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Alamak! 2015 nominations are open!

surpriseSeen a particularly excruciating example of sexism recently? A remark, advertisement, or policy that made you gnash your teeth and clench your fists?

Nominate it for the Alamak! Award 2015!

Every year, AWARE “honours” the most annoying, you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me instance of sexism in Singapore over the previous year with the Alamak! Award. Sadly, although we are well into the 21st century, there are still remarks, commercials and policies that perpetuate gender stereotypes and sexist attitudes.

Nominations for Alamak! are submitted by the public and shortlisted by AWARE. You can then vote for the most Alamak! moment of the year.

We’re collecting nominations throughout the year, so submit your nominee through our online form now. The “winner” will be announced at AWARE’s fundraising ball later this year.

Click here to submit your nomination!

You can see previous “winners” of Alamak! award here and here.

Gender Justice in Islam: A Public Discussion

FamilyJoin GEC (Gender Equality is our Culture) in collaboration with WALI (Women and Law in Islam) for a public discussion on Monday, 10th November at SCWO.

We will be exploring how and if gender justice exists within the Muslim context. Please register using the link below to join the conversation!

 

Event Details:

Date: Monday, 10 November, 2014

Time: 7:30pm – 9:30pm

Location: SCWO, 96 Waterloo Street Singapore 187967

Click here to register!

Response to Bio-ethics Advisory Committee

2013 – The Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC) was established by the Government in December 2000 to address the ethical, legal and social issues arising from human biomedical research and its applications. It develops and recommends policies on these issues, with the aim of protecting the rights and welfare of individuals, while allowing the biomedical sciences to develop and realise its full potential for the benefit of mankind. The BAC is currently examining the ethical, legal and social issues arising from recent developments in neuroscience research, with a focus on research involving any intervention on the human brain, or which affects the brain or mind significantly. Various policies and guidelines made by international organisations have been studied carefully. Local and international experts have also been consulted. Following deliberations on these issues, a consultation paper entitled “Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Neuroscience Research” has been prepared. AWARE was invited by the BAC to give our comments to the consultation paper, and we focused on specific sections in the paper.

Read our comments here.

Feedback for the Committee of Family Justice

2013 – The Committee for Family Justice was established in 2013 to look into reform to the family justice system to better deal with family disputes. This inter-agency committee is co-chaired by Senior Minister of State for Law Indranee Rajhah and Justice VK Rajah. The committee has compiled a list of issues relating to the family impact of all society and invited feedback from AWARE on the issues and concerns that the Committee should pay attention to. This review aims to determine the appropriate structure and operating model for the Family Court to better manage, resolve and adjudicate cases brought before the Court.

Read our feedback here. 

Happy International Women’s Day!

iwd-w300

There is much to celebrate this International Women’s Day (IWD).

After decades of lobbying by various NGOs, including AWARE, the government has finally introduced mandatory weekly rest days for foreign domestic workers.

The recent Budget 2012 announcement included several measures that will better provide for elderly Singaporeans, as well as lighten the financial burden for their caregivers.

Foreign-born spouses of Singapore citizens will soon be eligible for the Long Term Visit Pass Plus, which will help this socially vulnerable group in terms of employment prospects and healthcare subsidies.

And AWARE is proud to have played a pivotal role in the repeal of Section 157(d) of the Evidence Act, which made it possible to use a rape victim’s sexual history to impeach her moral character. We are also heartened that the government is sympathetic to the removal of marital rape immunity, as indicated during a recent Parliament debate.

But much more remains to be done. 

In line with IWD 2012’s theme of Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures, we hope in particular to reach out to young women and men in Singapore this year, and act as a catalyst in spurring their engagement in working towards gender equality in Singapore.

To celebrate IWD, we are launching a new Facebook campaign

 I AM AWARE

‎Through this initiative, we aim to raise awareness about gender-related issues that are close to our hearts.

These include: The role gender equality must play in order to improve Singapore’s fertility rate; the persistent gender wage gap; the objectification of women in Singapore’s media culture, and more.

Through the I AM AWARE website, you can create and share messages about gender equality with your Facebook friends, and also find out more about how AWARE works to improve the lives of women in Singapore with our support services, training programmes and research and advocacy initiatives.

We hope you will help us spread the word by visiting the I AM AWARE website and sharing your messages about gender equality with your Facebook friends.

On March 24, we will also be holding a Roundtable event to discuss whether Budget 2012 adequately protects and supports vulnerable women in Singapore. We hope you will join us and let us know your views on this year’s Budget priorities.

Thank you so much for your support, and have a wonderful International Women’s Day!

AWARE Awards 2011: The nominees

We had such strong nominations for the inaugural AWARE Awards that the judges had a tough time deciding on the short list.

The nominations for Singapore’s first gender equality awards were made by members of the public, as well as members of AWARE.

