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30 May 2020: Notice of AWARE’s 35th Annual General Meeting (Virtual)

AWARE will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 30 May 2020, from 2pm to 4pm. It will be a Virtual AGM because of the current circuit-breaker restrictions.

The AGM is a members-only event. If any AWARE member has not received an email with the Notice of the AGM, they should contact membership@aware.org.sg.

Please refer to the Notice of Adjourned AGM and Proxy Form dated 6 May 2020, setting out the agenda and details of the meeting and links to the various AGM documents.

We will use the Zoom video-conferencing platform for our Virtual AGM. The arrangements for the Virtual AGM are in accordance with the recently enacted COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Alternative Arrangements for Meetings for Registered Societies) Order 2020.

 The Order states that:

a) Members may only attend the AGM by observing and listening to the proceedings of the meeting by electronic means.

b) Members will not be able to ask their questions “live” at the Virtual AGM. Instead, they should submit questions to AWARE by email or post. All substantial and relevant questions will be addressed by the Board and / or management prior to, or at, the Virtual AGM.

c) Members may only vote by appointing the Chair of the meeting as their proxy. The various matters that members have to vote on are listed on the Proxy Form and members should mark their vote on the form and submit it no later than 25 May.

The details of how you register and join the Virtual AGM are in the Zoom Instructions referred to in the Notice. You need to register by 25 May to attend the meeting.

In relation to (b), if you have questions for the Board or management, your questions must reach us by 25 May.

Please note that you may vote, using the Proxy Form, on the various matters even if you are not able to attend the Virtual AGM. You may also choose to attend the Virtual AGM and not vote.

 

A Recap: Not Just Snowflakes, an online panel discussion

Written by Nur Atiqah Mohamad and Tanya Ragupathi

On the evening of 9 April 2020, AWARE hosted “Not Just Snowflakes”, an open conversation with three young activists: Filzah Sumartono (Projects Manager at AWARE and co-editor of the Perempuan series of books), Reetaza “Reetz” Chatterjee (founder of Your Head Lah!, a mental health collective in Singapore) and Aarti Olivia Dubey (a former psychotherapist turned activist).

Moderated by AWARE Senior Research Executive Chong Ning Qian, “Not Just Snowflakes” was held as an online panel via Zoom, and saw more than 60 attendees. Live-captioning was also made available to ensure the panel was inclusive and accessible.

To kick off the evening, each of our panellists shared what “activism” meant to them. As the founder of Your Head Lah!, which strives to tackle issues of mental health and mental illness while amplifying marginalised voices, Reetz said that she finds her work to be “so much more than just the doing, but also a way of being”. 

Through her work in advocating for, in particular, fat body positivity, disability justice and LGBTQ rights, Aarti said that she hopes to be a guide for those around her. Her mission is to let people struggling with body image know that their struggles are valid, and create safe spaces for them.

To Filzah, activism is about actively speaking out and standing up for what you think is right and just, in spite of any fear. She actively calls for a radical and profound shift in Singaporean society, not just piecemeal change. Filzah also expressed a distaste for activism involving solutions that maybe look good and feel good, but don’t really do any good in the world. She noted that within Singapore activism, people from marginalised communities are often excluded, so it’s important to “create our own movements, our own communities”. 

Aarti echoed this, highlighting how the internet and social media platforms have allowed activists to get more creative with their work. She finds that fatphobia, and people’s reluctance to examine their own biases, leads to them being hesitant to engage with the idea of diverse bodies. Many are scared of going against what they have been told about health and fitness.

Reetz drew an analogy between activism and translation: the act of translating the struggles of those on the ground into a form legible to people in power, and convincing them to listen and take action. She pointed to the “brownface” incident last year, when an e-payment advertisement used an actor of Chinese ethnicity to portray four races. To her, the incident – which spawned a thousand thinkpieces – begged the question: How many different ways do advocates need to present racist violence and systemic racism, in order to convince people in power that it exists?

As the world is gripped by a pandemic, we are all facing challenges as we adapt to a new way of life – and that applies to activism, too! The panellists were asked about the adjustments they were making during COVID-19.

For Reetz, whose work revolves heavily around community-building, there is comfort to be found in collective healing in the absence of physical interaction. She pointed out how the pandemic has also served as a great lesson on how we can make our movements truly accessible to everyone – we can afford to unlearn a lot of internalised ableism and myths about productivity and self-worth. 

As a disability activist herself, Aarti noted that she finds comfort in sharing tips on self care, and in being a listening ear for those around her. She finds that compassion fatigue is a very real issue among activists – therefore, reminding ourselves to unplug and give ourselves space can be very useful. 

Filzah pointed out that while the learning curve to working remotely can be quite steep, physical distancing can become pretty intimate as well, as we bring people into our personal spaces.

Activists will always receive varying reactions from other people to their work. Filzah has experienced some pushback when she speak about female genital mutilation (FGM): People will comment that FGM is “not as severe” in Singapore as compared to other countries, implying that she should not bring it up at all, and instead focus on “more serious” issues. She has also been brushed off as “young and naïve” for talking about social justice issues. 

Similarly, Aarti often finds threats in her inbox from detractors accusing her advocacy of “glorifying unhealthiness”. She has been targeted online by people who create Facebook profiles impersonating her. She has found herself fetishised and objectified, and criticised for not fitting into the stereotypical image of a married Indian woman, too. 

On the different tack, Reetz admitted that she sometimes feels that she isn’t “queer enough” for queer spaces. She identified a couple of barriers to her in such spaces: one, the lingering prevalence of racism, and two, the way discourse tends to be dominated by cisgender gay men. Also, as a mentally ill person, she feels that her own story is sometimes framed as either “trauma porn” or “inspiration porn”. Being a light-skinned brown person with educational privilege also tokenises her. Lastly, she feels the pressure to present a perhaps artificially polished version of how she is coping with her own mental health (i.e. being a person in recovery), when the reality of healing is very messy. 

The audience then chimed in with questions for the panellists. Topics raised ranged from inclusivity in activism and dealing with “keyboard warriors” to supporting persons with mental health conditions. 

The trio’s final advice for budding activists was simple: “Do what you can with what you have.”

