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The impact of COVID-19 on self-employed persons in Singapore

Self-employed persons (SEPs) in Singapore suffered an average 60% loss in income during the COVID-19 circuit breaker, AWARE has found in a new survey.

While 60% of our 25 respondents managed to receive COVID-related government financial assistance, many encountered difficulties applying to SIRS (self-employed person income relief scheme).

How can we better help these workers? Based on our research, we recommend that the government:

a) Allow LTVP/+ holders to be officially self-employed
b) Make SIRS more inclusive and accessible, in various ways
c) Recognise (paid) labour performed in informal economies as self-employed work
d) Reduce barriers for SEPs to be eligible for all applicable schemes.

View our detailed survey findings below.

21 July 2020: Good boys, softbois, sammyboys, boys will be boys – learning and unlearning toxic masculinity

Misogyny running rampant on popular podcasts. Doctors undermining their oath to do no harm. Underwear thieves and sexual voyeurs lurking in toilets and MRT stations. Looking at the news today, you’d be forgiven for asking: Do we need to urgently detoxify masculinity in Singapore?

We are socialised into gender roles at a very young age. Unfortunately, the idea of masculinity has come to be inextricable from violence, sexual conquest, status and aggression. Culture tells us time and again that being a man is to be strong and dominant above all else; on the other hand, traits like emotional vulnerability are “feminine” and signs of weakness. These rigid ideas punish everyone across the gender spectrum.

So: What should it mean to be a man today?

A more equal world is only possible if men critically reflect on imbalances of power and gender inequitable norms. We need men to engage with other men: to challenge harmful norms and sexist beliefs, to become allies within their families, workplaces and communities. The fight for gender equality has to be shouldered by men as well – after all, they have much to gain from it.

Undoing a lifetime’s worth of lessons about how to “be a man” is not an easy task, but it can start with open discussion. Join us for a panel with and about male feminist allies, moderated by AWARE’s Head of Research and Advocacy, Shailey Hingorani. We’ll listen to their experiences dismantling traditional gender roles and behaviors, unlearning harmful stereotypes, and examining conscious and unconscious behaviours that perpetuate misogyny.

Suggested donation of $5.

Register here!

Our speakers

Kristian-Marc James is a proud member of SG Climate Rally and helped to organise last year’s rally. He has appeared in New Naratif, The Straits Times and Channel NewsAsia on behalf of SGCR, as one of the organisation’s press representatives. He was also recently part of The Substation’s residency programme, the Concerned Citizens Programme, where he explored minority-race Singaporean masculinity through art and closed-door dialogues. He graduated from Yale-NUS College last year, majoring in Anthropology, and will be pursuing a master’s in Gender Studies either this year or next (depending on COVID!). Currently, Kristian works as a Diversity and Inclusion Programme Coordinator at a global software corporation.

Keeshan Menon (Shan) is a registered social worker with a master’s in Social Work and Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology. He is currently employed as a social worker in a local youth agency where part of his job involves sexuality education for young men. Since 2010, Shan has also been involved in work with vulnerable minority groups, especially the LGBTQ+. He has been involved in multiple international conferences representing Singapore as a transgender activist, and has conducted gender sensitivity workshops for various organisations in Singapore. His volunteer work with The T Project began in 2017 with the development of the trans empowerment workshops for vulnerable transgender women (sponsored by AWARE’s Power Fund). in 2019, Shan helped set up Alicia Community Centre’s transgender counselling service.

Tan Wah Kiat is a male member and proud supporter of AWARE since 2005. Convinced that men are part of the gender equity equation, he took on the role of Chairperson for White Ribbon Campaign in 2006, to promote awareness among men of anti-violence against women. As a self-confessed ex-jock PE teacher and typical alpha-male rugby player, Kiat used to be guilty of exhibiting stereotypical gendered dispositions and behaviours. He delved into gender studies as he wanted to “encourage girls to be more active in PE” – then realised that he himself was part of the problem. Working in a mostly male-dominated environment for 22 years, Kiat practices what he preaches by promoting gender equity in his classroom, which today is in an international school in China. He hopes to educate and influence his students to be more aware of their words and deeds and treat each other with respect.

Position Filled: First Responder Fellowship, Sexual Assault Care Centre

We are no longer accepting applicants for this role.

AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) is looking for a First Responder Fellow. This Fellowship is an opportunity for individuals keen on joining the movement to promote zero tolerance to sexual violence in Singapore. You will serve as a first responder to survivors who reach out to SACC, which is currently the only centre in Singapore that provides gender- and trauma-informed services to sexual assault survivors.

This Fellowship aims to cultivate the knowledge, skills and mindsets necessary to tackle and respond to sexual violence, such that Fellows become advocates for change as they venture further into social service work or related sectors. The Fellows receive specialised mentorship and training in trauma-informed skills, while supporting youth, adults and families coping with the impact of sexual violence. Fellows develop core competencies designed to foster their professional development into the social service sector through:

  • Content and classroom learning
  • Shadowing and on-the-job training opportunities
  • Exposure through community engagement opportunities, events, and other programmes; and
  • Supervision, on the ground technical support, guidance and emotional support by the Programme manager.

A significant part of the role would also involve carrying out administrative duties to provide operational support for the day-to-day running of various services at SACC. These duties include documentation/report writing, data management, ad-hoc projects, etc.

In addition to first response, the Fellow will also get exposure to community engagement opportunities as part of the Fellowship.

Professionals seeking a mid-career break or change, who have a keen interest in the social service sector, are highly encouraged to apply. If you have several years of experience in the social service sector, the Fellowship offers you a space to diversify your client profile and issue-area you want to work with. For those with years of experience in the private sector, this can serve as an opportunity to network and dip your toe in the public sector to assess if you want to make that move. We encourage applicants to prioritise the exposure and learning opportunities through this fellowship/entry-level position.

Position: SACC Fellow
Department: CARE – SACC
Commitment: Full-time, Monday – Friday
Stipend for Fellow: $1,500 per month
Term: One year
Starting date: Immediately
Application deadline: 25 July 2020

Role

  • Ensuring high quality and timely response to people reaching out to SACC through calls, WhatsApp, emails, walk-ins, referrals and other platforms
  • Scheduling clients with case managers, counsellors, etc. via phone, emails and/or face-to-face
  • Assisting senior case managers in case coordination and documentation
  • Creating various project reports as well as supporting incoming client queries
  • Documenting and filing confidential notes, intake forms, etc.
  • Establishing processes for client feedback and ensuring prompt submission to relevant parties/systems
  • Identifying and improving current processes
  • Supporting staff and volunteers on various projects and ad-hoc programmes as required
  • Providing administrative and operational support to SACC

Who we are looking for

  • Relevant educational qualification like a diploma or a degree in social work, counselling, psychology or a related field (preferable)
  • Professionals seeking a mid-career break and have a keen interest in joining the social service sector are highly encouraged to join the Fellowship
  • Training on trauma is a bonus
  • In addition to passion and commitment to AWARE’s mission and vision, we look for Fellows who demonstrate the following:
    • Excellent interpersonal, empathy and communication skills in English (verbal and written).
    • Good analytical skills and commitment to confidentiality
    • Superb organisational and time management skills
    • Ability to meet deadlines in a high-paced environment while balancing workload and competing priorities
    • Strong project planning and highly creative, adaptable and a self starter
    • Ability to use initiative and judgment to solve problems independently
    • Experience or interest in supporting or empowering individuals
    • Strong belief in gender equality and the values of AWARE
    • Computer savvy, proficient in MS Office, especially Excel and Word

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.

GE2020: What being a first-time voter means to me

by an AWARE intern, age 24

“Nothing’s going to change anyway, so why bother?”

That was my overall approach to Singaporean politics for a lot of my life. Though my training as a History undergraduate made it second nature for me to question the status quo, it never struck me that I could make any tangible change as a citizen. Being raised in a politically apathetic family, too, left me clueless about my options—like, were there even options?

It was not until recently, when an onslaught of election-related memes and infographics appeared on my Instagram feed, that I’ve felt empowered to join the conversations about our parliamentary representation. Belonging to a female, Indian minority, I now feel the urgency of exercising my political rights more than ever.

The Gen Zs are finally eligible to vote, the online playing field has made the upcoming elections unpredictable and exciting, and I am living for it.

How the internet has changed the game

Social media has been pivotal in directing me to resources that have helped me understand the stakes of this election. I find that reading the manifestos of each party is a good place to start.

This election, I’ve witnessed vibrant debate about the nature of a democratic society because of the space that the internet has given us. Now that the social media generation has entered the chat, we have more opportunities to access and engage with alternative voices. Because of this, I feel an immense responsibility as a citizen to look outside my comfort zone (beyond simple “vote for the economy” rhetoric) and think about how to best combat the inequalities around me.

