 8–31 March, contribute to r y e’s fundraiser by purchasing a donation card here—100% of the proceeds raised will be directed towards AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre.

SABRINAGOH

Enjoy 10% off for all red-colour products under the #BreakTheBias Collection online. SABRINAGOH is donating 10% of the proceeds from this collection to AWARE for the whole month of March 2022. Shop now!

Salient Label

Salient Label is a minimalist womenswear brand based in Singapore, offering thoughtful designs that are timeless and versatile in styling, brought together to invoke inspiration, confidence and joy. For the whole of March, Salient Label will be contributing 10% of sales from salientlabel.com to AWARE. Shop now!

Sol Luminaire

From 8 to 15 March, Sol Luminaire will donate up to 5% of nett sales per invoice to AWARE. At this local lighting house, discover a curated selection of luminaires (at up to 15% off), including designer products and homeware from the LAB2.1 and Galerie 5. Book an appointment to the galleries at +65 9106 2210, or visit their website.

[Postponed] Birds & Bees, A Workshop For Parents

Most parents believe that it is important to talk to their children about sex, but many are unsure how to do it. Or, when to start having these conversations and about what. Where do children get answers to the questions they can’t ask their parents? The internet is one source, and young people themselves say they are most likely to ask peers and romantic partners. Wouldn’t you rather they turn towards you? The “ask-able” parent who is open to questions, ready to make an effort to listen without judgement and engage in a dialogue?

Who should attend:

Parents with children of all ages will benefit, although parents with tweens and teens are more likely to find the case studies and discussions in groups immediately relevant.

Date: This edition of Birds & Bees has been postponed to April 2022.

Workshop Fee: $20 (in total)

Survey: After you sign up, you will be asked to complete a short pre-workshop survey about the age(s) and number of your children. This is very important so that parents with children of similar ages can be grouped together to that you will get the most out of the workshop.

Special instructions for online workshop: As small-group discussions are a big part of the workshop, participants are expected to switch on their video as well as audio whenever possible, and to join in the discussions for maximum benefit.

Refunds and cancellations: Unfortunately we will not be offering refunds. In exceptional circumstances, if you are unable to attend the subsequent sessions, you will be able to join the next set of workshops if you write in to publiceducation@aware.org.sg in advance giving your reasons.

What the workshop will cover:

1. Communicating with your children

The importance of active listening
Tips on having constructive conversations

2. Consent

What is consent
The gold standard for consent
Consent in real life

3. Being an “ask-able” parent

Exploring own attitudes and value systems
Broaching awkward topics

4. Relationships

Signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships
Sexual Assault
Navigating the online world

Attend this workshop to explore how you can work on developing your own strategies to enhance the trust and bond with your child! Places are limited, so do sign up quickly!

**If you would like to join the workshop but cannot make it at this time, please fill in the indication of interest form.

This edition of Birds & Bees has been postponed to April 2022.

Email publiceducation@aware.org.sg with any inquiries.

AWARE commends National Budget’s emphasis on vulnerable groups; awaits more gender-centric changes in 2022

This post was originally published as a press release on 19 February 2022.

Gender-equality organisation AWARE welcomed a range of measures announced yesterday by Finance Minister Lawrence Wong in Singapore’s “Charting Our New Way Forward Together” National Budget.

In particular, the group was pleased to note the increased assistance available to low-wage workers and low-income households. This includes the expansion of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) to various new sectors, such as cleaners and administrators; changes to the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme, such as the higher income qualifying cap, extension to a younger cohort (as AWARE had earlier proposed), and new maximum payout for people with disabilities; and enhancements to the Fresh Start Housing Scheme to allow more low-income families to secure stable housing.

AWARE also welcomed the announced increase in wealth tax, comprising a hike in marginal personal income tax, property tax and luxury vehicle tax. The organisation had in previous Budget submissions recommended greater reliance on wealth tax over other regressive forms of tax, in order to build a more equal society. As such, the one-year delay and gradual raise of GST is a much-needed respite for households still reeling from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We appreciate this suite of policy changes aimed at narrowing the gaps in our society,” said Corinna Lim, AWARE’s Executive Director. “We hope to see these trends in social spending continue in years to come, to benefit even more demographics. For example, the PWM should be expanded into childcare and eldercare sectors as well, so that those workers—many of whom are women—can be assured of a decent wage.”