For many in the audience, the bravery of these three women was nothing short of inspirational. Participants thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the session that evening, and many requested a Part Two!

A Recap: the first Zoom edition of Sexual Assault First Responder Training

Written by Nur Atiqah Mohamad

On Saturday, 28 March 2020, AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) organised the first-ever online session of its Sexual Assault First Responder Training, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore.

Make that first and second. SACC held two online sessions that Saturday—apart from the regular SAFRT training, a special youth edition took place in the afternoon, with a focus on campus sexual violence. Both sessions were attended by about 50 participants each, and led by SACC staff Anisha Joseph and Lim Xiu Xuan.

Sexual assault, explained Anisha and Xiu Xuan during the sessions, is an action centred on power and control. While survivors are disproportionately women, sexual assault can happen to anyone regardless of gender, age and background. Dominant societal myths about sexual assault reinforce unfortunate misconceptions: e.g. that survivors are responsible for the abuse they experience. All too often, this leads them to cope with their trauma in silence.

Hence, sensitive first response is necessary for survivors’ healing processes, to ensure they reach out for the help they need. The goal of SAFRT is for participants to learn about consent, Singapore’s legal framework around sexual assault, trauma reactions and key skills of a first responder.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a few technical difficulties occurred at the beginning of the first session, but these were quickly resolved. Though it was their first time delivering SAFRT on Zoom, the trainers were very effective, utilising Zoom’s screen-sharing function to present their slides and show videos. For Q&As, participants could post their questions in the chat box, or use the “raise your hand” function and take turns to clarify their doubts verbally. They were even able to take part in smaller discussions amongst themselves, by being split into groups of 5-10 (via Zoom’s breakout room function). Many switched on their cameras so that they could see each other’s faces and communicate better.

The training started with a presentation of statistics about the prevalence of sexual assault in Singapore. In a survey by AWARE’s WeCan! initiative, more than 1 in three youth reported experiencing sexual violence. In late 2017, the number of people reaching out to SACC accelerated as a result of the #MeToo movement. While it is encouraging that more survivors are seeking help overall, Xiu Xuan and Anisha stressed that sexual violence is still very much underreported.

Participants were then shown a video about workplace sexual harassment, after which they engaged in a robust conversation about consent. Divided into two opposing positions, they had to justify why a particular act in the video constituted sexual harassment, or why it did not. The discussion revealed several societal expectations and norms that influence our views of what constitutes harassment.

Next, the trainers held a poll for participants to answer: Imagine you are crossing the road. Suddenly, a car comes towards you at high speed. What would be your reaction? Most participants’ responses varied between fight, flight and freeze.

Similarly, explained the trainers, survivors react in varied ways to assault. They also express a range of emotional or behavioral reactions—or sometimes none at all. There is no “one way” to be a survivor. However, widespread misunderstanding about how a survivor would “normally” behave can lead to a lack of patience from bystanders, and hence an insensitive response.

Hence, in first response there is nothing more important than empathy, active listening and the physical and psychological safety of survivors. A first responder ought to provide options and choices for the survivor, such as seeking support from counselling centres, taking legal action and informing authorities or external bodies.

Responding to a survivor’s disclosure can be tough. As a conclusion to the training, Xiu Xuan and Anisha shared four essential statements to remember as a first responder: “It’s not your fault”, “It’s your choice how to move forward”, “It’s your experience”, and “I’m here to support you”.

So concluded both of the four-and-a-half hour sessions that day. In fact, despite the long running time, participants were so passionate about the topics discussed that they suggested, in feedback, that even more time be given for discussions!

SACC’s next virtual Sexual Assault First Responder Training takes place Wednesday, 29 April, 3-8.30pm. Sign up now, or look out for future editions on our Eventbrite.

How does COVID-19 impact Foreign Domestic Workers? Seeking survey respondents and volunteer interviewers

8 May 2020: This survey has closed and we are no longer accepting any more responses. Thank you!

AWARE recognises that foreign domestic workers (FDWs) are facing unique challenges as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore. These include unprecedented changes to their living and working conditions, and possibly to their relationships with their employers.

Together with HOME, AWARE aims to take stock of these changes through an online survey. The results will add to AWARE’s ongoing research on foreign domestic workers performing eldercare in Singapore.

We are currently seeking two groups of people for this: FDWs who can take a simple survey, and volunteer interviewers who can assist them.

Survey-takers (domestic workers)

To take this survey, you must be a domestic worker looking after an older person (above the age of 67) in Singapore.

This survey has closed.

If you have completed the survey, please note that we will not be able to mail out the $10 NTUC vouchers until after Singapore’s circuit breaker is lifted. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Please note:

  • By answering the questions in the form, you give AWARE consent to use the information collected for research and advocacy purposes.
  • All responses will be kept confidential. Your identifying details will never be used in public communications.
  • Respondents will receive a $10 NTUC voucher as a token of appreciation for participating.

Volunteer interviewers

Thank you to all who have volunteered to assist with conducting this survey over the phone for FDWs who need translation! We have received an enthusiastic response and at this point, we are closing applications.

If you have any questions about this research, please email Preethi at projects@aware.org.sg

How the COVID-19 pandemic affects vulnerable women in Singapore

Gender and the Coronavirus

Few communities around the world have remained unscathed from the global COVID-19 outbreak. Yet the pandemic underscores the already stark inequalities experienced by women (and so many other vulnerable people), in areas such as unemployment, housing, caregiving and domestic violence. No wonder a recent headline from The Atlantic declared the coronavirus “a disaster for feminism”.

In this special report, we look at how this disaster is playing out for five particularly vulnerable groups of women in Singapore.

(A caveat: The below list is by no means exhaustive; other organisations—such as Sayoni, Project X, Beyond the Hijab and so on—would be able to shed more light on how COVID-19 affects other female communities in Singapore.)

If you would like to help AWARE support these groups, please consider donating to our Vulnerable Women’s Fund, to ensure that we can continue to provide, and if possible expand, our services during this crisis period.