Living in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially, has brought many vulnerable communities to light for me. Examples of disturbing inequalities include the lack of protections and rights accorded to migrant spouses and migrant domestic workers, the drastic rise in cases of domestic violence, discriminatory policies against the LGBTQAI communities and single mothers, continued reports of sexual violence, and more. I want the policies proposed by representatives of my constituency to reflect a sense of urgency in tackling these issues.

Instagram has been a treasure trove of information about Singaporean politics

Representation and diversity

In this General Election, the importance of a more gender-equal parliament has been a point of discussion. Although women remain a minority in Singapore politics, efforts to tackle gender-based discrimination are increasingly prevalent in the manifestos of political parties this GE.

I believe there is a need for female leaders familiar with vulnerable communities, like the ones mentioned above, to be part of our country’s decision-making processes. I think that will help us lessen the effects of COVID-19 on women more effectively. Across the world, there’s an emerging consensus that although coronavirus is much more fatal to men than women, it’s women who are more susceptible to COVID-19’s social and economic toll. In addition to the rise in domestic violence, the increasing burden of family care is another example of the pandemic’s disproportionate penalties for women.

Some of the female newcomers I find promising are:

  • Workers’ Party’s Raeesah Khan, an activist and founder of Reyna Movement, an organisation which aims to empower marginalised women and children
  • Red Dot United’s Liyana Dhamirah, who authored a book about homelessness and is the founder of Virtual Assistance Singapore, a company that provides administrative support to businesses
  • People’s Action Party’s Carrie Tan, the executive director of Daughters of Tomorrow, a charity that helps low-income women.

These are competent and diverse women who have a background in civil activism, and the propensity to push for more inclusive, less discriminatory policies in support of vulnerable women. There is definitely more space for progress, but this is a start, and I would like the chance to see what these women bring to the table.

The importance of differing perspectives

While progressive ideas are being shared on Instagram Story after Instagram Story, on the other side of the spectrum, I’ve seen criticism of youth “voting the opposition for the sake of it.” Such claims feel disempowering and dismissive of young people’s efforts to participate in democracy.

This division is most evident now in the online response to the investigation of Workers’ Party candidate Raeesah Khan for comments that allegedly promote enmity between different racial and religious groups. My news feed is split between youths who are angry that a minority woman risks losing her candidacy, and others who believe that Raeesah’s comments did cross a line. Either way, social media has provided me the space to discuss the nuances of systemic racism, and I hope that Parliament will be a similarly open ground for debate and disagreement.

This coming election, I will be voting for the changes that I want to see in this country. To quote Angela Davis, “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

AWARE does not engage in partisan politics or endorse any political party in Singapore. 

Gender in Singapore advertising: a study by AWARE and R3

Compelling, effective advertising must reflect certain realities about our lives. Yet in promising to reflect reality, our ads end up shaping reality, too—their norms become our norms; their boundaries map our imaginations. 

In the context of gender, this means that we want ads that i) acknowledge the complex set of obstacles women face in the world, and/or ii) depict women overcoming those obstacles and succeeding. Are ads in Singapore succeeding in either of those tasks?

EXAMINING 200 TELEVISION ADS

Gender-equality organisation AWARE and marketing consultancy R3 Worldwide embarked on a project to examine gender portrayal in Singapore commercials. We looked at 200 television advertisements produced by Singapore’s top 100 advertisers, spanning a range of industries including telecommunications, financial services, beauty and government. The ads were all broadcast in Singapore between 2018 and 2020.

Besides observing overall trends, we drew up a shortlist of ads we found to be exemplars for gender equality. While guidelines on gender portrayal have been published for advertisers in other countries (e.g. by the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK), there has been no such endeavour in Singapore. We therefore hoped our list would give local advertisers a nudge to think more critically about their own depictions of gender. 

QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT: REPRESENTATION BY THE NUMBERS

First, to get a quantitative measure of representation, we tallied men and women in lead and supporting parts across the 200 ads to derive a ratio of male to female characters.

On both counts, men outnumbered women. The ads featured 23% more male lead characters (179 to 146), and 8% more male supporting characters (328 to 304), than female.

QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT: GENDER ROLES

Next, we listed out some common roles relating to gender and power, and tallied the number of ads that featured i) male and ii) female embodiments of those roles. These included:

  • Working characters

We found that ads were 48% more likely to depict men (62 ads) than women (42 ads) as having paid employment of some sort.

  • Characters performing domestic work

Ads were almost six times more likely to depict women (23 ads) performing some sort of domestic work (e.g. cleaning, cooking or childcare) than men (4 ads).

  • Expert/novice characters

More than twice as many ads depicted men (35 ads) providing knowledge in our ads—e.g. teaching others or answering questions—than women (14 ads). This was despite the fact that ads depicted men and women receiving such knowledge at around the same rate.

  • Saviour/saved characters

Similarly, more than twice as many ads depicted men in heroic, rescuer roles (e.g. repairing objects for others, assisting the injured) than women (13 ads to 6 ads). These roles were often driven home by such stylistic conventions as swelling, romantic music. Meanwhile, the reverse was true for ads depicting characters in distress, requiring rescue: 13 ads featured women, and 6 ads featured men, in that role.

QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT

Moving on to individual ad evaluations, we scored each ad on how it treated gender stereotypes in behaviours and characteristics, and how it portrayed body image (in size, hair, skin and other attributes). For this portion, we invited a panel of top local advertising professionals—from companies such as VMLY&R, Wunderman Thompson, DBS, Prodigious and Marina Bay Sands—to participate in the assessment to get a broader view.

STEREOTYPES IN BEHAVIOURS AND CHARACTERISTICS

We awarded high marks for ads that actively broke stereotypes, and low marks for ads that reinforced them. Examples of stereotypes included “women are emotional and men are rational” and “women are absorbed in appearances and other superficial concerns”.

High scorers in this category included:

  • Singtel’s “In Return: Interview with Shaza Ishak”: which stars a driven young woman who runs the Malay theatre company Teater Ekamatra. We witness her passion and ambition to bring minority voices to the stage, while her supportive father cooks a meal for her at home.
  • Vaseline’s “Visible Scars, Invisible Strength”: The ad features 71-year-old Lee Hwee Chin, who overcame gender discrimination in her 40-year career as a blade-sharpener. Her scarred hands represent not disfigurement, but her professional “achievement”. 

Low scorers in this category included an ad in which a sternly patronising father explains mobile banking to his ditzy, vain daughter; an ad in which a frazzled housewife flies off the handle when her husband forgets to put the toilet seat down; and an ad that upholds conventionally gendered divisions of labour—with a mother baking tarts for her daughter while a father writes a cheque for his son.

BODY IMAGE AND BEAUTY STANDARDS

In scoring this, we asked: Does this ad foster a progressive and diverse idea of beauty by recognising the attractiveness of people who fall outside of society’s narrow physical ideals? Or does it instead shame these people for their looks?

High scorers in this category included:

  • Dove’s “Rachel’s Story”: in which a woman with eczema talks openly about learning to be proud of her skin, after years of disparagement from others: “I look at every mark on my body as… a point where I’ve gotten through the pain and I’ve come out stronger.”
  • Apple’s “Behind the Mac”: a simple, powerful montage of well-known female artists and leaders, from Lady Gaga to Malala Yousafzai, who all look distinctively radiant in their own skin. 
  • Singtel’s “GOMO feat. Preetipls”: With Preetipls, a body-positive local entertainer, doing sultry beach yoga à la Instagram influencers and comically sporting a fake unibrow, the ad challenges ideas of who is allowed wit and glamour in media.

That said, the vast majority of ads did feature slim, fair-skinned and pretty women. These conventionally “beautiful” women were sometimes coupled with schlubby men, in a display of gendered double standards. Indeed, women across the ads were much more likely than men to adhere to traditional beauty standards.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Lastly, ads were penalised if they featured violence against women and/or objectification of women’s bodies. However, few ads in our set lost points here.

 

TOP 10 SCORING ADS 
Rank      Brand            Advertisement 
1 Vaseline Visible Scars, Invisible Strength: Lady without Fingerprints
2 Apple Chinese New Year | Shot on iPhone 11 Pro — Daughter
3 Apple Behind The Mac — International Women’s Day
4 Singtel In Return: Interview with Shaza Ishak
5 Singtel GOMO feat. Preetipls
6 FWD Cancer Insurance – My Girlfriend’s Such a Fighter
7 Starhub Founding Mothers of Singapore
8 UOB Black Belt
9 Dove Rachel’s Story: Living with eczema
10 McDonald’s       McDelivery Day

 

Download the report as a PDF here.