Lastly, AWARE expressed its support for the announced Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being, and it hopes that the personnel who form the taskforce are adequately trauma-informed.

In his speech, Minister Wong recalled the 6,000 participants in the government’s Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development, which were carried out last year. He cited enhanced caregiver support and stronger action against workplace discrimination as some of the ideas raised in these discussions. These are highly anticipated measures whose implementation cannot come soon enough for women around the island, noted Ms Lim.

For example, AWARE’s 2019 research found that caregiving severely impacts the retirement adequacy of family caregivers, majority of whom are female; a significantly lower number of active female CPF members hit the Basic Requirement Sum (BRS) compared to their male counterparts. While the 3.5% increase in BRS over the next five years will benefit a segment of retirees, additional measures—such as annual automatic basic contributions by the state to low-balance individual CPF accounts—would help close this gender retirement gap.

“AWARE has in previous years urged the government to take an explicitly gendered lens when devising the Budget, to more efficiently and strategically offset gender inequalities,” Ms Lim added. “The COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted women in many different ways, has made that focus all the more critical. While we eagerly await the fruits of the government’s Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development, we stress that a gender-centric approach should not be relegated to one White Paper. We also call for Singapore’s social compact to include marginalised women such as migrant spouses and domestic workers, who contribute greatly to our nation.”

More ways to help low-income mothers take up work opportunities

This letter was originally published to The Straits Times on 11 February 2022.

We appreciate Mr Abhishek Bajaj’s letter, “More can be done to help underprivileged women” (Feb 7), about the need for a “systematic approach to address the factors inhibiting mothers from taking up work opportunities”. We would like to add to his suggestions.

First, we urge businesses to accept a wider stakeholder view of their responsibility to society, and invest in well-paying jobs that pay decent wages.

Last year’s Minimum Income Standards report on households in Singapore found that a single parent with one young child requires $3,218 per month to lead a decent life. But many households’ incomes fall far short of this figure.

We hope that more businesses can index their jobs to the incomes households require for a decent life.

Second, flexi-work and freelance work can be a useful way to minimise work-care conflict if employers let mothers organise their time.

Casual work’s unpredictable nature makes childcare and eldercare difficult to organise, especially when a mother’s work hours fall outside regular childcare centre hours, or when she lacks notice to plan alternative caregiving arrangements around shifts.

Lastly, more attention to home-based businesses is certainly desirable, but people must go beyond ordering the occasional cake from a mum-owned business.

Our national policy discourse on self-employed persons needs to take these business owners more squarely into account.

Last year, the Ministry of Manpower initiated public consultation on proposed measures to strengthen protections for platform workers who provide transport and delivery services.

Similar consultation should be organised to focus on the unique struggles of home-based businesses.

We know, for example, that some home-based business owners may not receive Workfare Income Supplement top-ups because they don’t know they need to be registered with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore to be eligible.

The consultation should address this and other challenges these people face.

Elizabeth Quek, Project Manager, AWARE

A Recap: Beyond the Bare Necessities – Gender & Minimum Income Standard in Singapore

by Khaing Su Wai

What is the true cost of a life well lived in Singapore?

More than 90 attendees tuned in on Thursday, 13 January 2022 to find out the answer at an online panel discussion about the recently published Minimum Income Standard (MIS) study and its intersection with gender.

Titled Beyond the Bare Necessities: Gender & Minimum Income Standard in Singapore, the panel featured Teo You Yenn, Associate Professor, Provost’s Chair and Head of Sociology at the Nanyang Technological University; Ng Kok Hoe, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Case Study Unit at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy researcher; and AWARE’s Executive Director Corinna Lim. Taking up the role of the moderator was Ng Bee Leng, a long-time social worker.

This event followed the late-2021 release of a study, supported by AWARE and conducted by a team including Kok Hoe and You Yenn, that shed light on the amount needed for a household of parents and children to meet their basic needs in Singapore. The study employed the MIS approach: an internationally recognised research method that has been used in the United Kingdom since 2008. This is the second MIS study in Singapore; the first study in 2019, by the same team, focused on the lived realities of older Singaporeans aged 65 and above.

