EQUAL SPACEEQUAL VOICE

EQUAL WORTH REPORT TERM 2014-2016

CONTENTS

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

ABOUT SCWO

SCWO BOARD

ORGANISATIONAL CHART

COMMITTEES

OUR MEMBERS

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame

BoardAgender

Women’s Register

Star Shelter

Maintenance Support Central

Engaging our Members

Volunteers

International Conferences

Visitors

DONORS

FINANCIALS

1 2

“I’m not telling you that it is going to be easy, I’m

telling you that it is going to be worth it.”

The 18th Board was elected almost exactly 2 years to the

day on 28 June 2014 and it is my pleasant duty to report to

you what we have done this past Board Term.

Our Board Term coincided with SG50 and this allowed us

to take part in many initiatives which not only served our

membership, but also underscored SCWO’s role as an NGO

being entrusted to highlight women issues in our service to

our nation.

ACCREDITATION: UN ECOSOC AND AICHRSCWO was granted with Consultative Relationship with

the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human

Rights (AICHR) in May 2016. As a UN ECOSOC-accredited

non-governmental organizations (NGO) since May 2014,

SCWO also had the opportunity to attend the Commission

on Status on Women (CSW), which we did in 2015 and

also make a statement at United Nations Human Right’s

Council’s formal adoption of Singapore’s Universal Periodic

Review in June 2016.

MESSAGEFROM THE PRESIDENT

ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH We participated in submissions and dialogues and forums

on a variety of subjects including:

• Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

• Women and Poverty

• Education and Training

• Violence against Women / Trafficking in Persons

• Health

• Women and the Economy

• Women in Politics

• Retirement and Social Security Adequacy of Women

• Public Consultation on the Women’s Charter

• Gender Equality in the Workplace

• Women and Ageing

BOARDAGENDERSeptember 2015 saw BoardAgender’s inauguration of our

SG50 Champions of Change in conjunction with SG50.

CEDAW We led the successful celebration of 20 years of

the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) called “See

Doors Open” co-organised by SCWO, MSF and NTUC

WDS and PA WIN Council in October 2015. SCWO is

now working towards coordinating a joint CSO CEDAW

Shadow Report.

DELEGATION-HOSTING We hosted a total of 13 visiting delegations: Minister Chan

Chun Sing, Minister Bess Price, Changnyong City Council

of Women’s Organisations, South Korea, 31st Group of

Okinawa Women with Wings, European Council, Chiba

Prefectural Government, Asia-Pacific Ladies Friendship

Society, Lao Women Organization of the Ministry of Public

Works and Transport of Lao PDR, Yayasan Suara Wanita

(YASNITA). Minister Tan Chuan Jin (MSF), Dato Sri Rohani

Abdul Karim, Minister of Women, Family and Community

Development, Malaysia, Wheelock College, Mrs. Vahideh

Rahimpour and Dr. Tayebeh Mohammad (Iran) and

Mr Tjoki Aprianda Siregar, Minister Counsellor of the

Indonesian Embassy in Singapore and the Guangxi Zhuang

Autnomous Region Women’s Federation.

EVENTSWe hosted CEDAW workshops and forums and 3 well-

attended Presidents’ Forums, in November 2014 and

2 others in conjunction with our celebrations over the

Lunar New Year which also saw a presentation on the

Governance Partnership by Winifred Loh and Edna Leong

from Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (CNPL).

IT HUBIT Hub continued to conduct courses for members and

the public. A total of 15 different courses were offered

including basic computer skills, Facebook, internet, email

and web-design, photo-editing and movie-making,

PowerPoint and Excel. Student intake saw an 8% increase

and an 11% increase in volunteers.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY If IWD 2015 was sombre, IWD 2016 had the sassy theme

of “Marching to our own beat” and saw another 14

women inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of

Fame (SWHF). SWHF held an exhibition from 9 November

2015 to 22 January 2016 at the National Museum of

Singapore titled A Salute to the Pioneering Women of

Singapore and telling inspiring stories of the 119 SWHF

honourees from the first two induction cycles.

MAINTENANCE SUPPORT CENTRAL (MSC) In the Board Term, we assisted with 25 fresh maintenance

applications, 53 enforcement applications, 54 credit bureau

reporting cases, 327 legal clinic consultations on civil

matters, and 88 legal clinic consultations on Muslim law

matters. We conducted 6 public talks covering divorce,

maintenance, personal protection orders, financial literacy,

lasting powers of attorney and Muslim law issues reaching

out to more than 200 members of the public. Another

first was scored when the talk on maintenance was also

conducted in Mandarin. We also initiated an inaugural

talk cum workshop for social workers as part of our

Heart to Heart series to provide them with more in-depth

knowledge on common issues faced by them.

MEMBERSHIPThe term welcomed 4 new member organisations to

SCWO, bringing our total numbers to 60 organisations:

The Gentle Warrior’ Trust, Daughters of Tomorrow (DOT),

Woolf Works and Italian Women’s Group – Singapore.

NEW2U THRIFT SHOPFrom June 2014 till May 2016, revenue of $522,312.75

was raised in the New2U Thrift Shop.

