From 27 February to 1 March, AWARE co-organised a regional conference in Yogyakarta, Indonesia to discuss “Working towards Justice and Equality in Muslim Families in Diverse Contexts”.
This conference was a collaboration between AWARE, Solidaritas Perempuan (SP) in Indonesia and the regional women’s rights group The Institute for Women’s Empowerment (IWE), and supported by the UN Women Fund for Gender Equality and Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women from Netherlands.
The conference featured participants from Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, aiming to share and develop strategies for achieving justice and equality in Muslim families in diverse contexts.
How can we promote justice and equality in the everyday reality of Muslim families in diverse contexts?
Muslim families are impacted by many factors, including interpretations of religion, customary rules, social and cultural traditions. These bring about changing realities, posing challenges for Muslim families in terms of relations within the family, as well as relations with the State and with society at large. Unfortunately, justice and equality for all family members are often overlooked, with negative consequences for girls and women.
The conference thus served as a safe space for advocates of justice and equality to share and develop strategies for promoting justice and equality for all members of Muslim families by equipping advocates to:
Address differences of opinion about human rights in Muslim contexts
Understand contestations and struggles between individuals, families and communities over issues of justice and equality
Analyse the roots of injustice and inequality – factors, actors and disempowering actions
Strategise effective ways and means for overcoming challenges to and maximising opportunities for promoting justice and equality for all members of Muslim families.
We also held a press conference with the Indonesian media in which we put forward the following recommendations to the Indonesian state and citizens:
To spread and increase awareness of the values of justice and gender equality to stop violence against women
To re-interpret religious texts that go against the values of justice and gender equality to bring about the realisation of human rights
To ask the government and legislative to promote, protect and fulfil human rights based on the constitution
To call on community leaders, religious leaders and academics to join and advance the cause of voicing values of justice and gender equality in both the public and private sphere
To invite the entire community to ensure that religious interpretations are just and gender-equitable.
The full press statement in Bahasa Indonesia can be viewed here.
Important: Due to limited resources and overwhelming demand for counselling services during this period, AWARE’s support groups have been cancelled until further notice. Clients seeking support for divorce-related issues can reach out to our Women’s Helpline at 1800 777 5555 to speak with a trained Helpliner, and explore other options, such as seeking legal advice and counselling services.
Divorce is a difficult path to take – but sometimes, staying on in the marriage can be just as challenging. Do you feel lonely or helpless, confused or lost about whether to rebuild your family, or make the painful decision of getting a divorce? Join AWARE’s support group for women at the tough stage of contemplating divorce. You will meet and draw support from other women facing similar struggles, and explore a different topic each week. Learn about helpful resources, support one another through emotional upheavals, and gain clarity and meaning in the decisions you’ll have to make.
“The support group has given me very valuable information, made me less afraid of difficulties in managing my marriage situation and relationship with my children. It’s made me aware that I am not alone, and there is help around.” – Former participant
Venue: AWARE Centre, 5 Dover Crescent, #01-22, Singapore 130005
Registrationfee: $100 ($50 to be refunded if 85% attendance is fulfilled)
Duration: 7 Weekly sessions
All interested applicants will be contacted 2 months prior to the start date.
A new survey indicates that sexual violence – from verbal and cyber-harassment to non- consensual touching and rape – is a significant part of young people’s social environment. However, few know how to seek help for themselves, or to provide it to their peers.
The study was carried out in 2014 by Change Makers volunteering with the We Can! campaign, as part of a collaboration with Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Diploma in Psychology Studies programme. They surveyed 500 respondents aged 17 to 25, who were mostly (59%) junior college students. Slightly over half (55%) of the respondents were female.
Perpetrators, victims and bystanders
Respondents were asked about their experiences of specific acts that constitute sexual violence. These included, for example, physical intimacy with someone who seemed unwilling; physical intimacy with someone who was too drunk to know what was going on; taking sexual photographs without consent; or making unwanted sexual advances or remarks.
For the purposes of this description, ‘sexual assault’ includes kissing, intimate touching or penetration without consent, and ‘sexual harassment’ includes all other acts of sexual violence included in the survey.
