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AWARE appoints an Executive Director

Notice to Members

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Corinna Lim as the Executive Director (ED) of AWARE.

Corinna, who assumes office today, will be a familiar figure to many of you. She has been a member of AWARE for 18 years and has served on two Executive Committees, and as chair of several subcommittees, including fund-raising. She has also led in research projects for AWARE. Her contribution to the women’s cause have included being principal drafter of the Domestic Violence Bill tabled by former AWARE President Dr Kanwaljit Soin when she was a Nominated Member of Parliament. In the past months, Corinna has, as Chair of the AWARE Training Institute, initiated and seen to the development of new projects including the Workplace Sexual Harassment workshop for Human Resource personnels.

Corinna brings to AWARE substantial managerial, strategic-planning  and entrepreneurial skills over and above her legal training. Last year she was a key player in the effort to reclaim control of AWARE at the May 2 EGM.  A summary of her career and NGO experience is attached.

We are very fortunate to have Corinna’s professional contribution, passion and commitment.

Corinna’s appointment comes after several months of search and deliberation by the Exco. It is a decisive step forward in the process that was begun several years ago to professionalise AWARE’s operations and ensure continuity of our programmes.

This November marks the 25th anniversary of AWARE. Much has been achieved in these 25 years, and we look forward to achieving much more in the next 25 years. But if we are to do so effectively we need to ensure a greater continuity and consistency of our efforts. We need to have in place a strong professional team that can harness the energy, expertise and passion of volunteers – and one of Corinna’s many immediate tasks will be to develop and implement a Volunteer Management System to do precisely this.

Another step we have taken on the path towards professionalisation is the amendment of the AWARE Constitution to provide for governance by a 7-member Board instead of a 12-member Executive Committee.  With an ED in place to manage AWARE’s day-to-day operations, the Board will focus on broad policy-making and governance. A more robust Board selection process will be in place for the next AGM.

Meanwhile, our activities are picking up the pace again after the Chinese New Year festivities. This Friday, March 5, we have a story-telling session led by Hon Treasurer and former AWARE president Tan Joo Hymn and veteran stage actor and voice coach Verena Tay. To mark International Women’s Day on March 8 they will relate a range of stories about inspiring women through the ages. Why not drop in at the AWARE Centre at 8pm and listen to these stories?

Have a Happy International Women’s Day.

Dana Lam

11 Myths and Facts about Feminism

T. De Rozario and H. Zheng

There are many people who in one breath will say that they believe in gender equality but do not consider themselves feminists. Why the paradox? The definition seems very straightforward.

feminism – n. Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

The truth is that the word comes with a lot of baggage and misconceptions. These fears are so deeply held that many supporters of equality do not want to be associated with the word or the movement. Worse still, for those who do not believe in equality, the myths help instill hatred and fear for the women and men who openly promote the ideals of feminism.

To attack a person based on a misrepresentation of their position is a tactic known commonly as a “straw man argument.” This means creating an easy to destroy caricature of a person by which to discredit them. This tactic is so effective that many women will deny their own support for equality for fear of being associated with the negative stereotypes.

To dispel the myths, we first have to identify them. Let’s take a look…

Myth: Feminism is about fighting men, hating men, and eliminating men.
Fact: Feminism is about challenging systemic inequalities and does not portray men as the enemy.

Myth: “Feminist” is the female equivalent of “chauvinist”.
Fact: Feminism does not support sexism against either gender. Feminism works towards equality, not female superiority.

Myth: Feminism is “un-Asian”.
Fact: Feminism works towards a society based on justice and equality… the very same ideology put forth in Singapore’s national pledge.

Myth: Feminists are opposed to marriage and motherhood.
Fact: Feminists actively fight for the rights of mothers and many feminists are married and are mothers. Feminists recognize that happy families are important and believe that families are strengthened when the wellbeing of all members, male and female, are supported.

Myth: Only women can be feminists.
Fact: Any person who believes in gender equality is a feminist. Many men are feminists and proud to be so.

Myth: To be a real feminist, a woman cannot be feminine or demure.
Fact: Feminism is found in the substance of a person’s opinions and not her form. A woman’s love of nice dresses or high-heeled shoes does not make her less of a feminist.