Special thanks to Lee Yi Ting and Saraniyah Saravanan for their work on this project.

ABOUT AWARE

AWARE is Singapore’s leading women’s rights and gender-equality advocacy group. It works to identify and eliminate gender-based barriers through research, advocacy, education, training and support services. AWARE embraces diversity, respects the individual and the choices she makes in life, and supports her when needed. aware.org.sg

ABOUT R3

R3 Worldwide is the only truly global consultancy that offers marketers access to the expertise and services required to establish and administer effective multi-national agency engagements. R3 is the most experienced organisation of its kind with on-the-ground consultants and in-market insights in major markets around the globe. Its objective counsel guides marketers and their agencies towards more effective and efficient working relationships. rthree.com

COVID-19 and the increase of domestic violence against women: OHCHR submission by AWARE

On 30 June 2020, AWARE made a submission to the the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women. Our submission focused on COVID-19 and the increase of domestic violence against women.

Compared to the same period last year, the AWARE Women’s Helpline has received a 65%, 119%, and 137% increase in the number of family violence calls in March, April and May 2020 respectively.

Our submission highlighted the barriers that women in Singapore face in accessing support and justice during the pandemic—including a limit on court cases heard and a poor public understanding of domestic violence and intervention methods.

Our report also drew attention to the particular vulnerability of migrant spouses, domestic workers and LGTBQ+ persons to domestic violence.

Questions the report addresses

  • To what extent has there been an increase of violence against women, especially domestic violence in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns? Please provide all available data on the increase of violence against women, including domestic violence and femicides, registered during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Are helplines run by Government and/or civil society available? Has there been an increase in the number of calls in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • Are shelters open and available? Are there any alternatives to shelters available if they are closed or without sufficient capacity?
  • Are protection orders available and accessible in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • What are the impacts on women’s access to justice? Are courts open and providing protection and decisions in cases of domestic violence?
  • Please provide examples of obstacles encountered to prevent and combat domestic violence during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

 

Read our full OHCHR report here.

Only half of parents are comfortable talking to their kids about sex ed, while most prefer school programmes to focus on consent over abstinence: AWARE-Blackbox survey

This post was originally published as a press release on 1 July 2020.

Parents in Singapore believe that they should bear the primary responsibility of teaching sexuality education to their children—yet at the same time, many lack the tools, comfort level and confidence to do this.

This was a key finding in a new survey by independent research agency Blackbox and gender-equality organisation AWARE, aimed at exploring parents’ views on sex education in Singapore. Blackbox and AWARE surveyed 564 respondents between 13 to 20 January and 10 to 14 February 2020. The result is the first nationally representative survey of parents on sex education conducted in Singapore in over a decade.*

Who should teach sexuality education?

Almost all parents surveyed (95%) agreed that both themselves and their children’s schools have a role to play in sex education. In line with statements made by the Ministry of Education (MOE), most parents believe that the task primarily should fall to them, with almost 70% ranking “parents” as the best persons to give sex education, and 13% ranking “school teachers” as the best. (That said, despite acknowledging the importance of their role, almost one in four parents—24%—admitted to being uninformed about what is taught during sex education in schools.)

Ms Shailey Hingorani, Head of Research and Advocacy at AWARE, pointed out that while parents feel comfortable discussing sexuality, their children might actually perceive a lack of parental support or encouragement on these issues. She cited a 2018 survey AWARE conducted with Ngee Ann Polytechnic of almost 800 young persons (16-25 years old) about their perceptions relating to sexuality. Majority of the young respondents had rarely, or never, discussed sexual topics with their parents.

“Close to 70% believed that their parents were rarely interested in their thoughts on sexual matters, or did not know if their parents were interested,” said Ms Hingorani. “This speaks to a gulf in communication and understanding, which may prevent parents from being able to sufficiently correct misconceptions and share their values with kids.”

Only one in five parents (21%) ranked “religious instructors” among their top three choices for informing their children on topics of sex, sexual health and sexual well-being.

What are parents comfortable discussing?

Parents were asked if they were comfortable discussing the following topics with their children in an age-appropriate manner: (a) sexual health, (b) intimate relationships and (c) sex. The highest percentage of parents were comfortable discussing topics of sexual health (57%) with their children, followed by romantic and intimate relationships (51%), with sex coming in last (49%).

