Group making constitutional changes to prevent a repeat of controversial leadership grab
By
Sue-Ann Chia
The Aware exco - (from left) assistant honorary secretary Corinna Lim, honorary secretary Yap Ching Wi, president Dana Lam and honorary treasurer Tan Joo Hymn - holding a press conference to outline its programme for the year ahead. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM
THE Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) on Monday announced new projects to champion women's issues, as well as constitutional changes to prevent a repeat of March's leadership grab by new members. One of its main goals: to publish a report in 2011 on the status of Singapore women, called The State Of The Nation's Women.
Its other plans include organising seminars, developing courses to educate and empower women, and expanding helplines for those who may be in distress.
But the women's advocacy group is also putting in place measures that it hopes will help keep its house in order. This is in the form of two constitutional changes:
First, those who want to stand for election to the executive committee must have been members for at least two years.
Second, executive committee members have the right to expel any member who acts against the group's interest.
Both moves are aimed at preventing a repeat of the incident earlier this year when a group of relative unknowns won nine of 12 exco seats at the March28 annual general meeting. They included bank executive Josie Lau, who became Aware president.
A fight-back by the ousted team and its supporters ensued, culminating in an extraordinary general meeting on May 2, when they regained control of Aware.
At a press conference on Monday to outline its future plans, Aware president Dana Lam made it clear that the group wants the chapter on the incident closed. She also introduced Aware's new 12-member exco - a mix of veterans and fresh faces.
In an acknowledgement that her team managed to wrest back control in large part due to supporters signing up as members and swelling Aware's ranks ten-fold to more than 3,270 members, she thanked all those who turned up on May 2 - even those who voted against her team.
The project on the State Of The Nation's Women will see Aware volunteers question women about their experiences and what they want from new policies and laws. 'The State Of The Nation's Women report will inform policymakers of the gaps between women's real needs and the instruments of state such as the Women's Charter that currently informs policies,' said Ms Lam.
Please read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times
