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AWARE’s statement on the “outrage of modesty” posters
November 17th, 2019 | Gender-based Violence, News, Press Release
AWARE posted a brief comment on social media on 14 November about two new “outrage of modesty” posters by the Singapore Police Force.
Our intentions were to contribute constructively to the ongoing public conversation about sexual violence in Singapore. Our earlier comments did not fully spell out our position on this, which is set out below.
Sexual violence is a pervasive problem in our society, and language (visual or verbal) plays a huge part in shaping how our culture views sexual violence, even in very subtle ways.
It is a complex and emotive issue, with nuances that cannot reasonably be encapsulated in a single poster.
That said, it is important for AWARE, as a gender equality advocacy group, to discuss the negative impact that public education materials may have on women and sexual assault survivors, even when these implications are unintended.
The post was not targeted at the Singapore Police Force (SPF), with whom we have worked and continue to collaborate. The Singapore Police Force, the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Home Affairs have been extremely dynamic and effective in the last few years to enhance sexual assault laws, and reduce the trauma faced by sexual assault survivors while they step up their enforcement efforts. Much progress has been made and the commitment of the State to address sexual assault issues is not in question. We are heartened to see the State commit resources to continue its crime prevention efforts.
We fully support SPF’s key deterrence message—that molest is a crime recognised by the state, and that perpetrators will be held accountable for their actions. It is critical that the consequences of committing sexual violence be known to the general public. We were not suggesting otherwise and there was no criticism directed towards this.
We also want to recognise that these new posters are a significant improvement from some of the older “outrage of modesty” posters, with taglines like “Don’t get rubbed the wrong way”, which seemed to place responsibility of preventing sexual harassment on the potential victim, instead of on the perpetrator. We are, however, concerned with how the message was conveyed in these new posters. Namely:
a) the visual motif of the price tag on the molester’s hand
b) the tagline “2 years’ imprisonment: It is not worth it”.
Putting a price on molest likens the victim to an object on a store shelf that can be purchased if one is willing to pay the price. The poster does not say that this act is wrong, only that it is expensive. This analogy has the effect of erasing the experience of the victim and any viewer’s empathy for the victim.
AWARE takes a survivor-centric approach that underscores each individual’s dignity and rights. And we would like to see all ads, public-service or otherwise, informed by that belief. Survivors have, in fact, written to us to share their discomfort with the posters’ messaging.
We understand that these posters are part of a series that also target theft of property and rioting. While the price tag approach may work for those crimes, they do not work so well when applied to sexual assault crimes. These posters, while targeted at perpetrators, will be read by survivors as well, who may be put off by the messaging.
As the posters had been posted in public, at MRT stations where they had already seen by many commuters, we thought it was appropriate to post our comments in public. These ideas affect all of society, so there is value in opening this discourse to the public.
Given how complex and nuanced these matters are, we would be very happy to offer feedback and suggestions on any posters that the Police and other authorities wish to launch before they are published.