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Events elsewhere: British Women in late colonial Malaya

mandakini-photoFor a few British women who came to colonial Malaya in the 1950s and 1960s, Singapore became home. Based on oral history interviews, this talk is about British women who have lived in Singapore for fifty-odd years. Theirs are stories of choices regarding marriage, family, work, friendship and spirituality. The choices are uniquely individual and illustrate the complexity of gendered imperial histories.

Event Details

Date: 9 February
Time: 11am. Refreshments will be served at 10:30am.
Location: River Room at the Asian Civilisations Museum

About the speaker: 

Mandakini Arora teaches history at the Center for American Education and at PSB-Academy. She also teaches gender studies at NUS. She is interested, both intellectually and personally, in issues of gender, power, and powerlessness. She has a PhD in Russian women’s history from Duke University and wrote a dissertation on the world of Russian peasant women in the late 19th century, at a time when peasant men were migrating in numbers to the cities, leaving farms and households to women to manage.

Outside academia, Mandakini has worked for the past twelve years as a volunteer at AWARE in research and publications. She edited AWARE’s annual journal, Awareness. She also produced a book on the history of AWARE and its place in the history of women’s activism in Singapore. The book is Small Steps, Giant Leaps: A History of AWARE and the Women’s Movement in Singapore (AWARE, 2007).

 

All Fired Up! for International Women’s Day

iwd logo 1-1Kick off with women’s football, smash a patriarchy piñata, scrawl on our graffiti wall, chat with activists at civil society booths, and have an all-round great time with live music, spoken word, chants, a dance party, bubbles and jugglers! (That’s right, bubbles and jugglers!)

Plus a kids’ corner with games, books, art supplies and more to keep budding little feminists engaged!

Join us for a riotous carnival this International Women’s Day – get All Fired Up! at Hong Lim Park.

As Singapore turns 50 – and AWARE turns 30 – the women’s movement has much to celebrate – and more to gear up for.

Join us on 8 March as people of all ages, genders and walks of life come together in an electrifying commemoration of International Women’s Day.

Date: 8 March 2015
Time: 4pm-9pm
Location: Hong Lim Park
Invite your friends on Facebook.

There’s something for everyone at All Fired Up! You can see photos of All Fired Up 2014 here.

Programme highlights: 

Mini soccer tournament (4 – 6.15pm)
Our teams will be playing round-robin, 6-versus-6, and only two men per team allowed during play. Come cheer them on.

IWD_Fire_it_up_HongLimPark-078

 

Blazing a trail (6:15 – 7pm)
Hear from remarkable speakers including Jaxe Pan sharing her experiences as a single mom; Diana discussing her experiences as a Malay-Muslim in Singapore; and more!

Civil society booths (throughout)
Chat with activists and organisations representing a whole range of causes and interests, from migrant workers to LGBT rights to women in STEM. Meet UN Women, HOME, MBI Women in Science, TWC2, Project X, Oogachaga and more.

 

UPSIZE//DOWNSIZE – A body-positive clothes swap
Bring pre-loved, usable clothing items, accessories and footwear, regardless of size, style and gender presentation and uncover treasures at the swap! Let’s celebrate our ever-changing bodies and all the ways we can support each other in a world that supports limited ways to feel good about our physical selves.

Patriarchy piñatas (5.30pm)
Not just one, but TWO. Come smash your heart out!

When Bellies Speak (7pm)
Celebrate the fire in your belly! When Bellies Speak, a community art project by artist and writer Dana Lam, will install plaster casts of bellies big and small of any age, colour and gender, giving participants the chance to reconsider and reconnect with a part of the body that is the subject of constant abuse.

Celebration toolkit workshop (6 – 6.15pm)
What’s a party without props? Join us for an afternoon of placard- and banner-making to set your message ablaze. We’ll work together to craft slogans and chants for the evening’s festivities.

Children’s corner (throughout)
All fired up is child-friendly! Our kids’ corner will have games, books and activities to keep children engaged.

Dance party (8 – 9pm)
The carnival becomes a dance party at night! If you know any fun feministy tunes to add to our playlist, drop us an email at media@aware.org.sg.