1. The cost of living well

The MIS team, represented by You Yenn and Kok Hoe, determined that a couple with two children (aged 7-12 and 13-18) needs $6,426 a month, while a single parent with one child (aged 2-6) needs $3,218 a month.

With some eye-opening graphs and tables, Kok Hoe brought the attendees through the process of calculating this: MIS participants were first asked to list the services and items required to live well in Singapore. Experts were consulted for the price range as well. After the prices were tabulated and compiled, participants had to agree to all the items listed before the income range was determined.

From the budget, the components that made up the largest bulk of people’s expenses were food, housing, education and childcare costs. Kok Hoe said that when these income benchmarks were compared with the median average household work income, the MIS team found that 30% of households fell below the median income. Of these households, many might belong to workers in lowest paid occupations or casual employment, and/or those with lower education levels.

How does gender factor into the equation, then?

2. Intersection of gender and income

Kok Hoe emphasised the importance of thinking about gender when studying income, especially in Singapore, where the gender gap has remained consistent at 16% over the past decade. When it comes to both labour force participation rate (LFPR) and income, women receive the shorter end of the stick: Kok Hoe shared a graph showing the sharp drop in women’s LFPR in age cohorts from mid-20s onwards, while men only noticeably started leaving the workforce in their 50s. Married women in particular had much lower participation rates when compared to single women, which visibly affected their income levels.

Source: https://stats.mom.gov.sg/Pages/Labour-Force-in-Singapore-2020-Labour-Force.aspx

You Yenn went on to explain that the discrepancies we see in the data aggregated by gender and marital status boils down to distribution of household roles. Research participants “tend to assume that the male partner is the one who is working while the female partner is tending the household”. The research team observed that these gendered assumptions about employment crossed over into other aspects of life, such as household management and eating patterns — e.g. participants presumed that a wife understood the needs of a household better than a husband. When it came down to education, both sets of parents were able to eloquently articulate concerns about their children, but there was a strong indication that mothers were the ones who primarily supervised children’s progress.

Panellists explained at length why children’s education needs in particular affected women more than men. Mothers were more likely to take time off their leisure hours to care for children, whether it be for homework supervision, commuting or school meetings. You Yenn spoke of the social expectation that mothers should be the ones to cut back on hours or opt for job flexibility for children’s needs, and, conversely, the social stigma that men faced when they took up the role of the primary caregiver.

“It’s important to recognise that what appear to be personal choices are social phenomena,” You Yenn emphasised, stating that individual decisions are not made in a social vacuum. This was a pattern observed by the researchers over and over during the MIS research process: For example, fathers were more likely to consider tuition an unnecessary expense, which often left mothers to pay for tuition on their own as a last resort.

This inequality is amplified for single parents, who tend to be women. You Yenn relayed anecdotes from her research experience that indicated single mothers’ tendency to regard childcare as a precondition to participate in social activities. They were also often managing to live with less than they needed.

She concluded that what people spent on is not not always reflective of what they need — in fact, it could mean they are forgoing certain needs.

3. The road ahead

The panel agreed that gender inequality today could be alleviated by ensuring fairer allocation of government resources. On the topic of future policies, You Yenn hoped to see more attention directed to bettering care infrastructure and education.

Corinna was in tandem with You Yenn, agreeing that the amount of private investment that parents currently channelled into education was not sustainable. She referred to the shortcomings in the education infrastructure as a warning sign. She also highlighted eldercare infrastructure as another area of immediate concern — one that could head down the same path as our education system, with its demands for private resources and individual effort.

For Kok Hoe, universal wage topped his policy wish list: “Universal wages would help not just women but all workers. There is a mental block against talking about minimum wage, but as long as we have wage standards, it’s a good ladder.” He spoke of his dream to see all discriminatory policies eradicated, and suggested implementing a litmus test, whereby policymakers carefully consider whether a new policy would discriminate against any vulnerable groups before implementing it.

“Gender equality is a deep structural problem.” said Corinna, “Part of the solution is awareness — sharing the issue with others and coming together with people to understand it.”

Panellists expressed their delight in the event’s high attendance and engaged audience, who actively posed queries throughout the panel. Bee Leng wrapped up the robust session by encouraging attendees to examine gender inequality in their own spheres, and to support organisations who are actively working towards evening the odds for marginalised communities.