For those uncomfortable discussing these topics, reasons given included embarrassment or a lack of confidence (25%), a lack of the appropriate tools to begin the conversation (35%) and the worry that the discussion would encourage their children to have sex (26%).

“It’s worrying that only around half of parents feel comfortable discussing these core topics with their children,” said Ms Hingorani. “Yet we know that some parents are proactively looking to overcome their embarrassment and pick up the right tools for this important job. At AWARE’s Birds & Bees workshops for parents, we’ve trained around 90 parents to date on effective communication with their children, about these subjects and more.”

She added, “We are also glad to find that almost three-quarters of parents do not associate discussing sex with their children wanting to try it. After all, comprehensive sexuality education, which presents information in a factual rather than moralistic or alarmist manner, has been found to produce the outcomes that most parents desire: Youths start having sex at a later age, have fewer sexual partners, use condoms more consistently and contract sexually transmitted infections less often.”

What should sexuality education cover?

Parents were asked to rank the topics they felt were most important to cover in sex education curriculums. The top ranked were sexual consent and sexual self-protection (both 86%). This was closely followed by sexually transmitted diseases (85%), then birth control and contraceptives (80%), then premarital abstinence (78%).

“We wholeheartedly agree with the survey respondents in the importance of teaching consent, even at a young age,” remarked Ms Hingorani. “We should remember, too, that the concept of consent is so much more than just a black-and-white ‘no means no’. Young people find themselves in real-life dynamics that are complex and nuanced. Effective consent education should take into account these real-life circumstances, which include peer pressure, hormonal changes and assimilated gender norms.”

Ms Hingorani said she hopes that MOE will find this survey informative in designing future sexuality education programmes.

“MOE, rightfully, pays heed to parents’ wishes in its decision-making. The Ministry has already taken some steps in the right direction, tweaking its curriculum to focus less on anachronous and unrealistic concepts such as abstinence. We hope it continues on this path and considers the more pragmatic and fact-driven perspective revealed by this survey—one that reflects a modern society’s values.”

David Black, founder and CEO of Blackbox, agreed on the need for parents and schools to be aligned when it comes to sex education.

“The findings clearly show that modern parents understand that sex education today has various dimensions, and that their children need to get guidance both at home and at school. Social attitudes are always evolving and it’s crucial that parents both understand and feel comfortable with what their children are learning outside the home. This will help them to better shape their own one-on-one conversations without fear of sounding contradictory or out of step.”

* The last national survey on parents’ communication with children about sex education known to the researchers was conducted in 2008-2009. 

 

About AWARE
AWARE is Singapore’s leading women’s rights and gender-equality advocacy group. It works to identify and eliminate gender-based barriers through research, advocacy, education, training and support services. AWARE embraces diversity, respects the individual and the choices she makes in life, and supports her when needed. aware.org.sg

About Blackbox
Blackbox Research is one of Asia’s leading data content specialists, and a fully independent social research agency. Blackbox specialises in data content and provides research and affiliated data-plus communications services for business, governments and non-governmental organisation clients across Asia. In Singapore, Blackbox Research is recognised as the “go-to” agency for community and policy insights, and enjoys a strong reputation as a reliable provider of insights on current issues and topics impacting societies across Southeast Asia. Blackbox also has expanded its reach across the region, covering all markets across Southeast Asia as well as China, India, and the greater East Asia region. blackbox.com.sg

Contact

Chris Koh, Head of Communications, Blackbox Research | +65 9765 4388 | chris@blackbox.com.sg
Kelly Leow, Communications Manager, AWARE | +65 6779 7137 | media@aware.org.sg

 

Annex

Position Filled: HR Assistant Manager for the Secretariat Department

We are no longer accepting applicants for this role.

AWARE’s Secretariat department is looking for a HR Assistant Manager responsible for coordinating and administering the full spectrum of HR programmes and activities.

AWARE works to promote a society where there is true gender equality—where women and men are valued as individuals free to make informed and responsible choices about their lives. We welcome well-suited individuals who share this same passion and dedication!