Jump to section:

  1. Single mothers
  2. Foreign domestic workers
  3. Foreign spouses
  4. Family violence victims
  5. Workplace harassment victims

1. Single mothers

Low-income single parents are particularly vulnerable to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic due to their precarious financial situation, with only one income to support the whole family. AWARE has been in touch with several single mothers who currently reside at our Support, Housing and Enablement (S.H.E.) Project shelter. Prior to moving into S.H.E., most of them lived with their ex-spouses or stayed temporarily with family members in overcrowded apartments and situations of family violence or abuse. They have voiced concerns in three main areas: employment, health risks and childcare. 

Employment

One single mother and S.H.E. resident does house visits as part of her work. However, she has been unable to do any house visits since the COVID-19 outbreak began in February. This has reduced her pay to zero, as she gets paid by the number of completed house visits. So, while she is technically still employed, she has totally lost her financial stream.

Two S.H.E. residents who work in the F&B industry have seen a reduction of over 50% in customers at their workplaces. They worry about whether they will be retrenched due to poor business. On the other hand, an unemployed single mother resident is having a difficult time looking for employment, as many businesses have closed or have put a freeze on hiring.

Losing a job not only affects these women’s financial streams—it also affects their applications for HDB rental housing. Applying for HDB grants or loans requires them to produce 12 months’ worth of pay slips to prove that they have been in continuous employment for one year. 

Health risks

Six of the residents at S.H.E. work as frontline staff, in positions like cashier, waitress, food delivery rider, airport scanner and therapy assistant. They interact with a high number of individuals daily and are therefore put at a higher health risk during this pandemic. Although some workplaces do provide paid medical leave, as well as masks and gloves, these practices are not consistent across the board. One woman has expressed concern over not being provided hand sanitiser while delivering food as she is not able to access handwashing facilities while being on the go. 

Additionally, one resident also has a chronic illness which affects her immune system. But as a cashier, she does not have the privilege of working from home. She has to continue to work to ensure an income to afford her medication, putting her at a particularly vulnerable position in terms of her health. 

Furthermore, some of these single mothers are working on a contract or casual basis. This does not provide them with any medical benefits, such as paid medical leave or workplace health insurance. Nevertheless, as work is their only source of income, they have no choice but to continue.

Childcare

Two single mothers have seen their children’s programmes, such as therapy or enrichment activities, cancelled, making it difficult for them to arrange childcare. One mother was previously able to leave her children at various facilities while she completed her chores at home, but now has to split her time between cooking and doing housework while keeping an eye on her young children. Having the children at home has also increased grocery expenditure, as they have to be fed. For single mothers now experiencing a loss of income due to the pandemic, this increase in expenses further exacerbates their financial strain.

Childcare centres are implementing more stringent measures to protect against the spread of COVID-19, and doctors are issuing longer medical leave. This means that when children do fall sick, mothers have to employ childminders for more days than usual, another additional expense. For children issued with a Leave of Absence notice, the single mother as the primary caregiver has no choice but to use her annual leave, or even go on no-pay leave, to care for the child. What’s more, if schools or childcare centres were to close down entirely, the mothers would have to scramble to find alternative arrangements for childcare. 

Grasping at security during the COVID-19 pandemic

One unique aspect of our S.H.E. programme is that it provides housing for single mothers and their families for up to two years at a low monthly rental fee. Prior to moving into S.H.E, these families were enduring untenable living conditions, such as situations of family violence or abuse. One of them, a single mother with a 1-year-old baby, previously lived in a one-room rental apartment with four other family members, including a sister who was prone to violent tantrums. Being cooped up in a tiny space for long periods of time was extremely dangerous, especially with a baby, and stressful. 

The single mothers that we interviewed expressed great relief that they are not facing the COVID-19 pandemic in their previous homes. One mentioned that living with her ex-partner would have driven her to madness, as dealing with his toxicity and abuse would have been too much to handle. Another imagined the fighting, financial issues and overcrowding she would have to deal with living with her mother and sister.

For these mothers, renting from the open market is too expensive on just a single income. For most, their income is both too high to qualify for public rental and too low to afford open market rental. Furthermore, if they were to lose their jobs due to the pandemic, the possibility of losing their homes would loom large. Instead, by living at S.H.E., these single mothers are able to set aside some money for a rainy day instead of having to spend a big chunk of their income to pay rent. 

What can be done for them? The Singapore government could look into providing safe housing facilities for single-parent (and other vulnerable) families. Housing is a basic need that all citizens, regardless of marital status or family structure, should be enabled to access. Safe housing is especially crucial in a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, where families may be isolated in confined spaces with their abusers. The recently announced Temporary Relief Fund will help these mothers, but more financial support would be welcome for workers who have no work or reduced work, regardless of employment status, to cover for loss income. 

Employers should provide all frontline staff with adequate protective gear, such as masks, gloves and hand sanitisers, and provide medical benefits such as paid medical leave, workplace health insurance, etc. Lastly, employers should provide sufficient parental leave or paid time off for low-income parents who are unable to work from home and have to take leave to care for their children.

AWARE’s #asinglelove campaign has compiled a page of useful resources and information for single parents in Singapore. Check it out here.

 

2. Foreign domestic workers

At the best of times, foreign domestic workers in Singapore are subject to difficult working conditions. They are excluded from our country’s primary labour law. The nature of their work has been used to justify unspecified working hours and a mandatory live-in requirement. Crises like COVID-19 bring unprecedented risks to FDWs’ physical, mental and financial health.

Strains on their physical health

As they are not allowed to live anywhere other than their employers’ homes, and may have limited personal space, FDWs may be more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 if their employers are exposed to it. FDWs are neither able to influence their employers’ travel decisions nor transfer to another household without their employer’s permission. FDWs may also be sent out of their homes to crowded supermarkets to stock up on groceries and protective gear such as masks, at their employer’s request. Meanwhile, they themselves may be unable to buy masks and sanitisers at reasonable prices, and so are dependent on their employers’ generosity to avail of these protective products.

Moreover, FDWs are probably the first line of defence for most families in their efforts to step up cleaning of their homes. Increased cleaning leads to an increase in their workload, especially in homes with elderly or young children. Since 2016, an average of 2,700 foreign domestic workers are recruited per year through the Advance Placement Scheme to help specifically with childcare and eldercare. FDWs looking after the elderly or immunodeficient children may also be at increased risk of contracting the disease from close contact with their care recipients.