All Fired Up! is generously supported by the High Commission of Canada, Singapore.
High comm canada

Kick off Intl Women’s Day with some football fun

graphic_soccer_girlsWho says football is only for men?! Come show them what you’re made of at All Fired Up, AWARE’s International Women’s Day celebration at Hong Lim Park on 8 March. The electrifying day of celebration will kick off with a mini football tournament. Football beginners welcome!

Date: 8 March 2015, Sunday
Location: Hong Lim Park
Game timing: Kick-off at 4pm, prize presentation at 6.15pm

Tournament rules:

  1. Round robin play-offs, 15 min matches
  2. 10-12 players per team, 6 versus 6 during play with rolling substitution
  3. Players should be at least 15 years old.
  4. Max 2 men per team during play
  5. Registration fee is $20 per team
  6. Winning team will get a cool prize

To register, send your team info to media@aware.org.sg. If you don’t have a team, or are short a couple of players, just let us know and we’ll match you up.

If you’re not keen on sports, join us at All Fired Up! anyway – we have music, dance, lots of chanting, kids’ activities and so much more. More details coming soon!

Pre-Budget Forum

finance

Over the last four years AWARE has made recommendations to the Ministry of Finance as part of the public consultations for the annual Singapore Budget.

Join our pre-budget forum to discuss the 2015 Budget and help us formulate our recommendations for the government’s public consultation on the 2015 Budget (26 November 2014 – 29 January 2015).

This year, AWARE advocates that caregiving be acknowledged in the national economy as a valuable public good. In order to offer ‘a caring economy’ to all, we suggest that the government introduce free childcare, and offer economic compensation to currently unpaid caregivers. Such policies would lead to long-term social and economic gains for all.

To contribute to this public consultation, AWARE invites you to a discussion on caregiving and the Singapore Budget.

Event Details:
Date: Saturday, 24 January 2015
Time: 2pm – 5pm
Venue: AWARE Centre

Click here to register!

Speakers include:

Yeoh Lam Keong, an economist who co-authored the paper “Inequality and the need for a new social compact” in 2012.

Wong Pei Chi, a previous Honorary Secretary on the AWARE Board and a trained economist.

Vivienne Wee,  AWARE’s Research & Advocacy Director presenting AWARE’s position on the Budget 2015.

Join our next Change Maker workshop

we can logoBe a part of the We Can End All Violence Against Women campaign by coming for a workshop and becoming a Change Maker.

Change Makers are people who inspire each other and initiate the process of collective action. They are empowered to reflect upon their own actions, as well as to influence others to end violence against women.

The Change Maker Workshop is a novel forum where people from all walks of life meet and explore ideas, share experiences and discuss existing patterns of belief in our society that tolerate violence against women.

The workshop examines how each of us can contribute to ending gender-based violence by taking small actions in our everyday lives.

Join the workshop, take the Change Maker pledge, and help build a violence-free society.

Wednesday, 3 February 2015
Time: 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Location: AWARE Centre, Blk 5 Dover Crescent #01-22
Click here to register.

We look forward to seeing you at the Change Maker Workshop. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kokila at wecan@aware.org.sg

Sign up for our self-defence course!

selfdefenceThere are many ways for you to protect yourself in various situations. Size, strength and exertion do not always matter. Learn to use pressure points and body mechanics to take a person down with little effort.

Come learn ‘Modern Street Combatives’ at AWARE. The self-defence techniques taught in this system draw upon some of the best in class street systems such as Kapap, Catch Wrestling, Gracie/ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Dynamic Combat Method, Savate etc.

Using a blended approach of psychology and body guarding principles, participants will learn the basics of realistic self defense within just 10 sessions.

Details:
Dates: Every Tuesday, starting 13 January to 17 March 2015 (10 weeks)
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Location: AWARE Centre

Click here to register!

Roundtable: Women Writing

booksssssJoin us on 7 January for a roundtable to discuss women’s representation and gender in their own work and in the local literary scene.

Gender has come under the spotlight recently in discussions of the Singapore writing scene. Despite the presence of several prominent women writers, the participation and presence of women in the local literary scene has sometimes been described as insufficient. Women’s bid to challenge cultural hegemonies and enter formal literary institutions in Singapore have generated much discussion, interest and opposition.

Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, 7 January, 2015
Time: 7:30pm
Location: AWARE Centre

Click here to register!

