By Sharanjeet Locham, AWARE intern

History is not just the study of the past but the documentation of humanity’s successes and failures. It is with understanding of the past that individuals make sense of the present and predict or at least anticipate the future. Sometimes, we tend to forget where we come from or who is responsible for the position that we are in. This can be attributed to either collective amnesia or the careful rewriting of history. Either way, society is left in the dark when it comes to hidden historical narratives. We are often fed versions of the truth which are either incomplete or altered.

This could be said for women’s activism in Singapore. Little is known about the topic. However, in recent years, an interest in the history of women’s rights movements on the island has allowed historians to focus on the impact and legacy left behind by organisations who were pivotal in shaping today’s women’s rights movement. What they have uncovered was a whole new chapter of Singapore’s pre-independence history.

In order to learn more about the topic, AWARE invited Dr. Phyllis Chew for our monthly lunchtime talk, where we learnt more about the individuals behind pre-independence women’s rights activism in Singapore. Dr. Chew focused on activism in the 1950s. The organisation that would lead the charge was the Singapore Council of Women (SCW), established in 1952. Being the first women’s political action organisation in the country, it brought together women of different ethnicities and creeds who believed strongly in the protection of women’s rights. With over 2,000 members, it was deemed to be the largest group for five decades in the country.

In the 1950s, laws pertaining to the protection of women’s rights were limited and hardly the concern of many politicians who were engaged in setting up the post-colonial state. One of the most pressing issues was that of marriage inequality, and specifically that of polygamy. The law gave men power to easily divorce and remarry at will, or not divorce at all but take on multiple wives. Wealthy men were able to marry multiple women only to leave them in distress and in unfortunate circumstances due to their lack financial independence. This injustice attracted the attention of its founding members, Shirin Fozdar and Mrs George Lee, who were upset at the state of affairs. They soon took up the cause and lobbied for judicial changes to be made.

The slogan “one man, one wife” became the rallying cry for the SCW. Dr. Chew shared documents from the National Archives which highlighted the groups tenacity and spirit in campaigning against this issue. Some of the documents included the SCW Handbill for Malays and Correspondents (1954) written by Ms Fozdar, calling for the abolition of polygamy. Other documents included a petition sent to the Sultans of Malaya in 1955, suggesting social and judicial changes to empower the women in their jurisdictions. What was evident from these documents was the tightrope which the SCW had to walk on. As polygamy was closely intertwined with matters of faith, the organisation had to tread carefully between maintaining religion harmony and standing up for what they deemed was right. It was fascinating to not only re-experience the birth of women’s rights activism in Singapore but also witness the courage that these women had to stand up against the status quo in a time where gender equality was a distant dream.

In 1955, the Sharia’ Courts were established at the persistence of the SCW as a solution.  However, credit in establishing the court was not given to the SCW’s extensive lobbying. Before it was eventually outlawed in 1961, the courts were responsible for matters of marriage and divorce, demanding husbands to pay alimony. This was a major victory for the protection of women’s financial security in instances of divorce. The SWC efforts extended far beyond that of combating against polygamy. They, too, were responsible for the creation of the landmark proposal of the women’s rights bill which served as the framework for the Women’s Charter that became law in 1961. The bill outlawed polygamy, provided women with legal recourse against their husbands who have committed adultery or bigamy and other legislative provisions that protected women and girls.  

Apart from battling against the legal system, the SCW also empowered women by organising classes for self-defense, sewing, handicrafts and domestic science, all of which were meant to instill a sense of independence in women.  Despite the massive accomplishments made by SCW, its services were no longer needed when more institutionalised support that dealt with women’s issues, was made available to the public. The organisation was deregistered in the 1980s, when it was deemed to be inactive. Dr. Chew ended the session off on a reflective note, encouraging those present to contrast the experiences of women’s organisations of the past to those of today.

The uncovering of new historical material enables historians to reinsert the women of SWC into historical narratives, giving them the platform and a voice to tell their story, even years after the organisation’s deregistration. With their strong belief for the advancement of women, the SCW began the discourse surrounding the need to protect and empower women on the island, especially in the post-colonial era. The spirit of the SCW lives on in organisations such as AWARE, who actively fight and protect the rights of women. Just as in the 1950s, it is important that the rights of women are as protected and continually lobbied for.