Lack of information

As unnerving as the constant news coverage on the virus may be, Singaporeans are generally reassured by timely advisories from the government on best practices and official measures to ensure everyone’s safety. FDWs often lack the same access to media outlets carrying such messages and are unable to keep up to date on announcements in languages they don’t understand. This includes information on their rights—such as MOM’s advisory to employers that FDWs who choose to stay home during their rest day should not be given work, or should be compensated if they do work. Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), a non-profit that provides counselling and welfare services for domestic workers, reported being approached by domestic workers who have been prevented from leaving their employers’ homes, even to run important errands such as remitting salaries to their families overseas. 

Abuse is another concern when FDWs are unable to leave their living environments.  Government advisories to stay home during their rest days may remove their windows of respite from verbal or physical abuse at the hands of their employers and/or caregivers. 

Financial losses to them and families back home

Some FDWs have had their salaries withheld, while others have been forced to work without compensation.  

FDWs are also at increased risk of having their contracts terminated suddenly or with little notice. As reported in the media recently, fearful employers have gone so far as to cancel the work permits of FDWs while they are back home on annual leave. This leaves them suddenly unemployed and without even the option to transfer to another employer in Singapore. With the recent closure of entertainment venues, tuition centres and other places, employers who take hits to their own income may pass that on to FDWs, by either cutting their pay or not providing the usual salary increments. As more Singaporeans adopt working from home for the foreseeable future, they may be able to take on more household and caregiving work themselves, and may decide to reduce overall costs by letting go of their FDWs entirely.

Many FDWs come from families who are highly dependent on regular remittances of their salary to meet their own daily living expenses. This dependence may be exacerbated if family members’ own income is affected due to quarantine or stay home measures by their governments. If FDWs are unable to remit their salaries for whatever reason, their families’ financial ordeals may worsen, which could lead to a further sense of helplessness and frustration. 

FDWs may also be unable to travel home for their annual vacations due to the travel bans or advisories imposed on ASEAN countries. Even before formal travel advisories were announced, employers may have turned down their requests to take their contractual vacation due to fears of them being served Stay Home Notices upon their return. As mothers, wives and daughters themselves, FDWs could experience both fear for their loved ones’ safety and guilt for being away from them during this critical time.

It is important that FDW’s vulnerable working conditions are taken into account in planning for mitigation of these effects. In the short-term, the government could consider several actions. Firstly, it can increase outreach efforts to FDWs to inform them of their entitlements—e.g. the option to take their rest days on other days of the week to enable them to run important errands. Secondly, it can make it mandatory for employers to refrain from assigning FDWs work during their rest days.

 

3. Foreign spouses

Members of transnational families might be physically separated from each other during a pandemic, due to the travel restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the virus. 

In 2019, about 13,400 Singapore citizen children under the age of 21 had foreign parents residing in Singapore on either a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or a Work Pass.

Some of these children risk separation from their non-resident parents, who are now barred from re-entering the country unless they are LTVP holders or work pass holders providing essential services, such as healthcare and transport. Since 23 March 2020, parents who are on short-term visit passes cannot enter the country for the time being. 

Even for those on LTVP, great uncertainty still persists. The validity of LTVP varies in length, and there is no guarantee of successful renewal. Those whose LTVPs expire or are due for renewal during this period may end up losing their right to stay in Singapore, while possibly also encountering re-entry restrictions in their home countries, leaving them stuck between two places. 

Healthcare costs

Foreign spouses who are LTVP holders will, like citizens and Permanent Residents, benefit from government-subsidised rates when they receive treatment for the coronavirus in public hospitals. Testing fees are waived for all. And those on short-term visit passes will need to pay for the full cost of their treatment from 7 March 2020 onwards.

Impact on work and financial situation

Transnational families may face economic challenges as the pandemic persists. Family members of Work Pass holders barred from re-entering the country would lose a source of income. Low-income families will be hard hit, especially if they rely on work that is precarious and comes with little to no job security or benefits. As more social distancing measures are put in place, households may rely more on food delivery services, which could be prohibitively expensive or unaffordable to low-income families in the long run. 

Foreign spouses on LTVP can continue to work in the country. While national data on the number of LTVP holders by job industry is not publicly available, existing research and our own experience interviewing foreign wives on LTVP suggest that many tend to be doing frontline jobs, e.g. F&B, retail or home care. This work puts them at a higher risk of infection, given that they have close interaction with customers and clients.

Social isolation

Foreign spouses often have limited to no social support in Singapore. Physical isolation resulting from social distancing measures makes it even more difficult for foreign spouses to seek help in situations of family violence as they usually do not have friends and family in the country. 

Policy recommendations

While we have yet to observe if and how the response to the pandemic affects LTVP applications and renewals, we hope that more sensitivity will be shown to the situations of transnational families who could benefit from more stability in these uncertain times. 

During this crisis, the government could relax criteria for—or simply approve all—LTVP/+ applications and renewals by (i) foreign spouses of citizens and (ii) foreign parents of citizen children who are physically in Singapore. They could also allow abused foreign spouses to renew LTVP/+ independently of their citizen spouse. The government should consider extending employment and financial support for Singaporeans/PRs to all foreign spouses with citizen children. They too are part of our country and community and make contributions to our economy and society. 

4. Family violence victims

(Adapted from an op-ed originally published in Channel NewsAsia on 26 March 2020)

This March, AWARE received 619 calls (including WhatsApp messages, emails, walk-ins and referrals), which is our highest-ever number of monthly calls. There was a sharp uptick in individuals struggling with emotional and psychological distress and abuse.

Social workers AWARE spoke to recently reported similar increases in family violence cases and agree that isolation may be increasing the incidence of abuse, even as the circumstances and reasons that lead to people reaching out for help remains difficult to establish even under normal circumstances, let alone during crises.

One social worker highlighted that 60 per cent of recent daily referrals had been family violence related, up from 30 per cent last year. Another highlighted a couple of cases they saw that resulted in a sudden escalation in violence when families were given stay-at-home notices.