Key findings include:
Victims/survivors: More than 1 in 3 respondents (35%) reported experiencing sexual violence. 1 in 6 (16%) reported experiences of sexual assault and more than 1 in 4 (29%) reported experiences of sexual harassment.1 The most commonly reported experiences were receiving unwanted pornographic material and receiving unwanted sexual advances or remarks. For about 8 in 10 of all victims (83%), the perpetrator was someone they knew (significant other, family member, friend, classmate or acquaintance). For almost 9 in 10 victims of sexual assault (87%), the perpetrator was someone they knew.
Perpetrators: More than 1 in 5 respondents (22%) reported having perpetrated sexual violence. About half of those (11%) reported that they had perpetrated sexual assault.
Bystanders: Almost half of all respondents (47%) knew a victim of sexual violence. More than 1 in 3 (37%) knew someone who had been sexually assaulted while 1 in 3 (33%) knew someone who had been sexually harassed.2 4 in 10 respondents (41%) knew someone who had perpetrated sexual violence.
“It’s clear that sexual violence is relevant to many young people’s lives,” said Kokila Annamalai, We Can! campaign manager. “We urgently need to develop a culture of respect and healthy communication around sex.”
A culture which respects consent?
Respondents were asked about their attitudes towards the importance of seeking consent for physical intimacy in a range of social and relationship contexts. Key findings include:
40% did not consider it important to seek consent in marriage.
24% did not consider it important to seek consent in a dating relationship.
31% did not consider it important to seek consent in casual hook-ups.
38% did not consider it important to seek consent if they had been physically intimate with the same person before.
“These findings are troubling,” said Kokila Annamalai, We Can! campaign manager. “They tell us that much more needs to be done to build a culture that respects personal boundaries. Consent should never be seen as optional.”
Future directions for support and assistance
The survey addresses the question of help for victims of sexual violence. Key findings include:
When asked who they told about their experiences, the most frequent response from victims was that they had told no one or had told a friend. Some of the most frequent responses that victims received when they told someone were (a) that they should ignore it (b) the other party laughed.
Only 6% of all victims said they sought help (turning to family/friends, school counsellor, therapist, etc).
Some reasons cited by victims of sexual assault for not seeking help included embarrassment, shame, family shame, disbelief and self-blame.
Only 1 in 8 respondents who knew a victim said they offered help. A common theme that emerged was to offer their own advice, e.g. ask them to stand up for themselves, ignore it, avoid the person, be more careful in the future.
When respondents were asked the type of help they would prefer if they or someone they knew experienced sexual violence, the most frequent responses indicated a demand for formal support (counselling, legal counselling, assistance from the police and a helpline).
“These results make it clear that services for sexual assault victims, like those offered at the Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC), are very much needed,” says Jolene Tan, Programmes and Communications Senior Manager at AWARE, which runs SACC, Singapore’s only specialist service for sexual assault victims. “But more has to be done to raise awareness among potential users that these services exist – that they can have assistance in dealing with their experiences.”
“The survey confirms that whether victims of sexual assault seek the help they need is strongly influenced by people around them,” says Kokila Annamalai, We Can! campaign manager. “All of us need to develop a better understanding of sexual assault, to become more supportive peers and family members when those around us need it.”
Roundtable event
The We Can! campaign will be holding a Roundtable at AWARE on 1 April 2015 to present the survey findings and explore the questions that it raises in greater detail.
Date: 1 April, Wednesday Time: 7.30 – 9.30pm Venue: AWARE Centre, 5 Dover Crescent #01-22, Singapore 130005
[For media] Please RSVP to media@aware.org.sg if you would like to attend the roundtable. Due to the sensitive nature of the topics covered, we ask that media identify themselves to us so that we can inform other attendees.
About Sexual Assault Care Centre
The Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) at AWARE is Singapore’s first and only specialised drop-in centre supporting women who have been sexually assaulted, providing safe, free and confidential services that they need.
SACC offers a drop-in centre with an on-site social worker, a helpline (6779 0282), email support (sacc@aware.org.sg), legal information, therapeutic counselling and ‘befriender’ services – where a trained befriender accompanies clients to the police station, hospital or court.