Myth: If I am a sexually liberal woman, I am a feminist.
Fact: Feminists respect individual, informed choices and believe there should be no double standard in judging a person’s behaviour. Every woman has the right to sexual autonomy including the ability to make decisions about when, how and with whom to conduct her sexual life. However, sexual autonomy alone does not make one a feminist. Neither does the exploitation of one’s own body for favours or advantage.

Myth: Feminists believe that women’s actions are above criticism and can always be excused because of the discrimination they have suffered. Therefore they never have to take responsibility for their behaviour.
 Fact: Feminists understand that equal rights translate into equal responsibility. Anyone who seeks rights must be held to the responsibilities that come with these rights. Previous discrimination may explain negative behaviour but does not excuse it.

Myth: Feminism purports that all women are disadvantaged in our society and that all men are privileged by their gender.
Fact: Feminists understand that narrow gender ideals restrict both men and women and thus society as a whole. Feminism seeks to reduce and eliminate these constraining ideals.

Myth: The fact that there are some women who have a higher social and economic status than some men means inequality has been eliminated.
Fact: Systematic inequalities continue to exist at every level of society. There may be female heads of Fortune 500 companies but the fact that they constitute less than 5% of the total means that barriers remain.

Myth: There is no more need for feminism: women have the vote, they have jobs. The goals have been met.
Fact: These achievements are great milestones in the history of feminism, however our aim is nothing less than equal treatment and opportunity for both genders. There are still many inequalities in society’s perception of the roles of men and women. We want to build a world in which no person, because of their gender, must curtail their hopes and dreams.

This is just a starter list. You will no doubt find many more. Do feel free to post others in the comments.

Before signing off, let us add a word of warning!

Any Googler worth his or her salt will be able to find quotes from radical feminists to support some of the above fallacies. While there are certainly individuals who have made strong anti-male comments in the past, these views are not representative of mainstream feminism. As always, a group should not be judged by its most radical elements nor by comments taken out of context.

This list was compiled in preparation for AWARE’s Introduction to Feminism series.

Still not convinced? Find out more: sign up to join one of the discussions.

Bamboo Women, Grass Girls: Tales of resilience

By Tan Joo Hymn

Story-telling, most of us are likely to think, is for little children.

Wrong.

Some of the most successful corporations in the world use stories to inform and motivate their staff. A corporate handbook is boring and didactic, and few employees bother even to read it. But if the values and culture of the company are captured in an inspirational story, the message is not just immediately absorbed by those listening– it can spread through the company like wild fire, passing from co-worker to co-worker with no effort on the part of the management.

This is the power of story-telling.

The oral storytelling tradition is almost as old as homo sapiens themselves. Stories were told around the fire for entertainment, and also to pass on knowledge and wisdom.  Storytelling is hardwired into the human psyche. Children crave stories and learn much from them.

As adults we forget the value of stories. But the truth is that we listen to and tell stories many times a day, in so casual a manner that we hardly realise that is what we are doing. Recounting to a colleague the terrible delay due to an accident on the PIE, telling your spouse about the meeting when your boss finally admitted his mistake…these are stories.

Stories can also be an effective springboard from which discussions on issues can be launched. Stories are disarming, they leave the interpretation to the listeners, and a richer, more textured dialogue can be built upon stories.

Bamboo Women, Grass Girls: Tales of resilience

Join us as we share with you feisty folktales from around the world and reveal to you the power of storytelling to promote positive images of strong women! Contrary to the popular belief that damsels in distress are the only female protagonists in folktales, powerful heroines also exist in traditional stories that can serve as viable role models for one and all.

AWARE will be launching the Workplace Sexual Harassment Workshop very soon. The stories we have picked relate to this theme.  The one-hour storytelling session will be followed by an open dialogue on any topic that the stories throw up.

So come and experience for yourselves the wonder and power of stories!

Date: Friday 5 March

Time: 8 pm

Venue: AWARE Centre,  Block 5 Dover Crescent #01-22, Singapore 130005

Story-tellers: Tan Joo Hymn and Verena Tay

Please email priyanka@aware.org.sg or call 67797137 to register.