Pandemics and family violence

Crises like pandemics and natural disasters may be accompanied by an uptick in family violence because of three reasons. These reasons are closely associated with family violence’s roots in power and control.

First, pandemics are typically situations in which people’s lives may seem out of control. This could trigger abusers to lash out against their victims, in order to regain some semblance of control over a situation. An already abusive relationship may therefore worsen.

This may be why economic hardships themselves are a trigger for more abuse in a relationship. A research study on intimate partner violence and the global financial crisis in the US found that unemployment and economic hardship at the household level were positively related to abusive behaviour.

Second, social support – from family, friends or other sympathetic allies – is critical in helping family violence victims heal and build hope.

Yet containment measures, such as work-from-home arrangements or when workers are put on enforced leave, increase social isolation. Many victims may also feel that they can no longer seek refuge at the home of a friend or relative, especially those with elderly residents or children, for fear they could expose their families to the virus.

Third, the coronavirus crisis is likely going to push the world economy into recession, which will make it even more difficult for victims to leave abusive relationships.

Leaving an abusive partner often involves establishing financial independence – for example, by keeping a secret savings account that the abuser cannot access – but this will be more difficult if victims begin to lose jobs.

Not everyone can get help

Increased time spent at home may increase the incidence of family violence, as abusers and victims find themselves in close proximity 24/7.

But being forced to stay at home may also impact a victim’s help-seeking behaviour. Typically, victims call helplines and services when they are away from their abusers, such as at work, or out on an errand.

With more people spending time indoors, victims may be afraid to reach out for help, assessing that their abusers have a higher chance of finding out.

Services themselves might also be impacted as a result of COVID-19. For example, crisis shelters may be taking necessary precautions to close their doors if they deem the risk of infection to be high.

Helplines and social service organisations may be under pressure from increased demand and unable to respond promptly.

Addressing family violence

As we begin to track the secondary effects of the coronavirus crisis, we must include the impact of family violence, and prioritise services providing crucial support to victims.

Any stimulus package can include specific plans to build the long-term economic resilience of all those who have been affected, especially family violence victims. This will be crucial for them to maintain financial independence from their abusers.

The package can also provide financial and technological support to social service organisations so that they are not forced to scale back operations at this crucial time, and can instead use this as an opportunity to take more of their work online.

We are currently accepting applications for volunteer Helpliners. For more information, click here. 

5. Workplace harassment victims

In Singapore, remote work has never been as common as in other countries—which means that thousands of Singaporeans are now discovering the pros and cons of the home office for the very first time. 

As we redefine traditional work practices—such as formal dressing, responsiveness expectations and meeting protocol—many are, unfortunately, finding conventions of respect and etiquette eroding as well. Contrary to the general perception that remote work arrangements may prevent workplace harassment, telecommuting has seemingly opened up new avenues for harassers. 

Workplace harassment is not limited to statements and actions made within the office space. It can occur outside of the formal workplace, and through different modes of communications: email, text messaging, social media or video calls. In fact, AWARE’s Workplace Harassment & Discrimination Advisory (WHDA) has seen numerous clients reporting abusive and insulting language sent to them in group chats and emails, many outside of working hours. 

After all, the motivations behind harassment do not change as work arrangements change. The intention to humiliate, undermine and insult others still remains, even if potential victims are miles away.

New opportunities and new targets 

One form of cyber-harassment is technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV). TFSV includes unwanted and explicit sexual messages and calls, or image-based sexual abuse such as the non-consensual sharing of intimate photos.

The unprecedented amount of time people are spending online throughout the day may have opened up a new frontier of TFSV. In fact, technology gives rise to new ways for abusers to target both colleagues and strangers online.

Workers have reported a significant rise in “Zoom-bombing”, the phenomenon of unwanted guests intruding into online meetings for malicious purposes. Last week, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reported an incident of TFSV during a virtual social event held on the video conferencing platform Zoom: A group of people in the United States received a pornographic video while dialing into a virtual “Work from Home Happy Hour”, meant for friendly virtual socialising.

Getting away with it

With employees working from home, one-on-one video calls with colleagues have become a necessity. Yet they also present abusers the opportunity to harass, insult or belittle another individual without being witnessed or held accountable. Of course, not all in-person harassment is witnessed or documented either—but it is more likely to occur in a public space in front of colleagues, or over email or text message (i.e. a paper trail). With one-on-one calls, however, capturing evidence is more difficult. This lack of evidence makes it harder for a survivor to substantiate the harassment when making a report.

What’s more, cyber-harassment is often perceived as more “subtle” than offline harassment. In fact, it is equally distressing for survivors—but many employers fail to grasp this.

One WHDA client had previously received remarks on her age, weight and dressing style, which later escalated to verbal threats, from her manager while they worked in the office. However, she found her harassment complaint dismissed on the basis that her company’s new remote working arrangements would eliminate the problem for her. She continues to experience harassing text messages.

Delay in receiving tech support

Manpower shortages prompted by COVID-19 are causing delays in the detection and removal of rule-violating posts on some online platforms.

Social media platforms such as Facebook have to date played a vital and active role in addressing sexual exploitation on their platforms. However, the company recently announced potential delays in the detection and removal of rule-violating posts amid staff changes due to the impact of COVID-19. Delays in action on image-based sexual abuse have severe repercussions for survivors, as the longer an image remains hosted on a platform, the more potential downloads (and subsequent re-uploads) can take place—actions that are notoriously hard to track afterwards. At AWARE, we have witnessed first-hand how the unmanageably wide spread of such images results in a loss of dignity, privacy and sexual autonomy for a survivor.

While technology does allow for continued productivity in these disruptive times, we must be vigilant about the undesirable side effects of our mass online migration. Harassment (cyber or otherwise) causes mental anguish, depression and anxiety for survivors, and—aside from other repercussions—affects their job performance. All the more reason for companies to instill comprehensive guidelines to tackle the issue in a fair and sensitive manner.

Call our Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Advisory at 6777 0318 (Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.) if you need practical advice or emotional support for issues at your workplace.

Donate to AWARE’s Vulnerable Women’s Fund today.

Your donations will go towards three of our gender-equality programmes: our Women’s Helpline and Sexual Assault Care Centre, our S.H.E. Project Shelter and our research and advocacy.