“The speakers were brilliant at explaining their findings and [keeping] the audience engaged,” noted one attendee in the feedback form. Others also said that “the detailed perspective on the subject matter was enlightening” and they appreciated the “macro perspective bringing in international insights and tying it to the local context”.

Closure of CARE and WHDA services: Chinese New Year (1-2 February) 2022

Please note that AWARE’s Women’s Helpline (including call-back and online chat services), Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) and Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Advisory (WHDA) will be operating with limited resources over the Chinese New Year 2022 holiday.

On the eve of Chinese New Year (31 January 2022), the Women’s Helpline will only operate from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The SACC Helpline and chat/WhatsApp services will operate from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, 1 – 2 February 2022, all our services will be fully closed.
Operations will resume on Thursday, 3 February 2022. We will be able to respond to all messages from that day onwards.

You may contact the National Anti-Violence Helpline at 1800 777 0000 for support. They operate 24/7 and will be able to provide support for any violence you are facing. For emergencies, please call 999 for the police. You can also call 1767 for the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) if you have thoughts of hurting yourself, including thoughts of suicide.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused, and seek your kind understanding and patience during this period.

AWARE’s groundbreaking podcast Saga named finalist in inaugural Anthem Awards, the social impact branch of prestigious Webby Awards

This post was originally published as a press release on 26 January 2022.

AWARE’s limited-series podcast, Saga, has been named a finalist in the Human & Civil Rights (Awareness – Not for Profit) category at the inaugural Anthem Awards.

Saga, which earned a large following and widespread acclaim in 2021 following its release, is one of 40 finalists in that category, including such industry leaders as World Vision International, UN Foundation, the It Gets Better Project and NAACP. Finalists in other categories of the Anthem Awards include The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, The New York Times’ 1619 Project, the National Football League’s “Lift Every Voice & Sing” with Alicia Keys and Anthony Mackie, an art installation inspired by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and work from PBS, CNN, Google, PayPal, AirBnB, NASA, Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company, the Lady Gaga-founded Born This Way Foundation and others.

The Anthem Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, which launched The Webby Awards in 1996 to honour excellence on the internet. The Anthems shine a spotlight on social good and philanthropic endeavours, online and offline, by people, companies and organisations across the globe. The inaugural competition received nearly 2,500 entries from 36 countries worldwide.

Anthem finalists were selected via 10,000 votes from Academy members, including actor-producer Daniel Dae Kim, actor-activist Ashley Judd, Mozilla CEO and Chairwoman Mitchell Baker, Ad Council President and CEO Lisa Sherman, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, The Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation Director of Philanthropy Shayla Tait, XQ Institute CEO and Co-Founder Russlynn Ali and New Ventures CEO and Chair Alexis M. Herman, a former U.S. secretary of labour.

“We are over the moon to receive the news about Saga being named an Anthem finalist,” said Ms Margaret Thomas, President of AWARE. “It is absolutely extraordinary to think that a low-budget, completely independent podcast from Singapore has been placed in the company of these international giants of social impact.”

Saga, Singapore’s first-ever longform narrative podcast, told the story of the 2009 takeover of gender-equality organisation AWARE, known as the “AWARE Saga”. Saga was hosted by journalist Bharati Jagdish and written and produced by Jasmine Ng and Kelly Leow, with an original score by Singapore band .gif. In 2021, Saga held a top-20 position on the Spotify Singapore Podcast chart, and ranked within the top 5 podcasts of its category (Society & Culture) across all platforms. As of January 2022, the podcast has racked up close to 100,000 plays across platforms.

The AWARE Saga remains a major landmark in Singapore civil society history. At an Annual General Meeting on 28 March 2009, an unexpected influx of newly registered members turned up to elect other new members onto the executive committee of AWARE, effectively taking control of the organisation. Despite initial denials that they were acquainted with each other or had an agenda, most of the new committee were members of the same church and had planned the takeover largely due to their objections to AWARE’s sexuality education programme. On 2 May 2009, around 3,000 women and men attended an Extraordinary General Meeting, during which the new exco lost a vote of no confidence and stepped down, returning AWARE to the leadership of long-time members.