Gender Core Curriculum-Debunking the Myths 1 March

This is the second in the series of three sessions of a new programme of AWARE for our members called  Gender Core Curriculm.

Debunking the Myths

This session offers enlightenment on the myths around feminism. How did these myths or fairy tales come about and get transferred from one generation to the other?  One example, why is it that passive women get the handsome and debonair Prince while the active women are mostly wicked step mothers and witches?

Date: 1 March 2010

Time: 7-930pm

Venue: Aware Centre, Blk 5 Dover Crescent, #01-22 Singapore 130005

If you would like to take part in the test run of the programme or have any questions,please send email to publiceducation@aware.org.sg or call 6779-7137.

Gender Core Curriculum- What does a feminist look like? 8 March

This is the third  in the series of three sessions of a new programme of AWARE for our members called Gender Core Curriculm.

What does a feminist look like?

This is a hands-on workshop that will explore the four tenets of feminism: Woman and Body, Women at Home, Women in the Public Sphere, and Women and Culture.

This workshop will aim to unravel participants’ relationship with the term “feminist” using images, questions and participants’ personal experiences as departure points.  And it will seek to answer three questions:

  • What does it mean to be a feminist today in Singapore?
  • What are feminist values for you?
  • What contributions to the feminist cause can be made today in globalised, economy-driven Singapore?

Date: 8 March 2010

Time: 7-930pm

Venue: Aware Centre, Blk 5 Dover Crescent, #01-22 Singapore 130005

If you would like to take part in the test run of the programme or have any questions, please send email to priyanka@aware.org.sg or call 6779-7137.

Gender Core Curriculum – History of Feminism 23 Feb

This is the first in the series called Gender Core Curriculum.

History of Feminism

Industrialisation brought economic prosperity but it also gave rise to a growing awareness of the inequalities in society based on gender.  Women began to ask “Why are we not allowed to vote?’ and the suffragette movement was born. This part of the programme runs through the key points to date  the fight for women’s rights.

Date: 23 Feb 2010

Time: 7-930pm

Venue: Aware Centre, Blk 5 Dover Crescent, #01-22 Singapore 130005

If you would like to take part in the test run of the programme or have any questions,please send email to publiceducation@aware.org.sg or call 6779-7137.

The High Cost of Free Drinks

Booze for BoobsLocal nightspot Overeasy made news sites and blogs the world over with its recent ‘Fill My Cups’ marketing ploy. It offered free drinks to women based on their bra size – and it was rewarded with a full house.

Reactions to the gimmick were mixed, with some defending it as a bit of fun and others decrying it as demeaning women.
AWARE has sent this letter to the Straits Times Forum:

“We refer to the “Fills My Cups” event organized by Overeasy at One Fullerton (ST, 18/01/2010). Overeasy is run by Lo & Behold which also runs “Loof” and the “White Rabbit”.

The bar invited women to enjoy free alcohol based on the size of their breasts. The event was reportedly well-attended and women who had bigger breasts received more “free” drinks.

There is nothing free about letting a room of people gawk at your breasts. Even if a woman is willing to pay the personal price of loss of dignity, there is still a cost suffered by other women. The women who participated in the event have contributed to the objectification of women, to reducing a woman’s value to her breast size and have helped reinforce the belief amongst men that this is not only acceptable but welcome.

Staging this event in itself is extremely distasteful. Just because sexism is profitable does not make it right. For the organisers to say that this is just “good fun and not sexist or sleazy” (New Paper, 17/01/2010) is insincere. The indignity is suffered only by one gender.

It is unfortunate there are women willing to make this choice so lightheartedly. The individual woman may view her participation as an act of empowerment. Perhaps she feels she should use whatever assets she has to secure favours for herself. In our sex and youth obsessed culture it is not surprising some women would grow to be so cynical.

Yes, women have the right to choose, but individual choices are made in a social context. And in our current social context, women have a much harder time being esteemed as individuals above and beyond their value as sex objects.

This event perpetuates the notion of women as sex objects and makes it that much more difficult for each woman who wants to be valued for her character and contribution rather than how she stacks up to a distorted image of the ideal body.