About We Can!
We Can! End All Violence Against Women is a global movement to reduce social acceptance of gender-based violence by promoting gender equality, inclusivity and collective action spearheaded by ordinary people.
We Can! Singapore – launched in 2013 – uses interactive theatre, intimate workshops, and collaborative projects to empower individual Change Makers and organisations to reflect on and challenge social beliefs and behaviours that perpetuate violence in their communities.
On 5 March, AWARE held a roundtable to discuss the results of a study examining the ‘unmet needs of elderly women’ in Singapore. The study found that elderly women in Singapore face a range of problems such as financial issues, health problems and emotional challenges.
The study was conducted under the aegis of the Lien Centre for Social Innovation, which is conducting a series of studies on the unmet social needs of vulnerable populations in Singapore. This includes migrant workers, single parents, disabled persons, and elderly persons. For this study, 100 elderly persons were interviewed, of which 64 were women.
Presenter Balambigai Balakrishnan, a research associate at Lien Centre, discussed key findings and a few representative cases.
Key findings from the study:
Education: 80% of female respondents had only a secondary education or less, with older respondents having less education. This was attributed to discriminatory attitudes, with one respondent saying that her father had only sent her brothers to school.
Household arrangements of elderly persons are gendered: elderly men tended to live alone or live with their spouses, with fewer living with their children. By contrast, women often lived with their children. During these interviews, it emerged that this was so as men were often less able to contribute to household responsibilities, such as providing childcare.
Financial issues: many of the female respondents worked in low-skilled, low-income jobs e.g. as cleaners. While many respondents received money from their children, often supplementary income was required. Some of the respondents could not pay their bills, and others often subsisted on canned goods.
Health issues: Health, and paying for healthcare, was a recurrent concern amongst respondents. In addition, poor health limited female respondents’ ability to work.
Emotional problems: Due to financial and healthcare concerns, some women felt that they were a burden on their children who supported them financially. Others were estranged from their children and felt unable to rely on them for support.
During the discussion, Teo You Yenn, a sociologist and AWARE board member, mentioned her research on younger families in poverty – some scenarios described during the presentation were the future for many of the women she worked with.
Balam explained that elderly women in comparatively better situations tended to have better health, which made them more able to work. In fact, if they had ever worked, this tended to translate into better outcomes. However, employment histories are themselves related to education levels. “This shows that outcomes really depend on the luck of the draw,” an audience member commented. Teo You Yenn agreed, “Our social welfare system does not protect adequately against risk.”
The participants also briefly discussed solutions. Two major themes emerged: first, elderly women’s emotional and mental well-being should be attended to, as the depth of chronic mental and emotional stresses apparent in the respondents were striking. Ultimately, better social support could not be limited to financial support alone, although that is undoubtedly important. Second, advocacy groups and voluntary welfare organisations should develop a clear message about what interventions are required, to companies seeking to engage the underprivileged, in order to avoid misconceived corporate social responsibility efforts.
This is the oral statement AWARE prepared for the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations, held in New York (9 – 20 March). However, due to time and space constraints at the session, AWARE could not deliver this speech. We are publishing it on our website to emphasise the need for legislation prohibiting discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.
This oral statement was prepared on behalf of AWARE by Goh Li Sian, Leigh Pasqual, Vivienne Wee, Corinna Lim and Jolene Tan.
In 1995, the Beijing Platform for Action stated that Governments should provide “constitutional guarantees and/or enact appropriate legislation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex for all women and girls of all ages”.
In support of this agreement by all Governments of the world, we call upon Singapore’s Parliament to enshrine equality and non-discrimination for women under the law. This should be done by explicitly amending Singapore’s Constitution in order to afford equal protection before the law, regardless of gender, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Although Article 12 of Singapore’s Constitution guarantees to all persons equality before the law and equal protection of the law, discrimination is explicitly forbidden only on four grounds – “religion, race, descent or place of birth”. Gender, sexual orientation or gender identity is not explicitly protected against discrimination under the Constitution.