OVERSEAS CONFERENCES AND MEETINGSBoard Members and staff attended various regional and

international conferences and meetings in the reporting

year including:

• 4 ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human

Rights (AICHR) meetings: Bangkok and Jakarta

• ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN)

Conference in Hanoi and Manila

• The Garden of Hope Conference on Shelters in

Phnom Penh and Workshop in Nepal

• The ASEAN Confederation of Women’s Organisations

(ACWO) General Assembly meeting in Kuala Lumpur

and Bangkok

• APEC Women and the Economy 2015 (Manila)

• Forum on Asian Practices: Gender Inclusion at Work

(Taipei)

• The Regional Workshop on the Economic

Participation of Women in ASEAN (Manila)

• Regional Consultation of the ACWC with CSOs

(Bangkok).

3 4

SCWO also made a historical visit to Pyongyang, North

Korea at the invitation of the Korean Women’s Democratic

Union with a delegation comprising self-funding past and

present Board Members and SWHF honourees.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEI initiated a monthly column called the President’s Message

to update you on upcoming events as well as report on

past events attended.

STAR SHELTEROur Shelter provided refuge for a total of 200 residents in

the reporting period, with our Art Therapy and gardening

project continuing to prove popular and productive.

Residents were treated to outings and activities kindly

sponsored by various companies and organisations.

VOLUNTEERSAn average of 175 volunteers per month was engaged in

various SCWO programmes from June 2014 to May 2016.

WOMEN’S REGISTER (WR)WR saw a quantum leap in membership in the reporting

year from 39 to 230 due to a membership drive. It

continues its dynamic talks on personal growth and

transformation and self-development.

CONCLUSIONAll of the above would not have been possible without the

dedication and support of my fellow Board Members, our

volunteers and committee members and the dynamism of

the Secretariat ably led by General Manager, Selina Gan, so

please join me in thanking them.

Yours in Service

Malathi DasPresident 2014 – 2016

Top row: Schutz Lee, Gina Romero, Xun-Ai Wong, Liezl Plaza, Margaret Thomas, Elizabeth Chia, Alison Tan, Denise Balhetchet, Angela Chong, Annie Song, Lorraine Lim, Selina Gan.

Middle row: Artchie Yuag, Elaine Juan, Joanna Portilla, Sharon Law, Amanda Ho, Sara Mei Woo.Seated: Triena Ong, Junie Foo, June Goh, Malathi Das, Laura Hwang, Shiong Yee Ho, Susie Wong.

Not in picture: Hazlina Amran-Halim

ABOUTSCWO

The Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) is the National Coordinating body of women’s organisations in

Singapore. It is incorporated in March 1980.

UEN No: S80SS0026C

Registered Address: 96 Waterloo Street Singapore 187967

Banker: DBS Bank

Auditor: Lo Hock Ling & Co.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES• To co-ordinate and act as a federation for women’s organisations, and to bring together all women leaders of

Singapore;

• To create opportunities for member organisations to share information and collaborate with each other;

• To identify areas of common interest, and purpose, and furthering these through unified effort;

• To foster friendly relationships, goodwill and understanding amongst women, irrespective of origin, race, or religion;

• To provide leadership and work positively towards peace and understanding throughout the world by actively

participating regionally and internationally with other like-minded organisations which subscribe to similar aims and

objects;

• To promote and improve the status of women in Singapore in all fields, and where necessary, seek legislative and policy

changes to ensure justice and equal opportunity for women as embodied in the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of

Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

• To serve as a resource centre for information about women in Singapore and carry out research and training

programmes that will benefit women;

• To provide direct and support services that address the needs of women in Singapore, with special focus on the needs

of vulnerable women.

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The BOARD

ORGANISATION CHART

Board Member

Ms Gina RomeroThe Athena Network

Board Member

Ms Joanna PortillaPA Women’s Integration

Network Council

Board Member

Ms Sara Mei WooSingapore Women’s Association

Board Member

Ms Schutz LeeSociety for WINGS

President

Ms Malathi DasZonta Club of Singapore

1st Vice President

Ms June GohAssociation of Women’s Doctors

2nd Vice President

Ms Margaret ThomasAssociation of Women for

Action & Research

3rd Vice President

Ms Shiong Yee HoNTUC Women’s Committee

Hon. Treasurer

Ms Junie FooFinancial Women’s Association

Asst. Hon. Treasurer

Ms Annie SongSingapore Business & Professional

Women – Mandarin Chapter

Hon. Gen. Secretary

Ms Susie WongBahai Office for the

Advancement of Women

Asst. Hon. Gen. Secretary

Ms Hazlina Bte Abdul HalimPPIS

Immediate Past President

Mrs Laura HwangInternational Women’s Forum

Co-Opt Board Member

Ms Triena Ong

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BOARDAGENDERCo-Chairperson Mrs Laura Hwang (IWF)

Co-Chairperson Ms Junie Foo (FWA)

Committee Member Mr Daniel Lin (ED, Viking Offshore

& Marine Ltd)

Committee Member Mr Patrick Ang (Dep. Managing

Partner, Rajah & Tann)

Committee Member Ms Claire Marie Ngo (Consultant,

CMN Consultancy)