About the Speakers:

Tania De Rozario is an artist, writer and curator whose work has been showcased in Singapore, London, San Francisco, Amsterdam, New York and Spain. She is the author of Tender Delirium (Math Paper Press, 2013), which was shortlisted for the 2014 Singapore Literature Prize, and winner of the 2011 SPH-NAC Golden Point Award for English Poetry. She runs EtiquetteSG, a multidisciplinary platform focused on developing and showcasing art, writing, film and music made by women, and is an Associate Artist with The Substation. Her work can be found at www.TaniaDeRozario.com.

Stephanie Dogfoot has been writing and performing poetry as well as organising spoken word events since 2008. She has won national poetry slams in Singapore and the UK and has been invited to perform around Europe and Southeast Asia. She wrote and performed a one-woman show about activism and identity called Foreigner Go Home(With Me!) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2012. Her writing is published in EtiqutteSG’s Body Boundaries anthology. She is part of the feminist poetry collective Sekaliwags.

Jolene Tan is the Programmes and Communications Senior Manager at AWARE. Her first novel, A Certain Exposure (Epigram Books), has been described as “a quiet powerful tale about the dangers of unthinking conformity” (Straits Times) and “a haunting story about elitism and prejudice in a society which recites daily pledges to maintain equality for all” (Balli Kaur Jaswal, author of Inheritance).

Verena Tay is a Singapore-based writer, editor, storyteller and theatre practitioner. She has published a short story collection, Spectre (Math Paper Press, 2012), and three play collections. She has also edited seven fiction anthologies, including the popular Balik Kampung series. For more information, please visit www.verenatay.com.

Breakthrough: We Can! Arts Fest 2014

we can logoWe Can! Arts Fest returns this December, celebrating diversity and the freedom to be you, with Breakthrough.

With a focus on youth, Breakthrough will feature young artists, performers, youth groups and students, all coming together to showcase their original art, share personal stories, and start critical discussions on gender stereotypes, stigma and the different forms of violence that affect youth in our society.

The festival will use the powerful medium of art, performance and conversation to challenge the expectations and pressures that youth face in their peer groups because of their gender, spark ideas for change and celebrate a youth culture that is inclusive, supportive and safe for everyone. Speak up, take a stand and break the box with us. This event is created by the youth, for the youth, so take a stand against violence with us!

Event details:

Date: 6 December 2014
Time: 11am – 8pm
Venue: SMU Admin Building, Level 6 (University Lounge)

Click here for the full programme.

Breakthrough programme

At Breakthrough, you can expect dance performances by students from Because I’m A Girl, a gender collective at United World College Tampines; an interactive theatre skit performed and originally written by Shoes Theatre; a discussion panel on representations of women in horror; a session of live poetry performances by writers from Body/Language, our creative writing programme, and many, many more.

Roundtable: Representation of Hijab in the Media

12511148182020482402hijab.svg.medJoin GEC  at AWARE on 3 December for a roundtable  to explore the various representations of hijab in the media.

“Veiled Representation” will provide an outlook into the perception of Hijab and veiling in the new media era. The talk will discuss differences between how the “West” and “Muslim” contexts approach veiled women. It will provide a brief analysis of the western view of veiling and how it serves to construct discourses that make veiled women “the other”. In addition, the speaker will critique how the veil has emerged as a political symbol and discuss how Islam is represented through the bodies of Muslim women in the media.

It will also aspire to reflect discussions rooted in the Islamic tradition about donning the hijab, hijabi women’s representation in the media, and touch on how hijabi women present themselves in new media where physical presence is absent. This roundtable discussion will seek to convey both western conditioned imagery of veiled Muslim women and veiled Muslim women’s thoughts and self-representation in media with an emphasis on new media.

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, 3 December

Time: 7:30pm

Location: AWARE Centre

Click here to register!

About the speaker: Gulizar Haciyakupoglu is a PhD candidate with Lee Kong Chian scholarship at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Her research interests include the intricate relation between Gender and New Media, Islam and New Media, Gender and Islam, and Deliberative Democracy. Her dissertation focuses on effects of the interplay between emphasis on oral communication in Islamic culture vis-à-vis stress on dissemination under postmodernity on the promulgation of Islamic feminist interpretations of gender equality in Islam by way of new media.