To commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we’re organising a full day of expert-led panels, sharing sessions and workshops.

Join us at the AWARE Centre on Saturday, 25 November to gain exclusive insights as we collectively work towards tackling the root of domestic violence. Check out the full programme below and register here

11:00 to 11:15 | Opening address by Lim Xiu Xuan, Deputy Director, CARE 

Xiu Xuan is the Deputy Director of AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre and Women’s Care Centre. She has supported survivors of sexual violence through casework and advocacy. Additionally, Xiu Xuan has conducted workshops for social sector professionals and the broader community, focusing on trauma-informed responses to disclosures of sexual assault.

11:15 to 12:15 | In Plain Sight, a Panel Discussion

Join us for a compelling panel discussion that delves into the shadows, where sexual assault often hides. Laavanya Kathiravelu, Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University and AWARE board member, will moderate a discussion with a diverse panel of experts.

Together, these experts will peel back the various layers of secrecy surrounding sexual assault. This discussion aims to expose the complexities that keep sexual assault hidden, from the complexities within families, communities, and workplaces to the unknown territory of under-reported incidents in places like religious institutions and the hidden world of chemsex among some queer youths.

We believe that by putting a light on these hidden circumstances and the causes that cloak them, attendees will be able to recognise, support, and refer victims to the treatment they require. Don’t miss out on this thought-provoking discussion as we work to uncover the hidden and develop a more supportive, informed community.

Panellists:

• Cindy Ng-Tay

Cindy is a social worker by training with extensive experience working with low-income families and persons experiencing violence and abuse. Over the years, she has developed and executed programmes that aim to address poverty, violence, and abuse in families and the community.

Cindy is passionate about issues relating to early childhood trauma, poverty, income inequality, and social mobility. She is an active advocate for disadvantaged communities in Singapore, where she contributes commentaries to local publications. She is also passionate about good social work practice and has developed a standards framework to guide programmes and services and a competency framework to guide the development of Social Workers and Social Service Practitioners.

• Shila Naidu

Shila is a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist with an interest in working with individuals who are vulnerable and marginalised, such as those from the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minorities, and people living with HIV. In addition to her work in private practice, Shila is also centre-manager at The Greenhouse, an inclusive, non-profit, trauma recovery centre for individuals struggling with substance use.

• Devika Panicker

Devika, actor and volunteer spokesperson with AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre, strives to dismantle the stigma surrounding survivors of sexual violence by sharing her personal experiences with sexual violence and insights on the lasting impact it has on victims, their families and society as a whole.

12:30 to 13:10 | Sharing Session: The Brotherhood

Meet representatives from Brotherhood, a groupwork programme by Thye Hwa Kwan Family Services. The programme engages men who have caused hurt as partners to be part of the solution to ending family violence and building a community to support the community.

In this short session, we will meet Principal Social Worker Ben Ang and a brother from the programme. The objective of this session is to inspire hope that people can change and to encourage including people who have caused harm as part of intervention strategies.

We hope you will join us to help create community collaborations that break the cycle of intergenerational family violence.

13:30 to 15:00 | Workshop: How to be an Active Bystander

Smart and sensitive bystander intervention can change a violent situation into a close call. But few of us know how to intervene effectively when someone around us is being harassed. In this workshop by Catalyse, you will gain a better understanding of harassment and the ability to evaluate live situations as they develop. You will also learn the five Ds of active bystanding: Delegate, Document, Dialogue, Distract and Direct.

Trainer

Chie Van Slobbe, Senior Consultant and Facilitator at Catalyse, is a highly experienced learning professional with a demonstrated history of delivering high impact and relevant learning solutions. With a strong background in development and delivery, Chie has honed her expertise in train-the- trainer programmes through her work as a master trainer for HSBC’s leadership programmes across 21 markets in the Asia Pacific region. She had a successful career in sales before transitioning into a learning and development role. Her work in diversity and inclusion, including the rollout of the Inclusive Leadership programme at Standard Chartered Bank, led her to volunteer at AWARE after moving to Singapore with her family.

Chie is a certified IECL Level 2 organisational coach, an accredited trainer for Everything DiSC, Facet 5, and a Human Centred Design Practitioner. She volunteers as a coach with Uplifters, supporting foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong and Singapore.

15:15 to 16:45 | Workshop: The Empathetic Listener’s Toolbox

An effective approach must provide safety, empathise, and listen. Which, while simple in theory, is not necessarily so simple in practise!

This session will build upon the skills you learned in SAFRT around empathy and listening. We will delve deeper into what these two important abilities need for us as responders and have the opportunity to practice in a safe and accountable environment.

Trainer

Rayann Condy is an experienced trainer and facilitator who coordinated the Aim for Zero initiative by AWARE. She is a facilitator for Sexual Assault First Responder Training (SAFRT). She was also a helpliner and legal clinic befriender. Rayann is also a certified intimacy coordinator and creates theatre and television sets that are safe and consent-informed.

REGISTER HERE