Each nominee has made a significant contribution to promoting gender equality. For the judges, the key factors for deciding of the shortlist were the effort and impact of the nominee’s contribution and the nominee’s identification with gender equality.

The judging panel comprised: AWARE board member and education entrepreneur Lindy Ong, playwright Eleanor Wong, journalist Ong Soh Chin, academic Philip Holden and ambassador-at-large Professor Tommy Koh.

The winners will be unveiled at our Big Ball fundraising gala on October 17.

SHORTLIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE AWARE HEROINE AWARD

Radha Basu, Senior Correspondent, The Straits Times

Nominated for her tireless pursuit of news stories that raise awareness about issues facing women in Singapore, particularly marginalised and vulnerable groups such as domestic workers and victims of trafficking.

Readers and policy-makers alike have taken notice of her work, which include news articles, features and commentaries that document concerns such as gender equality, fertility, aging, discrimination faced by pregnant women, family violence, human trafficking and gender wage gap.

Jean Chong, Co-Founder, Sayoni

Nominated for representing Singapore women on issues of discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, including presenting a shadow report on LGBT issues to the UN CEDAW committee.

She co-founded LGBT activism group Sayoni and facilitated projects to give lesbians a voice. These include the publication of the Coming Out Guide for LGBT persons and a bi-annual national survey of queer women.

She was the first chairperson of the Free Community Church, the first LGBT friendly church in Singapore, representing women in the Christian community.

Halimah Yacob, Minister of State, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS)

Nominated for her leadership and vision as the Director ofNTUC’s Women’s Development Secretariat, which provides support to single mothers, lower-income women seeking employment, women rejoining the work force and women seeking leadership in various unions.

As a Member of Parliament, she has been passionate about raising issues that improve the lives of women, including anti-discrimination measures for pregnant female employees, protecting the rights of domestic workers, as well as protection against sexual harassment.

SHORTLIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE AWARE HERO AWARD

Benny Bong, Director, FamilyWorks

Nominated for his sterling work in the prevention of family violence and violence against women, especially in counselling male perpetrators of violence. He has made a significant contribution to policy discussions, training programmes and public education campaigns in this field.

He advocated for criminalising marital rape and has been instrumental in initiating training programmes for police officers on family violence dynamics. He was also the joint organiser of the International Violence Against Women Survey in Singapore in 2009.

Chan Wing Cheong, Associate Professor, NUS Law School

Nominated for his relentless advocacy for gender equality in family and criminal law. He regularly gives talks and writes papers on the subject, including a recent piece on giving homemakers due recognition in family law.

He conducted the International Violence Against Women Survey in 2009 together with Mr Bong. This was the first comprehensive effort of its kind in Singapore. He has also been outspoken about criminalising marital rape in the country.

SHORTLIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE AWARE YOUNG WONDER AWARD

Kwan Jin Yao, 20, Student Activist and Blogger

Nominated for his work in raising awareness and understanding of eating disorders and body image issues. He has organised road shows, exhibitions, workshops, programmes and campaigns such as Food is Not The Enemy (FiNTE), Beauty Redefined and Project WiTHIN to promote self-esteem and healthy eating habits among youth.

These initiatives aim to address significant social issues that contribute to eating disorders, and create a support system for those battling eating disorders.

Nicole Rebecca Seah, 24, Politician and Advertising Executive

Nominated for shattering gender and age barriers by becoming the youngest woman ever to run for Parliament, in the 2011 General Elections. She garnered 43.3 per cent of the vote share in the Marine Parade GRC, as a candidate from the National Solidarity Party.

She is a positive role model for young women and has inspired them to speak up and take a stand for what they believe in.

Jolene Tan, 28, Blogger and Co-Founder, No To Rape campaign

Nominated for her relentless efforts to combat sexism and misogyny in business, media, government and the society at large. She has brought the issue of marital rape to the forefront of public consciousness by co-founding the successful No To Rape campaign.

She also continues to provide a feminist perspective on various issues through her contributions to several sites and blogs such as The F word, a UK-based feminist website. Unlearning patriarchal conditioning and creating female-friendly spaces is her constant endeavour.

Wong Pei Chi, 27, Core Team Member, No To Rape campaign

Nominated for her work in raising awareness on the issue of marital rape through the No To Rape campaign, which collected over 3,600 signatures in a petition that asked the Prime Minister to abolish marital rape immunity in Singapore law.

Driven by a chance conversation with a marital rape survivor, she continues to keep this issue in the public consciousness through discussions with the media, Members of Parliament, community leaders, as well as members of the public.

Abuse women? Never, say men in Singapore

Singapore, 15th December – Some men do it in just one sentence; others make a little speech; a few of them burst into song. Some stand in front of the camera alone; but the majority are accompanied by their wives, daughters, colleagues, sisters, cousins, or friends. Most speak in English, but Malay, Mandarin and even Thai is also heard.