Berryzuzu’s Story: “We only had each other, the three of us”

Our “Your Stories” series are submissions shared with us via email or in one-on-one interviews, for the purposes of our research and campaigns. All names have been changed (unless the use of real names was explicitly permitted by the author), and we have sought permission to publish from the authors/interviewees themselves. The opinions expressed in these posts do not represent those of AWARE.

Berryzuzu: It all started in 2002, when my mother left my dad. I was about 9. Things were really, really rough. My father was pretty depressed. He quit his job and we were in debt. Our bills were through the roof, but we couldn’t afford to pay them because my sisters and I were still in school (my elder sister was 12 at the time and my younger sister was 5).

My father didn’t show any sorrows despite being in that situation. He enjoyed bringing us to the badminton court every single night. He played his sorrows away by watching his daughters be happy, and that was enough.

Things took a turn for the worse when our electrical and water supplies got cut off. We tried to ask for help here and there, but were shunned. My mum couldn’t help us, because (I believe) her new, younger husband wouldn’t allow it. Yet we still needed to go to school and my sister was taking her PSLE exams.

My father would cook plain fried rice and we would sit at the void deck and share that plate, my father feeding us all. When we asked why we were sitting at the void deck, he said, “There’s a blackout at home. We sit here until the lights come back on, OK?” When the fact of the matter was that we didn’t have any power because our bills were overdue. We were kids and we didn’t know any better, so we just did our homework quietly at the void deck until it was late. He would bring us home and we would immediately go to sleep, too sleepy to notice the power was still out. He would stay up the whole night with the door open so we wouldn’t be too warm and stuffy as we slept. 

We also didn’t have any water. It got to the point where my father would bring us to the market to shower at the public toilets, with his excuse being “There’s a water shortage because HDB is doing some works.” We got chased out a few times but we didn’t understand why.

He came up with many creative ways for us to get by. He used a long hose to connect the pipe from the ground floor washing bay to our house and he would collect 1.5-litre bottles to fill up with water for us to drink and shower. When the police came by to ask him what he was doing, he would just pretend that he was washing his bicycle. He was caught a number of times and was given stern warnings, but he brushed it off for the sake of getting resources for his daughters.

When we went to the shop to get ourselves treats, he would always play the $2 game: All of us needed to find treats to amount to maximum $2. Whoever grabbed more than that lost. So we would be very careful in what we chose, making sure it didn’t exceed $2. It was a fun game.

My elder sister aced her PSLE and got into the Express stream, despite studying at night with the light of only one candle. I ranked third in my class despite studying at the void deck ’til late night. My younger sister was too young to understand much, except that all of us were happy and never demanding. My father disciplined us very well and taught us never to beg from others, no matter how bad of a state we were in. Until everything went downhill.

In 2004, when I was 11, my father passed away. It happened just two weeks after my grandfather, who was his father-in-law and best friend, passed away. He took our happiness, our light and our confidence away with him, turning our lives grim.

My mother was divorced from her second husband and was lost and desperate. Somehow, her colleague came into the picture and comforted her. He then became her third husband shortly after. We were happy and found a new ray of hope when my step sister was born. Things were peachy until I was 12 and going through early puberty. 

Somehow, my mum’s new husband felt a need to be very touchy with me. I didn’t know what was going on at that point; we were so used to having a father who wasn’t very touchy and didn’t show his affections.

In Secondary 1, while talking to a school counsellor about my home life (I was applying for financial assistance), I mentioned my stepfather being very touchy and affectionate. She told me that I was being molested, and insisted that I lodge a police report. As I was a minor, the school took action and called the Ministry of Social and Family Development without my knowledge. They reported my case to the police and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. 

A few police officers and MCYS officers brought me to the police station to take my statement. Then they told me that they were gonna bring me home to say goodbye and that they were bringing me to a shelter to seek protection. I protested. They told me they had already called my mum and that she was waiting for me at home, so I reluctantly got into the cab—the last time I am ever going to trust an officer. When we got in, the officer told the taxi uncle to bring us to Pertapis Children’s Home. I retaliated and even tried to open the taxi door to jump out, but everything was locked. I was warned that if I got hostile, they would have to call the Girls’ Home. I had no choice but to cry in silence and abide.

From that day, 4 August 2006, things just got worse for me. Though I was a victim of my stepfather, I ended up having to stay two years in Pertapis. This seemed really unfair but my mother refused to leave her husband for fear that my stepsister wouldn’t know her father, “like you all did”. So, out of pity, I served his “sentence” for him.

Please bear in mind that I had been a very disciplined child. After getting into the home, I picked up many habits like smoking, skipping school and dating. In there, we kids had to earn our incentives. We had to fight for outings, fight for respect. It was brutal, but it made me stronger, and I made some good friends.

I finally got out when I was 15 , and started working at Pizza Hut. Could my situation get any worse? Apparently, it could. My mum left us, moving to Batam. She rented out our home for income, while her three daughters had nowhere to stay.

With six of her own kids, an aunt took us in at their three-room flat. Everything was tight and strained. We appreciated them for taking us in and we’re forever in their debt, but what we went through was tough. Her husband despised us, so he made us do their house chores, especially washing clothes. Every day, we washed, dried and folded a mountain of dirty clothes. Many times, we got so tired that we slept on their kitchen floor in front of the washing machine, waiting for the clothes to finish a washing cycle.

I started committing fully to my work. I decided to drop out of Secondary 3 to support my sisters. We were thankful to receive some help from my sister’s school. However, my situation wasn’t that good. My form teacher found out where I worked, came in and demanded that my manager fire me. If not, she said, the school would fine the establishment for “making me” quit school. So I got fired.

There were nights when we didn’t have anything to eat. I would spend $2 on a 7-11 cup noodle and Gulp combo, and we’d eat together in the dark hawker center downstairs, waiting for our relatives to sleep before we came home.

We stayed at my aunt’s for a year before moving in with my sister’s boyfriend. We stayed there until I was about 18 and we got our house back. These were some of the saddest years of my life. We didn’t celebrate Hari Raya. Some people are fortunate enough to go through unfortunate events with their parents by their side; some have friends; some have aunties or grandparents to love them. We only had each other, the three of us. My sisters fell into depression with suicidal thoughts. They both were hospitalised multiple times. My younger sis attempted suicide a few times, and was referred to IMH.