The Singapore Government has defended this lack of explicit recognition in the past. In its fourth periodic report to the United Nations’ CEDAW Committee, the Singapore Government reported that Article 12 of the Singapore Constitution stated that all Singaporean women enjoy equal rights as men. Furthermore, in response to a question from the United Nations’ CEDAW Committee, the Singapore Government argued that “while the legal basis for gender equality may not be as specific as the Committee would like, article 12(1) provides sufficient guarantee of equality to all Singaporeans”, regardless of “gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity”.
However, in a landmark case concerning the constitutionality of a law criminalising homosexual acts between men, Singapore’s highest court decided in 2014 that the Constitution in its present form forbids the state from engaging in discrimination only in relation to the specific grounds listed explicitly – that is, religion, race, descent, or place of birth. The Court emphasised that additional grounds could only be added by Parliament and not by statutory construction through the Courts, which means that protection against discrimination on any basis other than those explicitly identified cannot be assumed.
Since gender or gender identity are not explicitly mentioned in Article 12, women are simply not guaranteed equal protection by the Singapore Constitution. This flatly contradicts the Government’s previous reliance on the Constitution in responding to the CEDAW Committee and raises serious doubt as to whether the state is in compliance with its legal obligations.
There are also no laws specifically prohibiting private entities such as employers from discriminating on the basis of gender, except in relation to specific situations relating to maternity. An employer can thus, with impunity, sack a woman, refuse to hire or to promote her on the basis of gender.
The Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) thus supports the call stated in the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action for all Governments to provide “constitutional guarantees and/or enact appropriate legislation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex for all women and girls of all ages”. As we have shown in the case of Singapore, women can be guaranteed protection from discrimination only if their country’s Constitution is amended to do so explicitly and only if anti-discrimination laws are enacted.
By Leigh Pasqual, Honorary Research Associate for AWARE
This is the first part of a three-part series of posts about AWARE’s representation at an upcoming session of the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. First up: what is the CSW, and why does it matter to gender equality in Singapore?
What is the CSW?
The CSW is the main intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment. It was established in 1946 as a working commission of the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council.
Every year, the CSW holds a two-week session in March at UN Headquarters in New York, where representatives of member states, civil society groups and UN entities meet to discuss women’s rights around the world. They exchange experiences and best practices, and examine emerging issues.
The CSW focuses on one priority theme each year, based on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (see below/or add link jump). In 2011, the theme was ‘access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology’, while in 2013 the focus was on the ‘elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls’.
The CSW is a dynamic time for many advocates around the world who come to New York. We reconnect with colleagues and friends, expand knowledge, and form new partnerships. It is a time to celebrate and commemorate the important work of women’s movements to advance gender equality.
From 9-20 March 2015, the CSW will hold its 59th session. It’s particularly important as it will review progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted 20 years ago at the Fourth World Conference on Women.
CSW 59 is also called Beijing +20, in recognition of this anniversary. There are no current plans for a Fifth World Conference.
At CSW 59, the UN Secretary-General will release an official report that presents the global review of progress on women’s empowerment, women’s rights and gender equality. The report includes inputs from 166 countries – including Singapore – and civil society.
Find out more about CSW 59 here. Read the Singapore Government’s report here
What is the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action?
In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing concluded with a landmark set of commitments by countries for achieving gender equality. These were spelled out in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA).
The BPfA reaffirms the fundamental human rights of women and girls, and calls attention to ongoing violations of these rights in every part of the world. It puts forward an agenda to empower women and remove all obstacles to their active participation in all spheres of public and private life, through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. Twelve ‘critical areas of concern’ are spelled out, ranging from violence against women, unequal access to education and healthcare, the growing burden of poverty, to economic and political inequalities, and the impact of armed conflict on women and girls.
What is the connection between the CSW and CEDAW?
In 1963, efforts to consolidate standards on women’s rights led the UN General Assembly to request the CSW to draft a Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
The CSW was also translated the Declaration into a concrete framework to hold member states accountable for their actions to remove discrimination against women in their countries. This was the legally binding Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979. Singapore became a signatory in 1995.
