Written by Regalla Sharmistha, AWARE intern

Fifty-four members attended AWARE’s 34th Annual General Meeting on Saturday, 27 April 2019.

Typical of a non-election year, the meeting—chaired by AWARE President Margaret (Margie) Thomas—focused on AWARE’s achievements in the past year, and its plans for 2019. Members also shared suggestions for the organisation’s work.  

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the AWARE Saga, a historic civil society event that had a great impact on AWARE as an organisation. As Margie noted, the saga was a key impetus in the professionalisation of AWARE, turning it from a mostly volunteer-run organisation into the bustling NGO it is today. For a deeper look at the saga, Margie and AWARE Executive Director Corinna Lim encouraged members to attend Where Were You?, a party on 4 May at which footage of key events from 2009 will be screened.

The president also highlighted two major developments launched in 2018: the Power Fund, an initiative to support other women’s rights groups, and Singapore Alliance of Women in Ageing (SAWA), an alliance between four non-profits in Singapore with a focus on supporting elderly women.

Members then received updates from each of AWARE’s departments, based on the 2018 Annual Report.

Shailey Hingorani, Head of Research and Advocacy, reported on AWARE’s research and advocacy on low-income mothers and eldercare. She also highlighted the publication of Growing up Perempuan, an anthology about the lives of Muslim women in Singapore, which has sold more than 400 copies to date. The team is also conducting a nationwide survey on gender and work this year, and planning a longitudinal study on the impact that steady housing has on single, low-income parents.

Ashley Chua, program coordinator at the Women’s Care Centre (WCC), was proud to announce that WCC had launched a Syariah Law legal clinic in 2018. WCC also extended its Helpline hours, ran its first marketing campaign in Helpline history and recruited bilingual Helpliners, which contributed to a 32% increase in calls and 48% increase in counselling sessions. They expect a further increase in calls in 2019. This year, WCC is running a support group, and conducting trauma-informed training for volunteers.

Xiu Xuan Lim, case manager at AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC), reported a 54% increase in SACC cases in 2018. One big accomplishment in 2018 was the launch of Aim for Zero, a two-year campaign to push for zero tolerance towards sexual assault. The launch featured a video of survivors sharing their experiences to raise awareness about the issue; this video was shared on social media 1,000 times, racking up 70,000 views and extensive press coverage, within a week. SACC aims to continue its efforts under this campaign in 2019, and continue its Sexual Assault Awareness and First Responder Trainings for the public.

Corinna announced that 2018 was a remarkable year for AWARE’s corporate training arm, Catalyse Consulting, with a 77% increase in workshop participants. Apart from training, 2018 saw Catalyse branching into consultancy, conducting climate surveys on harassment issues and making recommendations to clients. This year, the CC team aims to extend their services to even more companies.

On the fundraising front, 2018 also saw growth, with a total of $1.9 million raised compared to $1.53 million in 2017. The final presentation of the day was by AWARE treasurer Jean Low, who gave an overview of AWARE’s financial status.

After the presentations, members had an opportunity to pose questions. Issues raised included the nuances of AWARE’s ongoing relationship with the government, AWARE’s efforts to support marginalised communities, and ways that the organisation can better accommodate its non-binary members.

Before the meeting adjourned for tea, Margie thanked the members for participating at the AGM. She assured members that AWARE would continue to do its best in fighting for an inclusive and diverse society.