I figured that I had to be the strong one.

So I started to work everywhere. I bailed on school countless times. I barely passed my N levels. I got into ITE College Central but dropped out soon after. I went to ITE College West for one and a half years, until I was so committed to working full time that I had to drop out at the very last minute before the exams. Then I got accepted into College East, but was bullied by my teacher into dropping out.

In between, I faced two pregnancies with different ex-boyfriends, neither of whom was mature enough to be responsible. The second pregnancy hurt more, because he told my family and me that he would marry me and help raise the baby. I carried the baby for four months until he decided to bail. I decided not to bring the baby up alone—I never wanted my child to suffer like me, struggling with finances.

My relationships were abusive. The guy responsible for my first pregnancy slapped me and pushed me down stairs right after I terminated the pregnancy, because I found out he had been with another woman during my abortion. I injured my ribs, knee and ears from falling down the stairs. The guy responsible for the second pregnancy also slapped me a lot, he pushed me until I fell, though not as badly as the first time.

Then, when I was 25, I met a psycho. This guy didn’t let me get away. If I walked away, he would restrain me and push me against a wall. He slapped me until I bled. He punched me until there were bruises all over my body. He never let me leave. Whenever I ran away from him, he would come to my block and make noise until I came down. He took my phone and my wallet. Twice he left me on a road or expressway because I asked for a break-up. He threatened to run me over if I tried to run away. It was brutal.

I found out that he had been cheating on me with his ex-girlfriend, and finally managed to end the relationship. But he and his ex proceeded to wreck my life for the next two years. They stalked me. They waited at my void deck and bus stop, waiting for me to come out of the house. They assaulted me over and over. They called me every day, threatened me, spread lies about me on social media, told others that they should beat me up. They ruined me.

In 2017, I met my current husband, and life slowly got better. I completed a part-time diploma. I got engaged and married shortly after, and now we are blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Now I have a full-time job, and am beginning to pursue my studies further.

I vow that my son will never have the life I did. Yet I am thankful for everything I went through because it made me who I am today. I am tenacious and resilient, despite all the challenges thrown my way. I learned how to survive.

I regret not staying in school. I regret giving into guys who just took advantage of me. I regret not standing up for myself more often. But now I have a chance to make things better for myself, for my son, for my family. So I want to tell everyone that no matter how many curveballs life throws at you, there is no such thing as impossible. Change starts with you. Get the right motivation to steer you into being a better version of yourself than you were yesterday.

AWARE announces winners of Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt contest to combat technology-facilitated sexual violence

This post was originally published as a press release on 10 March 2020.

10 March 2020 – Gender-equality organisation AWARE today announced two winners for its contest Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt, which aimed to crowdsource and develop solutions to technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV).

Taking Ctrl, Finding Alt was launched on 25 November 2019, accompanied by the release of new statistics on the TFSV cases seen by AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) between 2016 and 2018. Such cases, which include cyberharassment, digital voyeurism and non-consensual sharing of images, increased at SACC from 46 in 2016 to 124 in 2018. 

The contest was designed in recognition of the fact that while professional organisations can help fight sexual violence, para-professionals and community-based organisations have a role to play too in educating members, offering support and reinforcing anti-sexual violence messages. With 23 entries in total, contest applications closed in January, and assessment of the entries was carried out through February. 

Both winners will tackle image-based sexual abuse (IBSA)—a subset of TFSV that refers to the non-consensual creation, obtainment and/or distribution of private sexual images, as well as threats to do the above. The winners receive a funding package from AWARE, in addition to development support and specialised mentorship for a pilot phase over six months in 2020. Both projects will be evaluated for their impact by 25 November 2020. 

“With cases of image-based sexual abuse mounting at SACC in recent years, we know that this particular type of sexual violence needs urgent attention and action,” said AWARE Executive Director Corinna Lim. “The platforms on which TFSV occurs often determine how it is addressed, but we need holistic, community-based solutions instead. It’s fantastic to see energetic young problem-solvers identifying these survivor-centric gaps in the landscape.”

Winning Project: Providing Avenues to Take Action

The burden of responding to IBSA is often borne solely by the affected individual, especially if they do not feel comfortable reaching out for support. However, there is a noticeable lack of clear, actionable and Singapore-specific information on IBSA available online. This project aims to create a centralised website that those affected by IBSA in Singapore can turn to for clear, practical and up-to-date guidelines on taking action or finding support. The project will receive funding of $3,840.

This project is a collaboration between two researchers at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (a research organisation based at the Singapore University of Technology and Design) and Students for a Safer NUS (a group made up of NUS students that seeks to build community support for survivors of on-campus sexual violence).

“We noticed that Singapore, unlike Australia and some other countries, lacks a centralised website that people facing TFSV can use to decide what actions to take,” said project leads Catherine Chang and Holly Lynn Apsley. “Since the Internet is the first place many of us go when we need help, we felt that there was an urgent need for such a place online. As researchers, we felt compelled to turn the latest research and best practices into a usable public resource. Alongside specific guides to different sites and platforms, we will also offer explanations of Singapore law, police procedures and pathways to access support.”

Winning Project: Image-Based Sexual Abuse Research

This research project explores the recourse available to survivors of IBSA in Singapore, whether they have applied for civil remedies or relied upon online platforms’ community guidelines and moderation standards. The project will undertake a series of structured interviews to examine survivors’ experiences, focusing on the effectiveness of available measures, their impact on survivors, and an evaluation of the limitations or potential failures of these systems. Through this, the project also aims to make recommendations for practices to better serve survivors of IBSA. This project will receive funding of $4,800.

Project lead Lee Yi Ting is a freelancer carrying out research, writing and security training. She is passionate about gender justice and sexual rights, and spends her time working with organisations in Singapore that are focused on the same.

“Gender-based violence in any form is unacceptable,” said Lee. “If we are invested in gender equality, we need to recognise TFSV and IBSA for what they are: criminal acts, deeply rooted in misogyny and power inequality, that cause profound damage and distress.”