Agreements and commitments made under the CSW are non-binding, but CEDAW legally obliges member states to take concrete steps to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.
What is the UN Economic and Social Council?
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six main organs of the UN. It is the main body responsible for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as for implementation of the internationally agreed development goals.
ECOSOC also serves as the central mechanism for the activities of the United Nations system and its specialised agencies (such as UNICEF, UNDP and UN WOMEN), and supervises the subsidiary and expert bodies in the economic, social and environmental fields.
ECOSOC engages many stakeholders – policymakers, parliamentarians, academics, major groups, foundations, business sector representatives and registered non-governmental organisations. NGOs can participate in UN deliberations by obtaining ‘consultative status’ with ECOSOC, giving them access to many intergovernmental meetings of ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, and to the various human rights mechanisms of the UN.
What does AWARE have to do with ECOSOC and the CSW?
Singapore has signed CEDAW, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
In 2014, AWARE obtained ECOSOC consultative status. We applied for this because Singapore is expanding its international role, making it important for AWARE to contribute not only to national but also international discussions around women’s. With ECOSOC status, we are regularly invited to meetings at the UN, and can expand our role in these international dialogues, which also affect Singapore.
AWARE is already involved with CEDAW, primarily by submitting Shadow Reports (link) on the situation in Singapore. Participating at an international level helps us increase our knowledge of policies, laws and practices in other countries. The UN is an important hub for international standard-setting.
CSW 59 will be the first time that AWARE will participate at the CSW as an NGO with consultative status. This gives us the chance to attend official intergovernmental sessions. Although we did not succeed in securing a place to make an oral statement at the session itself, we will be publishing our planned oral statement on the AWARE website.
Stay tuned for Part 2: AWARE’s planned oral statement!
Super kiasu me trudged through the snow storm to get my CSW pass and a ticket to the opening. (only 200 tix for over 6000 people!!)
Leigh Pasqual is a writer, communications strategist, and women’s rights advocate. She has worked with the United Nations and with nonprofit organisations in the United States, Singapore and other countries. She continues to consult with organisations on a broad range of development issues, and is the founder of a non-profit organisation – Good for Girls – dedicated to empowering girls and supporting their education.
ByGoh Li Sian, Research and Advocacy Coordinator, AWARE
We are troubled that the recently passed liquor control law has extended police powers to include discretionary strip searches for alcohol, with little public consultation in this regard (“New alcohol laws aimed at those who cause trouble”; Jan 31).
Even when conducted in good faith, strip searches are an extreme measure which substantially affects human dignity. They should be used only with especially compelling justification. Allowing police officers to deploy them so widely is a very significant step.
For a strip search to be legal, the Act requires only that the police officer has “reasonable suspicion”. This low threshold may authorise many unnecessary strip searches.
Moreover, these searches are not intended to locate dangerous items such as radioactive material or firearms, but alcohol, a substance which is not even illegal to possess.
This expansion of powers carries the danger of abuse.
The Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) has already been contacted by a female member of the public who is distressed at the possibility of being sexually assaulted by a police officer exercising these powers discriminatorily or abusively, with alcohol as a mere pretext.
Others have already raised concerns about the wide-ranging stop and search powers.
These concerns have not been allayed by police assurances to take action based on the situation. Should such a radical measure as strip searching be available at such broad discretion?
In 2013 and last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs held a consultation on restricting the public consumption of liquor and shortening sale hours of liquor at retail outlets.
Most participants favoured a partial ban on the public consumption of alcohol. However, it does not appear that participants were asked about whether police powers should be increased to enforce such measures, let alone their views on the use of strip searches.
Aware has had significant positive experiences with public consultations in the past.
For example, many individuals and groups were consulted in detail at various stages in the development of the Protection from Harassment Act.
We urge the Government to ensure that public consultations for laws which import wide-ranging restrictions on civil liberties always include seeking feedback on the text of the draft legislation, and not just feedback on broad principles.
This letter was first published in the Straits Times Forum on 10 February 2014.
