The Singapore Management University (SMU) Shirin Fozdar Programme (SFP) and the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO), in collaboration with Star Shelter, Maintenance Support Central, and Society Against Family Violence, held Conference on the Move II: From Victim to Survivor on 23 November 2018. Taking place at the SCWO Centre, the conference aimed to shed light on how crisis shelters, public education and research can help eliminate violence against women.

In her welcome address, Ms Claire Chiang, Chairperson, Shirin Fozdar Programme, provided a snapshot of SFP’s milestones since its establishment, beginning with its work under the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), before it came to be institutionalised under SMU. Ms Chiang emphasised the importance of strengthening the resilience of a community and concluded by underscoring the importance of SFP’s continued collaboration with advocates (such as the Society Against Family Violence), businesses, institutions and the community to enhance connectivity, as well as to engage these groups and the public to nurture integrated perspectives.

Making an appearance at the conference as a special guest, local celebrity Ms Zoe Tay was present to launch the #You Can Say No campaign. In celebration of her 30 years in the media industry, Ms Tay has chosen to work with SCWO as part of her personal initiative to raise awareness on gender issues. A video clip featured Ms Tay’s poignant interviews with survivors who had been caught in situations of family violence, and who had ventured forward to break out of the cycle of suffering to rebuild their lives.

“During a trip to Cambodia, I visited a centre for victims of human trafficking. It made me feel that maybe I could help to raise awareness for such causes. I spoke to my managers and they suggested that I start an initiative here in Singapore,” said Ms Tay. Citing the statistic carried in the video, where about 1 in 10 women in Singapore has reported at least one incident of violence by a man, she encouraged all to step up and lend a helping hand to victims of domestic violence.

The awareness campaign, which was launched earlier in 2018 and initiated by Ms Tay, comprises a series of videos that underscore issues pertaining to domestic violence, workplace sexual harassment and date rape. With #You Can Say No, Ms Tay hopes to convey the message that women who are victims of family violence can seize their courage to ACT – an acronym which stood for Awareness, Connect and Take Precaution.

Highlights of the half day conference included presentations by SAFV President, Mr Benny Bong, SCWO Star Shelter managers Ms Elaine Juan and Ms Sarah Wee, as well as a sharing by a survivor who had successfully broken out of a cycle of domestic violence and rebuilt her life.

“SAFV’s goals are to develop and implement programmes that support frontliners, implement consultancy services for personnel and to serve as a clearing house facility to facilitate coordination of existing services,” said Mr Benny Bong, President of the Society Against Family Violence (SAFV). With his guidance, the SAFV was formed twenty-five years ago and has been active in the area of public education to raise awareness on the issue of family violence. SAFV has been offering training to social workers, counsellors and police officers and in June 2013, published a survey on International Violence Against Women.

Mr Bong emphasised that a “many hands” approach was essential, referring to the collaborative effort between government, voluntary organisations and individuals in tackling the challenging issues of family violence. In articulating his vision for the way ahead, he advocated for attention to be placed beyond safety, towards building stronger marriages.

Ms Elaine Juan from SCWO took the stage to deliver a presentation on SCWO and Star Shelter’s services. Serving as a temporary refuge for women and children who are survivors of violence, the Shelter serves 30 women and children at a time and up to 100 individuals annually. These “clients” are referred to Star Shelter by Family Service Centres, police, hospitals and the Family Court for an average stay of six months, where close to ninety per cent have experienced intimate partner violence. 

To help clients to heal and to get back on their feet, the Shelter’s “Restart Programme” delivers upskilling and reskilling workshops with a focus on financial literacy, budgeting, building an effective resume, effective communication skills, e-commerce and basic computer literacy. The Shelter aims to empower clients with knowledge pertaining to their marital rights and provide them with all-rounded support together with community partners.

This was followed by an experiential tour of Star Shelter via a ten minute video, as seen through the eyes of a new client. In the darkened room, Ms Lorraine Lim, a Manager at Star Shelter, invited members of the audience to close their eyes as she narrated the context of situation that had brought this client to the Shelter. Some members of the audience were visibly moved during the experience.

The conference drew an audience of more than 60 comprising government officials, VWOs, members of the public as well as students, staff and faculty from SMU.

[Featured Photo: (L-R) SCWO President, Dr June Goh, SFP Chairperson, Ms Claire Chiang, and Star Shelter Chairperson, Mrs Wee Wan Joo, at the Conference on the Move II: From Victim to Survivor on 23 November 2018.]