PRESS RELEASE
On May 26, 2012, AWARE members elected the organisation’s 28th Board. The nine elected members, along with one co-opted member, will serve a two-year term, effective immediately.
From left: Immediate Past President Nicole Tan, Treasurer Zeng Li Hui, Board Member Margaret Thomas, Board Member Teo You Yenn, President Winifred Loh, Vice-President Lindy Ong, Vice-Treasurer Faeza Sirajudin, Board Member Wong Pei Chi (co-opted), and Board Member Jasmine Ng. The Secretary is Sunita Venkataraman (not pictured).
President
WINIFRED LOH
An AWARE member for 11 years, Winifred served as Vice-President in 2006/07 and was a member of the Executive Committee in 2004/05 and 2005/06.
A HR practitioner, she believes that diversity and inclusiveness are key ingredients for team success, and that gender is an important factor when it comes to ensuring this diversity. Her corporate leadership roles have given her experience in areas such as stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and performance management.
As President, she hopes to continue to influence positive changes in government policy and programmes by being the voice for gender equality in Singapore, and help to groom the next generation of women leaders for AWARE.
Vice-President
LINDY ONG
An education entrepreneur, Lindy has previously served as an AWARE Board Member, Honorary Secretary and as a member of the Education Sub-Committee. In 2011, she chaired the judging panel for the inaugural AWARE Awards, which celebrates champions of gender equality in Singapore.
As an AWARE member for the past 14 years, she champions AWARE’s ideals in both her personal and professional life, making sure that her work as an entrepreneur embraces gender equality.
Treasurer
ZENG LI HUI
An AWARE member for four years, Li Hui served as the Vice-Treasurer in 2011. She has six years of experience as an external auditor with Ernst & Young, and is familiar with financial reporting standards and the internal control matters of an organisation.
She hopes to assist in the management of AWARE’s accounts, and help ensure that the organisation is in a healthy financial position to continue assisting women who are in need of help.
Vice-Treasurer
FAEZA SIRAJUDIN
As an AWARE member for three years, Faeza has volunteered as a Helpliner, Befriender and contributed to AWARE’s Sexual Assault Befrienders Service.
As a Board Member, she would like to contribute more to the organisation’s efforts. “I am familiar with so many of the various minority communities in Singapore and I think I have insight into the needs and voices of women who are rarely seen or heard,” says Faeza.
She also handles her company’s finances and is familiar with accounting and auditing processes, which will be relevant in her role as Vice-Treasurer.
Secretary
SUNITA VENKATARAMAN
An AWARE member for four years, Sunita served as Board Member from 2010 to 2012, and has also contributed to the Helpline, AWARE’s 2009 micro-financing proposal, Budget recommendations, and AWARE’s governance and policies. She has 20 years of market research experience in the commercial sector, and strong connections in the corporate market research industry.
As Secretary, she hopes to contribute actively to the governance of AWARE and bring her experience in the corporate sector, as well as her experience of serving on the previous Board, to enabling a smooth transition. “AWARE is in a very strong position currently, both with the media as well as policy-makers,” says Sunita. “I look forward to the new board being able to strengthen this, and to further the cause of gender equality in Singapore.”
Board Member
TEO YOU YENN
An AWARE member for eight years, You Yenn has contributed to AWARE’s Beyond Babies Sub-Committee and helped to develop the History Of Feminism part of AWARE’s Gender Core Curriculum. She also served as Board Member from 2010 to 2012.
In her work as a sociologist, gender differentiation and inequalities have a prominent place. Her research and publications deal with how gender inequalities are reproduced by state policies, and she emphasises the importance of approaching scholarship with a gendered lens in her teaching.
As a Board Member over these past two years, she has advised on research, written op-eds and letters, and presented at AWARE’s Roundtable Discussions and forum events. “I hope I can continue to contribute in these areas,” says You Yenn. “I bring to AWARE my research, teaching and writing expertise. In the past two years, I have learnt a great deal about strategies for advocacy and communicating with a broader public. I hope to contribute to the process we have started of bringing about even greater rigour to our research programme.”
Board Member
MARGARET THOMAS
An AWARE member for 27 years, Margaret has served on five previous Executive Comittees and the 2010-2012 Board. A veteran journalist, she has been involved in media coverage of women’s issues and social/political matters.
With her extensive experience of AWARE and its advocacy agenda, she hopes to continue providing guidance and support as AWARE professionalises and pursues its goals in a changing social and political environment in Singapore.
Board Member
JASMINE NG KIN KIA
An AWARE member for three years, Jasmine contributed to the video team at the 2009 AWARE EOGM, videos for AWARE’s fundraiser concert in 2010, and the volunteer appreciation video shown at AWARE’s 25th Anniversary conference and fundraiser in 2011.
As a Board Member, she hopes to contribute her work experience in the media industry, twinned with her deepening commitment for civil society growth in Singapore, to help strategise and grow AWARE’s impact. “I am aware that there will be much to learn, and look forward to picking up much from the AWARE Board, executive staff and volunteer body, and to work together to be much larger than the sum of its parts,” says Jasmine.
She also hopes to help further strengthen links with the media and arts community in Singapore, particularly with young women practitioners.
Board Member
WONG PEI CHI
Pei Chi has been an AWARE member for three years. She is a key member of the No To Rape campaign, and won the inaugural AWARE Young Wonder award along with fellow team member Jolene Tan in 2011.
As part of the No To Rape campaign, she has communicated with parties who have an interest in marital rape and the related issues, such as Members of Parliament, government officials, social workers, community leaders, the media, and university groups.
She has also been part of the campaign team’s collective strategy planning, decision-making and research efforts. These include: Explaining the current provisions, why these are inadequate, the consequences for affected people, and questioning embedded narratives on gender roles in marriage and heterosexual relationships which are used to justify the retention of marital rape immunity.
The No To Rape campaign has strengthened her commitment to values of consent, anti-violence and bodily autonomy. As an AWARE Board Member, she hopes to deepen her participation in advocacy for gender equality in Singapore.
Immediate Past President
NICOLE TAN
An AWARE member for 15 years, corporate lawyer Nicole served as President from 2010 to 2012, and has also served as Assistant Secretary, Chair of the Legal Sub-Committee, and a member of the Professionalisation Sub-Committee.
“It has been an honour and privilege to serve as President during such a pivotal period of AWARE’s growth. I thank the volunteers and staff for their unstinting dedication. Their self-sacrifice and passion is commendable,” says Nicole. “AWARE has brought a gendered perspective to discussions on various issues on the national level, and I very much look forward to working with the new Board to help take the organisation even further.”