ByGoh Li Sian, Research and Advocacy Coordinator, AWARE
We welcome the greater flexibility for Central Provident Fund (CPF) payouts proposed by the CPF advisory panel (“Proposed CPF changes give members more control”; Feb 5).
The proposed move to a lower Basic Retirement Sum is likely to improve Singaporeans’ access to their CPF monies.
However, it does not adequately resolve the underlying issue of financial insecurity of the elderly, especially women, because CPF is still pegged to employment and the level of wages earned by a person throughout his lifetime.
Women are more likely to leave the workforce to provide uncompensated domestic and care labour. As a result, they typically earn less than men, preventing them from accumulating CPF monies.
According to a 2013 Manpower Ministry report, women constitute 65 per cent of those outside the labour force. Forty-five per cent of these women, or 312,000 people, reported that they left the workforce due to family responsibilities, including caregiving. Such women are less likely to accumulate enough CPF savings to ensure their financial security in old age.
Last month, the Association of Women for Action and Research’s recommendations for the Budget supported Professor Chia Ngee Choon’s call for a basic pension scheme that is not reliant on employment. Women who have provided unwaged labour in the home by caring for children and elderly relatives would then at least be assured of financial security in their old age.
The panel has acknowledged that this is an area of concern. It noted that those who do not meet the Basic Retirement Sum should continue to get help from the Government through schemes outside the CPF, such as the Silver Support Scheme.
The complete details of the scheme are not yet known, but it promises to supplement payouts from needy elderly people’s CPF accounts, and will be introduced more fully in the Budget debate later this month.
We hope that the Silver Support Scheme will more fully provide for the financial needs of impoverished elderly men and women which are not currently met by the CPF.
This letter was first published in the Straits Times Forum on 14 February 2015.
This press release was sent out on 23 February 2015.
The Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) applauds the emphasis on redistributive policies in the breakthrough Budget speech delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam today. The DPM’s statement included a welcome commitment to the government’s redistributive role with increased assistance for lowincome groups supported by taxation of the top 5% earners.
“We are heartened by this recognition of the principles of collective responsibility, fairness and our duties to support one another as fellow citizens,” said Dr Vivienne Wee, AWARE’s Research and Advocacy Director. “The government has done well to increase social spending as a percentage of GDP, and to recognise the obligation of those who have benefited the most from the economy to give more back.”
Silver Support Scheme
“It is groundbreaking that Silver Support is a form of social support based on the individual needs of the recipient and not reliant on employment,” said Dr Wee. “We also applaud the automatic implementation avoiding application procedures that can hinder individuals. This is a good first step toward a universal basic pension.”
AWARE welcomes the DPM’s explicit recognition of the position of homemakers and the insufficiency of CPF in providing for their needs. Silver Support will also assist those who participate in the economy without formal employment, such as freelancers and contract workers. We look forward to further details of its implementation and urge the government to focus primarily on the criterion of lifetime earnings (rather than household situation or housing type) as the main indicator of an individual’s level of need for support.
Childcare and eldercare support
AWARE welcomes the government’s recognition that more support is needed for childcare and early childhood education, including reduction of the domestic worker levy.
“This will help more families meet childcare and eldercare needs,” said Dr Wee. “However, lowerincome households may not benefit from the levy concession as they cannot afford domestic workers regardless. We hope the government will also consider supporting caregiving by family members, who are usually women.”
AWARE also welcomes the universal provision of credits under the SkillsFuture scheme, which can be accessed by any individual regardless of their current employment status.
“This may assist women who are looking to return to the workforce after a period of unpaid caregiving, and who cannot rely on employers to fund their training,” said Dr Wee.
We hope that the Government will build on the promising new directions expressed in this Budget speech, and eventually address issues of eldercare more comprehensively (including paid eldercare leave). We hope in future years to see fuller recognition and material support of women who leave the workforce to care for their families, at great personal cost. These issues were highlighted in AWARE’s Budget recommendations from Januaryas requiring significant state planning and resource allocation.
From 27 February to 1 March, AWARE co-organised a regional conference in Yogyakarta, Indonesia to discuss “Working towards Justice and Equality in Muslim Families in Diverse Contexts”.
