To complement the government’s national review of gender equality issues*, AWARE is organising a series of discussions with members of certain communities in Singapore. These discussions will explore relevant policies related to creating safe work and school spaces, inculcating a culture of consent, tackling discriminatory practices across sectors, navigating legal obstacles for non-traditional families, and more.
We want to encourage members of communities disproportionately affected by such issues to share their perspectives. From these discussions, we will co-create a policy wishlist with participants: joint recommendations on what the government should prioritise in its review.
The sessions will be held via Zoom and will not be video- or audio-recorded. We hope that the sessions serve as a safe space for participants with similar experiences to explore policy ideas and build consensus. We also hope to empower participants to continue their own advocacy efforts into the future. You do not need to have any background or expertise in policy to take part! After the session, you’ll receive a $30 token of appreciation.
The discussions have concluded. Click here to view the policy wishlists we created. Thank you to all who participated!
*Please note that AWARE’s discussions are not affiliated with the government’s ongoing “Conversations on Women’s Development”.
Community Groups
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1 Family caregivers for the elderly
If you are a caregiver of a family member aged 70 years and above, Singapore Alliance for Women in Ageing (SAWA) invites you to attend a discussion to share your experiences. What can be done to ease family caregivers’ burden? What policies need to be introduced to help both working and unemployed family caregivers for the elderly?
Date: 27 May 2021 (Thursday)
Time: 2pm-4m
Venue: Zoom
Read more and sign up here
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2 Divorced/widowed/separated migrant spouses
We want to hear about your experiences. Those who are contemplating divorce/separation but have not gone through with it yet are also welcome. Potential discussion topics include:
- Immigration, e.g. applying for Long Term Visit Pass and Permanent Residence
- Knowledge about legal rights as a migrant spouse
- Employment and housing options
Please note: We are only able to accommodate those who speak Bahasa, Mandarin and English speakers.
Read more and sign up for the language with which you feel most comfortable:
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3 Parents interested in sex ed
We want to hear your thoughts on sexuality education. Potential discussion topics include:
- Should parents play the primary role in their children’s sexual education?
- Current sex ed curriculum and suggestions for improvement
Read more and sign up here.
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4 MOE teachers
We want to hear your thoughts on sexuality education. Please note that while you do not need to be currently employed as an MOE teacher, you must have taught sexuality education in MOE schools sometime in the past five years to take part in this discussion. Potential discussion topics include:
- Experience with teaching the current sex ed curriculum
- Suggestions for improvement of curriculum
Read more and sign up here.
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5 Students (aged 16 - 26)
We want to hear your thoughts on sexuality education. Potential discussion topics include:
- Relevance of current sex ed curriculum to actual relationships and sexual encounters
- Suggestions for improvement of curriculum
Read more and sign up here.
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6 Students at Institutes of Higher Learning
We want to hear your thoughts on sexual misconduct at institutes of higher learning (IHLs). Potential discussion topics include:
- Confidentiality concerns of reporting of campus sexual misconduct
- Interim measures following reporting (e.g. safety protocols for limiting interactions between survivors and perpetrators after complaints)
- Protocols for how campus sexual misconduct investigations are carried out
- Support offered to survivors (e.g. counselling services)
- First Responder Training
Read more and sign up here.
* This session is open only to students who are currently enrolled at IHLs in Singapore.
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7 People who have experienced workplace discrimination
We want to hear about your experiences. Examples of workplace discrimination include: having your performance suddenly questioned after you announce your pregnancy, being criticised for applying for childcare or paternity leave to which you are legally entitled, receiving remarks implying that you are unable to perform well because you are of a certain race or gender, etc.
Potential discussion topics include:
- Discriminatory acts beyond the hiring the stage: How does discrimination manifest during your term of employment?
- Am I legally protected: Where can I report discrimination? Is there a need a for a national law against discrimination?
- Impacts of discrimination: How did it impact your performance, career growth or opportunities and personal choices?
Read more and sign up here.
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8 Workers at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Note: AWARE defines SMEs as companies with a group employment size of not more than 250 employees.
We want to hear your thoughts on workplace harassment and bullying. Potential discussion topics include:
- Gender and bullying
- Company policies: Should companies be liable to manage workplace bullying incidents?
- External reporting: How effective are non-legal reporting options, such as TAFEP and TADM, and legal options such as the Protection from Harassment Act?
- Laws against workplace bullying: Should the government mandate companies to implement training on workplace bullying and conduct fair investigations internally? Should there be legislation against workplace bullying?
Read more and sign up here.
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9 Workers at multinational corporations (MNCs)
We want to hear your thoughts on workplace harassment and bullying. Potential discussion topics include:
- Gender and bullying
- Company policies: Should companies be liable to manage workplace bullying incidents?
- External reporting: How effective are non-legal reporting options, such as TAFEP and TADM, and legal options such as the Protection from Harassment Act?
- Laws against workplace bullying: Should the government mandate companies to implement training on workplace bullying and conduct fair investigations internally? Should there be legislation against workplace bullying?
Read more and sign up here.
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10 Single parents
We want to hear about your experiences. Potential discussion topics include:
- Employment-related discrimination based on marital status
- Financial challenges single parents face
Read more and sign up here.
*This session is for Singaporeans only. If you are not a Singaporean citizen, please consider attending our community conversations for migrant spouses instead.
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11 Men
We want to hear your thoughts on the role of men* in advocating for gender equality. Potential discussion topics include:
- Toxic masculinity (e.g. ideas like “men cannot be emotionally vulnerable”, “men should be aggressive and assertive”, etc.)
- Prescribed gender roles (e.g. men as breadwinners of the family)
- How men can be better allies to people of other genders
Read more and sign up here.
* This session is open to men only, including cisgender and trans* men. The facilitator will also be male.