Looking for research respondents: members of transnational families

We are interested in interviewing members of transnational families to learn about your experiences living and working in Singapore, and how citizenship status affects your family life. 

To qualify, you must be one of the following:

1. A foreign spouse

  • Married/divorced/widowed/separated
  • Your spouse or ex-spouse must be Singaporean citizen, not PR
  • You must be on a Social Visit Pass or Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP/+). If you are a Permanent Resident (PR), you need to have been on LTVP/+ before.

2. A Singaporean citizen spouse

  • Currently married to a foreign spouse
  • Your spouse must be on a Social Visit Pass or Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP/+). If they are a Permanent Resident (PR), they need to have been on LTVP/+ before.


3. The child of a transnational couple

  • At least 18 years old
  • You must have one Singaporean citizen parent and one non-resident parent. Your non-resident parent must be on a Social Visit Pass or Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP/+). If they are a Permanent Resident (PR), they need to have been on LTVP/+ before.
  • Your parents can be married or divorced.


The interviews will be one hour long and conducted at a time and place of your convenience. They will be conducted between April and June 2020. Respondents will receive $30 as a token of appreciation.

If you are interested, or have any questions, please fill out this form with your contact details, or email Ning Qian at advocacy@aware.org.sg. Do feel free to ask for more clarifications about whether you fit the profile. 

Our line-up for International Women’s Month 2020

AWARE’s celebration of International Women’s Day extends far beyond just 8 March. We have a lot in store for you over the next few weeks, from panel discussions to film screenings to workshops – and a unique new comedy show. Hope to see you at some of the below! (More activities to be announced! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up.)

Starting Friday, 6 March: Am I Old?

 

Old woman, new tricks! Hot off her hit show Crazy Poor Sita, comedian Sharul Channa returns with Am I Old?: a darkly humourous monologue about ageing and caregiving (based on our research report “Make Care Count”!). Savitri (Channa) is a 68-year-old retired school teacher trying stand-up comedy for the first time, after a decade of caring for her aged mother. Am I Old? will feature post-show discussions with AWARE, caregivers and others. P.S. Get a 10% discount on your tickets with the promo code AWARE10!

Get tickets

Saturday, 14 March (and Other Dates): Women Make Film

 

The Projector is amping up its female-directed line-up of movies around IWD with its series Women Make Film. And on 14 March, AWARE’s Shailey Hingorani and Jasmine Ng will do a post-show discussion after the documentary Half the Picture. Why are there so few women directors in Hollywood? Through candid interviews, Half the Picture sheds light on stories of harassment, disrespect and bias. 

Get tickets

Wednesday, 18 March: Women in Politics

In Singapore, female politicians often face higher barriers and more gendered social expectations than men do – as made clear by the recent case of a female MP’s photograph being doctored in a sexual manner. How can we address these underlying gender inequalities and achieve a level playing field? At this Women in Politics panel, we’ll speak to NMP Anthea Ong, MP Sylvia Lim and MP Tin Pei Ling about their experiences navigating the local political scene.

Sign up now

Saturday, 21 March: Write Forum

 

Write Forum is back! Learn how to write persuasive advocacy letters from Dana and Margie, two former and current presidents of AWARE, at this fun and collaborative writing workshop.

[POSTPONED – More information to come]

Friday, 27 March: Not Just Snowflakes

 

“Am I a keyboard warrior? What do I have to do to be a ‘legit’ activist? How can I use my platforms for advocacy?” Not Just Snowflakes is an honest panel discussion with three young feminists: AWARE’s Filzah Sumartono, Reetaza Chatterjee from mental health zine Your Head Lah!, and writer/body positivity activist Aarti Olivia Dubey. Whether through storytelling, community building or art and writing, these activists challenge conventional notions of what activism looks like. Spend the evening in invigorating conversation!

[POSTPONED – More information to come]

Saturday, 28 March: Sexual Assault First Responder Training – TWO sessions!

 

We had to postpone our Sexual Assault First Responder Training in February, but we’re making up for it now with two March sessions! On 28 March, join our morning session (the standard SAFRT), or a special afternoon “youth” session designed specifically for students. The latter session will have a focus on school and campus sexual violence, and is open to anyone from 16-35 interested in learning about these scenarios. Don’t wait to get your ticket!

Sign up now

Saturday, 28 March: Birds & Bees

 

Our Birds & Bees workshop series for parents continues! Need help broaching sex ed with your kids? With guidance—e.g. the right vocabulary and conversational strategies—any parent can be enabled to start difficult but necessary conversations. Instil the right values in the young people in your life. Sign up here.

[POSTPONED – More information to come]

More IWD Celebrations Around the Community

 

On 8 March, attend an IWD Music and Market event at Kult Yard! Come join a kult of female DJs, live entertainment, makers, creators and entrepreneurs. Enjoy music, tasty food and refreshing drinks in the historic surrounds of Kult Yard. A portion of proceeds goes to AWARE. Soul sisters, unite! More info.

Enjoy You Go, Girl: IWD x Bottomless Brunch at Italian restaurant Monti on 8 March! From 11am – 3pm, bring your friends for a bottomless liquid gold brunch at Monti (at 1-Pavilion, 82 Collyer Quay) over complimentary manicures and tropical beats from the rotating DJs on deck. 50% of proceeds will go towards AWARE! More info.

The Skin Firm™ believes that the best natural skincare brands should (and could) be honestly priced. Founded by skincare chemists using natural ingredients sourced from around the world, the brand is pledging 20% of proceeds from their e-store throughout the month of Marchto AWARE. Take care of your face naturally!

Mediterranean restaurant Summerlong is hosting an exclusive brunch party ($30++ per person) with AWARE, Lisa Von Tang and the Dandy family: Fat Prince and Neon Pigeon! Happening this Sunday, 8 March, a portion of the food and beverage proceeds will be donated to AWARE. To make things extra special, fashion label Lisa Von Tang will be giving out $1,000 vouchers plus 10 free styling sessions to lucky winners of the day. Other fabulous prizes and takeaways will be handled out after brunch! Don’t miss DJ Victoria and DJ Liana too, who will be grooving on the day. More info.