Called “one of the stories of the year” (Kah Gay, Ethos Books), “masterfully told” (Kenneth Paul Tan) and “a necessary educational resource” (Loo Zihan), Saga was praised for its treatment of themes such as inclusion, solidarity and civic engagement. It was produced over the course of two years in 2019 and 2020. Around 50 individuals were interviewed for the podcast: including former AWARE presidents Constance Singam, Kanwaljit Soin and Dana Lam, and notable names Pam Oei, Irene Ang, Tommy Koh, Teo You Yenn, Gillian Koh, Imran Taib and Siew Kum Hong.

Winners for the inaugural Anthem Awards will be announced on Tuesday, 15 February, 2022 and celebrated at the first annual Anthem Voices virtual conference as well as at a star-studded virtual Awards Show on Monday, 28 February, 2022.

“We are so proud of what we are building at The Anthem Awards and are humbled by the positive response and extraordinary support from global brands and national organizations to artists, creators and local individuals making an impact in their community,” said Jessica Lauretti, Managing Director, The Anthem Awards.

Listen to Saga on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Official website

About The Anthem Awards

The Anthem Awards, the Webby Awards’ newest initiative, was developed to recognize the breadth of social good work (online and offline) around the globe by honoring the organizations, brands, and people creating long-lasting impact; including, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion; Education, Art, & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment, & Climate. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, the Anthem Awards are defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their communities. Founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, Glaad, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF and XQ. anthemawards.com

Tackle prejudice while increasing live-out options for maids

This letter was originally published to The Straits Times on 26 January 2022.

The Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) echoes the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics’ call for a review of the live-in rule for migrant domestic workers (Employers may find it hard to look after well-being, safety of maids if they live out: MOM, Jan 15).

In the article, speakers in favour of keeping the requirement that migrant domestic workers (MDWs) live at their employers’ homes cited concerns that, if offered a live-out option, MDWs would come to work “distracted” or get “involved in other illegal activities”.

These comments appear predicated on the idea that MDWs cannot make sound decisions about their own lives and perform their jobs like other workers.

They perpetuate the belief that MDWs are second-class workers who do not deserve to be treated equally.

Many MDWs that Aware has spoken to for our research have said the current live-in rule may compromise their well-being.

The isolation that most MDWs experience while living in their employers’ homes creates higher risk of overwork and abuse. With limited labour protection and no clearly stipulated work hours in their contracts, MDWs often work long periods without adequate rest.

In some cases, MDWs may be abused by employers or their family members. Living in the same household, they may not be able to seek help or contact helplines safely.

Ultimately, we have to dismantle prevailing prejudiced and condescending attitudes. Regardless of living arrangements, such mindsets will continue to result in MDWs’ mistreatment.

As live-in arrangements will likely remain necessary for some – for example, those requiring round-the-clock care – efforts to educate employers about treating MDWs with dignity need to be strengthened.

Additionally, we recommend increasing live-out options for MDWs. Such arrangements allow work hours to be more clearly defined.

The Household Services Scheme engages female migrant workers, who live in company-provided accommodation, to provide part-time household services. Its permanent implementation last year indicates that a live-out model is feasible and that domestic work can indeed be regulated.

We hope that the scheme can be scaled up while ensuring that MDWs receive decent housing and wages.

Lee Yoke Mun, Projects Executive, AWARE

24 Feb, 3 & 10 Mar 2022: Birds & Bees, A Workshop For Parents

Who should attend:

Parents with children of all ages will benefit, although parents with tweens and teens are more likely to find the case studies and discussions in groups immediately relevant.

Date: Consecutive Thursdays – 24 Feb, 3 & 10 Mar 2022 (Participants are expected to attend all three sessions)

Time: 8PM – 930pm

Workshop Fee: $20 (in total)

What the workshop will cover:

1. Communicating with your children

The importance of active listening
Tips on having constructive conversations

2. Consent

What is consent
The gold standard for consent
Consent in real life

3. Being an “ask-able” parent

Exploring own attitudes and value systems
Broaching awkward topics

4. Relationships

Signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships
Sexual Assault
Navigating the online world

Attend this workshop to explore how you can work on developing your own strategies to enhance the trust and bond with your child! Places are limited, so do sign up quickly!

**If you would like to join the workshop but cannot make it at this time, please fill in the indication of interest form.

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This edition of Birds & Bees has been postponed to April 2022.