Position: HR Assistant Manager
Department: Secretariat
Commitment: Full-time, Monday-Friday
Salary range: $4,170-$5,010
Term: Permanent

Job Description

As an individual contributor, the HR Manager oversees the full spectrum of HR programmes and activities in the HR and admin department. Responsibilities include:

  • Maintain and recommend HR programmes and policies, processes and sharing of best practices in the non-for-profit environment.
  • Administer internship programme, including selection and training
  • Engage and advise Executive Director, management and staff on people relation issues and enquiries.
  • Manage, oversee and verify employee’s benefits, overtime, allowances and compensation and ensure that AWARE is in compliance with the latest MOM regulations.
  • Ensure monthly payroll and CPF submission is completed timely and accurately.
  • Manage income tax matters, work pass applications/renewal/cancellations, etc.
  • Source, develop, establish, implement and lead organisational training programme activities (e.g. team building, functional trainings).
  • Initiate, lead and participate in HR projects which align with AWARE’s strategic directions.
  • Manage AWARE’s data protection as the Data Protection Officer by collaborating with each department’s Assistant Data Protection Officer.
  • Oversee the maintenance of the AWARE centre, pertaining to facilities maintenance, office supplies and housekeeping.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in HR management
  • Minimum 6 years of demonstrated experience (preferably a generalist) with some working exposure in not-for-profit organizations
  • Good knowledge of employment law and legislative requirements
  • Ability to work independently as a Team Lead for the HR/Admin Department
  • Proficiency in MS office products MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel; and Google Apps
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving skills

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.

AWARE Helpline saw record calls in May, with 137% increase in family violence and 436% increase in emotional and psychological distress over 2019

This post was originally published as a press release on 25 June 2020.

25 June 2020 – Gender-equality group AWARE received a total of 752 calls (including messages, online chats, emails and referrals) to its Helplines in May 2020.

This set a new all-time call record for the organisation, which has been supporting women in distress via a Helpline since 1991. It broke the previous record set in March 2020 of 641 calls.* (April 2020 saw a total of 596 calls.)

Calls pertaining primarily to family violence continued to be unusually high. In May 2020, AWARE received 180 calls pertaining to family violence, a 137% increase (adjusted) over family violence calls in May 2019.**

Family violence is defined by AWARE as violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviour that occurs in current or former family, domestic or intimate relationships. It encompasses physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, economic control, social isolation and any other behaviour that may cause a person to live in fear.

Calls pertaining primarily to emotional and psychological distress were also high, with 150 such calls received in May 2020. This represents a 436% increase (adjusted) of such calls over May 2019.

“These statistics are worrying, but not surprising,” said AWARE Executive Director Corinna Lim. “They confirm our fears—based on international observations of this crisis and previous ones—that social-distancing measures designed to curb a virus ironically enclose many women in potentially life-threatening circumstances. Even if women are not experiencing violence, they are seriously struggling to cope with the strain of surviving the pandemic. Families are living under great stress and require more support during this time.

“As Singapore eases out of the circuit breaker, we brace ourselves for possibly even more calls, as isolated women are granted more opportunities to leave their homes and seek help.”

AWARE has taken steps to expand its service capacity during the COVID-19 outbreak. These include growing staff strength, expanding the number of phone lines at the Women’s Helpline and launching a new online chat service, whereby women who are unable to speak on the phone can receive support and information from the Helpline team. The service received 43 chat appointments in May after launching on 8 May, and completed 26. Of these 26 successful chats, 18 pertained to family violence.

* Earlier, AWARE released a preliminary call total for March 2020 (619). Updated information from AWARE’s Helpline puts the total March 2020 calls at 641.

** The adjusted figure takes into account AWARE’s expansion of Helpline services in May 2020. This makes the data from 2019 and 2020 comparable, and more accurately reflects the increase in occurrence of violence and distress in 2020.

ANNEX

Selected May 2020 Helpline Calls

Farah* and her husband have been married for decades. Her husband belittles her frequently. He is financially abusive: He doesn’t give her any money, and has cancelled all her cards. He has also refused to let Farah work. As a result, Farah is totally dependent on her children for money, which makes her anxious and unhappy. She is looking for legal advice about her financial rights and divorce.

Mei* contacted AWARE for information about applying for a Personal Protection Order against her father, whom she lives with, and who has been physically abusive since her childhood. During a recent disagreement, he smashed an object against her head. Mei receives no emotional support from friends or other members of the family

Vani* was assaulted by her brother, whom she lives with, during a recent conversation. She had to seek medical help for the injuries she suffered. Although the assault was reported to the police, her mother convinced her not to pursue the case further in any official capacity. Vani is considering moving to a relative’s house to escape her brother’s abuse.

*Names changed to protect callers’ identities