The 60 or so men who have submitted their videos to The Because I Love Her Project Facebook page say it in many different ways, but all of them say the same thing: “Because I Love Her I pledge to never condone violence against women.”

The Because I Love Her Project, AWARE’s latest undertaking to get men in Singapore to stand up and speak out about violence against women, is AWARE’s contribution to the White Ribbon Campaign, an annual global effort that started in 1991 to get men to take a stand against the abuse of women.

Launched on 25th November, which is the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women, the online video campaign was initially scheduled to end on 20th December. But the response has been so good that AWARE has extended the deadline and will keep accepting entries for the judge’s selection until 14th February 2011 – Valentine’s Day. A composite video compiling the best of the submissions will be released on International Women’s Day (8th March) next year.

“We’re seeing some very powerful and moving statements being made, and some pledges are really creatively done. That’s why we’ve decided to keep this campaign running for two more months. Our aim is to give good guys a space to voice their protest. From the support we’ve received so far from men of all ages and backgrounds, it’s clear there are many guys out there who would do anything to protect the women in their life from any kind of violence. These men need to be heard and that’s what The Because I Love Her Project is about,” said Corinna Lim, AWARE’s Executive Director.

At the forefront of the campaign are four Champions – outstanding, well-respected men who are acting as spokesmen for the project. The Because I Love Her Champions are US Ambassador to Singapore David I. Adelman, former Nominated Member of Parliament Siew Kum Hong, Reverend Dr. Yap Kim Hao and actor Lim Kay Siu.

Notable videos have been submitted by a wide range of guys, including 12-year-old Utkarsh Mali, who declares his mother ‘the best mum in the world’; a capella group Vocaluptuous who sing a rendition of Nat King Cole’s L.O.V.E to band member Simone and; Kirpal Singh Sidhu and his 3-year-old son, Jasdev, that men should treat women as their equals.

“While women in Singapore have made much progress in many areas, the reality is that far too many still have to deal with violence,” Ms Lim said.

The 2010 International Violence Against Women Survey, conducted by the Society Against Family Violence and NUS, found that one in 10 women in Singapore has been a victim of violence.

The Subordinate Courts report that in 2009, an average of eight Personal Protection Order applications were made by women seeking legal protection from abuse or physical threats. For every protection order taken out, there are scores of others who suffer in silence.

“We know that the majority of men are opposed to this abuse. We call on them to join our campaign and record their pledge,” said Ms Lim. “To not condone violence against women includes not keeping quiet in the face of a culture which makes jokes about rape, date rape, drunken rampages and dominating through fear and intimidation.

“It means not remaining silent when other men brag of their abuses. It means stepping in to help the women in their lives who need their support. It means stepping up and being an everyday hero simply by saying, ‘That’s not funny. That is NOT cool’.”

AWARE is also seeking partners to collaborate with on this project – companies, organisations, schools or groups who want to contribute to the project through videos, sponsorship or other forms of support are all welcome.

Braema Mathi Joins AWARE as Research and Advocacy Director

AWARE is pleased to announce the appointment of Braema Mathi as Honorary Research and Advocacy Director.

Braema has a long history with AWARE, having joined in 1992, served two consecutive terms as President of the association, as well as heading up the CEDAW sub-committee. Part of her role is to review AWARE research and advocacy (R&A) priorities, then to set the framework and to put forth key areas to focus on in the short and long-term. This is the first time in AWARE’s history that a role such as this has been created.

Research and Advocacy forms one of the three pillars of our organisation (the other two being support services and the AWARE Training Institute). Her appointment strengthens the Research and Advocacy capabilities of AWARE.

Braema served as Nominated Member of Parliament from 2001 to 2004 and was a journalist with the Straits Times for nine years. In addition to her role at AWARE, she is also founder of MARUAH (Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, Singapore, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and A Recycling Network In Action (ARENA).

AWARE is thrilled to have Braema onboard, with her wealth of relevant experience as journalist, activist, researcher in human and women’s rights, at both local and international levels.

Men Are Essential To The Solution

Executive Director Corinna Lim encourages men to get involved with The Because I Love Her Project, AWARE’s online video campaign where good guys speak up about violence against women.

To not condone violence against women includes not being quiet in the face of a culture which makes jokes about rape, date rape, drunken rampages and dominating through fear and intimidation. It means not remaining silent when other men brag of their abuses. It means stepping in to help the women in their lives who need their support. It means stepping up and being an every day hero just by saying, “That’s not funny. That is NOT cool.”

Men have a huge impact on the behaviour of other men through being role models, through peer pressure and through stating clearly what is and what is not well regarded behaviour. Men get cues about acceptable behaviour from other men – from how they behave, what they assert… even what jokes they make. Men ultimately define masculinity for other men – they choose whether to play the a role of protector or supporter. They can also choose to never play the role of abuser.

Visit The Because I Love Her Facebook page for more information.