On 6 January 2017, AWARE was pleased to host Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Members of Parliament Cheryl Chan and Rahayu Mahzam at the AWARE Centre.

It was a fruitful afternoon. We introduced to them the work that we do and the services we provide for women in crisis. The meeting was a good opportunity for us to engage on a range of social and policy issues that our team has been working on, from single parents’ access to public housing to the economic empowerment of low-income women. ESM Goh and his colleagues were receptive to our ideas and research findings. They in turn, offered valuable perspectives from the point of view of policymakers.

This meeting reaffirmed the importance of communication between civil society and policymakers. We hope for more opportunities and platforms for advocacy and engagement in the new year.