Constituency
AWARE Membership
As of 31 December 2022, AWARE has a strong base of 660 members. Out of these, 133 signed up as new members in 2022.
Annual General Meeting
AWARE held our 37th Annual General Meeting virtually on 23 April 2022. We were thrilled to be joined by 87 AWARE members over Zoom, marking the third time that AWARE has held a virtual AGM. Ong Soh Chin was elected as the new AWARE President, succeeding Margaret Thomas, who had served as President from 2018 to 2022. Ms Ong ran unopposed for the position and was enthusiastically welcomed by Ms Thomas, who commended her “extraordinary energy, level-headed judgement and abiding passion for gender issues”.
The other elected Board members include Elisa Kang, Fikri Alkhatib, Kathy Park, Laavanya Kathiravelu, Penelope Shone, Teo You Yenn, Zheng Huifen, Aarathi Arumugam (with Margie Thomas staying on as Immediate Past President). Three members—Fikri Alkhatib, Kathy Park and Laavanya Kathiravelu—were newcomers to the AWARE Board. At 29, Fikri Alkhatib was also AWARE’s youngest-ever Board member since the organisation instituted a Board in 2010. After the AGM, long-time AWARE volunteer Ho Shyn Yee was co-opted to the Board on 10 May 2022.
The new AWARE Board features not just ethnic diversity, but age diversity, with members in their 20s and their 70s, and a range of professional experience, with individuals from academia, civil service, law and different corporate environments.
Volunteer Engagement
AWARE received 220 volunteer applications in 2022 and engaged 168 volunteers, resulting in a 76% volunteer utilisation rate. In total, volunteers gave AWARE an estimated 10,000 hours of their service and skills.
Bringing back large-scale events, like Break Free! and Pulau Utopia, in addition to small-scale social events gave us opportunities to engage our volunteer base and build relationships for volunteer growth at AWARE.
We launched a new initiative, the Feminist Club, a bi-monthly series of events exclusive to AWARE’s constituents that aimed to build a stronger sense of community. Although still in its nascent stages, the Feminist Club was designed to be run by volunteers, for volunteers (and members and donors). Four Club meetings took place over 2022, with a total of 112 attendees.
We also built volunteering partnerships with student groups such as Project Parachute, a student volunteer initiative under the NUS Pro Bono Group, who are currently assisting with our Sexual Assault First Responder Training as well as developing collateral material for our Sexual Assault Care Centre.
Our volunteers inspire us with their energy and passion and we are incredibly grateful for their time, love and effort.
“I have been with AWARE for 20 years now! I started volunteering with a desire to give back to my community and help others, because I believe we make a life by what we give.
Now, as a veteran volunteer, I realise that learning is something that never stops. My time at AWARE has provided me with experiences and knowledge that have deeply enriched my personal growth. Thank you for the love, AWARE!”
Rangini Devi Kangesan
Break Free!
On 19 March, we held a one-day mini-festival at The Projector X to celebrate International Women’s Day under the theme “Break Free!”. The festival consisted of three events aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women. First up was a “Feminism For All” workshop, which provided attendees with a crash course in feminist history and theory. The workshop was designed to educate and inform attendees about the fundamental principles of feminism and how it relates to their daily lives. This was followed by a Trivia Night, where attendees put their knowledge of gender equality to the test. The night concluded with a charity screening of the Singaporean film Some Women and a conversation with the film’s director, Quen Wong, along with documentary subjects. The film provided an intimate look at the lives of several transgender women in Singapore and highlighted the importance of community and support. Our IWD celebration was a great success, with positive feedback and new sign-ups for AWARE’s Feminist Club.
Credit: Photographs by Yee Hui @okaypotato
