Unpublished Straits Times letter by Audrey Wong
I refer to the situation at the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) and would like to note a glaringly missing link in the media coverage: the lack of information on the organisation’s remarkable achievements over the 25 years since its founding. It is a true pioneer among civil society organistions in Singapore and its longstanding members including its founders like Dr Kanwaljit Soin and Constance Singam are well-respected in Singapore and abroad for their tireless work over the past three decades, that has led to positive change for women in Singapore.
It is easy for the media focus on more titillating topics like the new exco’s stance on homosexuality, but I feel that the coverage has done a disservice to women and to the organization’s excellent work. Aware’s research and advocacy work has contributed to bettering the lives of Singaporeans, such as: the revisions to the penal code in 2007 with regards to marital rape and the enactment of legislation with extra-territorial effect against child sex tourism; the constitutional change according the same citizenship rights to children born abroad of Singaporean women as for Singaporean men; the granting of equal access to medical benefits for spouses of female civil servants where previously only male civil servants had this privilege; reviewing of the quota of female students admitted to the medical faculty. On a daily basis, Aware has helped many women directly through its helpline, legal clinic and Befrienders programme.
This is the house that the so-called ‘old guard’ has built. Because of this, it is indeed troubling to hear that newcomers with a mere three months’ association with the organization and with no history of volunteering or working for the organization, have taken over en masse. It is even more disturbing to hear that they have sacked Braema Mathi as chairman of the committee preparing the report for CEDAW (the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which Singapore endorsed in 1995), despite Ms Mathi’s experience, expertise, and international standing. In a business corporation, there is usually the financial means to buy in the requisite expertise and consultants; the situation is vastly different for a non-profit, which usually operates on lean financial and human resources. This measure by the newly elected exco seems to be shortsighted and contrary to the sentiments expressed in the press statement released which spoke of recognizing the good work done by its predecessors.
I hope that the public realises the value of Aware’s work and understands why it was important for its older members to press the ‘newbies’ on their values and understanding of the principles of the organization. In the non-profit sector, the belief, values, and commitment of those who lead it matters a great deal.
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