The personal choice (for the participants) and the private choice (for the corporation) has had a detrimental social impact.

Choice works both ways. The organisers may have successfully packed their venue on the evening, but they may well have lost future business at Overeasy and their sister establishments.”

What do you think about the Fill My Cups marketing gimmick, and the stand taken by AWARE?

Share your thoughts.

“As a woman, I would feel ashamed to go there and reveal my cup size, just for a free drink. Why is it whenever somebody comes up with a sexy idea for a publicity stunt, it’s always women who become the bait? It makes us women look so cheap, revealing our private assets for the pleasure of lusty men, just to get free drinks.”
   – boobytrap @STOMP
“And before some random person decides to come by and say that it’s sexual empowerment, that women can decide where and when they want to show their bodies in whatever context they like: yes, it’s their body. Yes, it’s their life. But this entire thing is reducing women to the size of their breasts.”
   – Fiona on Dog-matic
The perks of having boobs in a sex-sells-society. Why do we complain though? Tell me, which alcohol taste better than proper vodka which does not cost a cent?
   – Doranne on The girlfriends

Not OK to say boys will be boys and girls must beware

The alleged groping of a woman by four men at the Siloso Beach Countdown Party on New Year’s Eve sparked much debate in the media in the first two weeks of January.

AWARE was asked by RazorTV to comment on the matter. We did not think that it was appropriate to comment on the incident itself since the facts are not clear, but the public reaction to the incident was disturbing. This is the statement we made:

“The photos show a woman being groped and molested by four men. It is difficult to give a good analysis of this event because we do not know what led up to it and what ensued. But what we can clearly analyse is the public reaction as expressed on RazorTV.

The majority of interviewees focused on the woman’s behaviour instead of that of the men. Many essentially said that she deserved it. It has been suggested that both her actions and her clothing invited this behaviour.

We find this reaction both incredible and disappointing.

A woman who attends a beach party in a bikini is not “asking for it”. Wearing a bikini to a beach party is not an invitation to be molested.

Likewise, flirting with a guy is not an invitation to be groped or raped by a gang of his friends.

Nor is a woman getting drunk consent to letting a stranger put his hands down her pants.

A woman has the right to be safe in a crowd whether she is alone or with her friends, whether she is drunk or sober, whether she is in a bikini or ski suit. To suggest that a woman is obliged to modify her behaviour to assure her safety is to accept that men are sexual predators and do not need to take responsibility for their actions.

We don’t accept or believe this. We don’t think it is ok to simply say that boys will be boys and girls must beware.

We aspire to a society where men and women respect each other. This is not a world devoid of sex and sexuality but one in which people treat each other with dignity and consideration.”

Do you have another point of view? Tell us.

Grow your wealth in the new year

Thursday, January 21 2010, 6:30 to 9pm

Sorry this event has been sold out.

tiger-tigerA 2009 joint survey by AWARE and ipac found that almost 75% of the women felt they did not have sufficient knowledge to make good investment decisions.

While women generally expressed confidence in their ability to manage money, many expressed uncertainty about investing, understanding financial language and ensuring they have enough money for retirement.

Empower yourself with the knowledge you need to achieve your financial goals in 2010: attend this seminar to learn how to invest successfully and avoid common mistakes.

It’s never too late to start making your money work for you.

Date: 21 Jan 2010 (Thursday)

Time: 6.30pm – 9.00pm

Venue: ipac boardroom, 2 Battery Road, #27-00 Maybank Tower (opposite The Fullerton Hotel)

Price: SOLDOUT
The price includes a light dinner and a 1-hour private consultation with one of ipac’s experienced and highly qualified advisers.

Pay at the Door:
$20 per person

Early Bird Special:
Make advanced payment online any time before January 20th to enjoy this price.

Single:$10
Pair: $15 Bring a friend!

Member’s Discount:
AWARE members can log in to get a 40% discount off the early bird price. That’s just $6 for the workshop or $9 for a pair ($4.50 each!) so bring a friend!

For more info or help with booking call Priyanka at AWARE on 6779-7137 or email priyanka@aware.org.sg