Committee Member Ms Devyani Vaishampayan

(Regional HRD, G4S)

Committee Member Ms Elaine Wong (Director, Slingshot

Events)

Committee Member Ms Georgette Tan (Group Head,

Comms, Mastercard)

Committee Member Ms Joy Tan (Partner, Wong

Partnership)

Committee Member Ms Karen Loon (Partner, PWC LLP)

Committee Member Ms Low Chin Loo (Prog Dir, Wealth

Management Inst)

Committee Member Ms Penelope Ann Burt (Gov Affairs

& Public Policy, VISA)

Committee Member Ms Reeta Nathwani (MD, Alom

Global Consulting)

CEDAW, LEGISLATION & RESEARCHChairperson Ms Malathi Das (ZONTA)

Committee Member Dr June Goh (AWDS)

Committee Member Ms Hazlina Halim (PPIS)

Committee Member Ms Ruth Leong (Lecturer, Temasek

Polytechnic)

Committee Member Ms Triena Ong (BPW 3C)

COMPENSATION REVIEW President Ms Malathi Das

1st Vice President Dr June Goh

Honorary Treasurer Ms Junie Foo

Imm Past President Mrs Laura Hwang

SERVICE FUNDChairperson Ms Malathi Das (ZONTA)

Honorary Secretary Dr Aline Wong (IWF)

Honorary Treasurer Mrs Wee Wan Joo (ZONTA)

Committee Member Dr Ann Tan (AWDS)

Committee Member Ms Tracey Woon (IWF)

STAR SHELTERChairperson Mrs Wee Wan Joo (ZONTA)

Co-Chairperson Dr June Goh (AWDS)

Honorary Secretary Ms Ho Shiong Yee (NTUC WDS)

Honorary Treasurer Ms Junie Foo (FWA)

Committee Member Ms Jennie Yeo (NTUC WDS)

Committee Member Ms Nellie Lim (Social Worker)

Committee Member Sgt Nur Hasni Muji (Police

Representative)

WR (WOMEN’S REGISTER)Chairperson Ms Hazlina Halim (PPIS)

Committee Member Ms Gina Romero (Athena)

Committee Member Ms Elim Chew (Entrepreneur)

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEEChairperson Mrs Arfat Selvam (MD, Duane

Morris & Selvam LLP)

Committee Member Ms Tan Bee Lan (Snr Asst Dir Policy,

MSF OWD)

Committee Member Ms Tina Hung (Dy CEO, NCSS)

SINGAPORE WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME - RESOURCE PANEL

Chairperson Ms Margaret Thomas (AWARE)

Ms Doreen Liu (MD, World

Scientific Publishing)

Dr Geh Min (Opthamologist, Eye

Clinic & Surgery)

Dr Jennifer Lee (Chairman, AIC)

Mrs Laura Hwang (IWF)

Ms Malathi Das (ZONTA)

Mr Nick Aplin (Snr Lecturer, NTU)

Dr Phyllis Chew (Assoc Prof, NTU)

Ms Rosalind Heng (Retired

Principal, SCGS)

Mrs Wee Wan Joo (WINGS)

SINGAPORE WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME - SELECTION PANEL

Chairperson Prof Tommy Koh (Ambassador at

Large)

Mdm Halimah Yacob (Speaker of

Parliament)

Dr Aline Wong (Chancellor, SIM

University)

Mrs Rosa Daniel (CEO National

Heritage Board)

Dr Kevin Tan (Adjunct Professor,

NUS Law)

INVESTMENT Chairperson Ms Junie Foo (FWA)

Committee Member Mrs Laura Hwang (IWF)

Committee Member Mrs Lim Aye Ling (Inner Wheel East)

Committee Member Ms Schutz Lee (WINGS)

IT HUBChairperson Ms Sara Mei Woo (SWA)

LLL Asst Chair Mrs Mabel Quek (Retired)

Committee Member Mrs Emily Loo (Retired)

Committee Member Mrs Evelyn Tan (Proreal Realty –

Sales person)

Committee Member Mrs Mary Ho (Retired)

Committee Member Mrs Esther Pung (Retired)

Committee Member Dr Gavin Ewin (Retired)

MAINTENANCE SUPPORT CENTRALChairperson Ms Malathi Das (ZONTA)

Committee Member Mr Abdul Rahman (Abdul Rahman

Law Corpn)

Committee Member Ms Annie Song (SBPWA MC)

Committee Member Ms Foo Siew Fong (SAWL)

Committee Member Ms Helen Chia (Chia-Thomas Law

Chambers LLC)

Committee Member Mrs Laura Hwang (IWF)

Committee Member Mr Lim Tanguy (Director, Pro Bono

Svc Law Society)

Committee Member Mrs Wee Wan Joo (ZONTA)

MEMBERSHIPCo-Chairperson Ms Ho Shiong Yee (NTUC WDS)

Co-Chairperson Ms Joanna Portilla (PA WIN)

NEW2U THRIFT SHOPChairperson Ms Georgina Romero (ATHENA)

The COMMITTEES

9 10

25pioneering women were

inducted to the Singapore Women’s

Hall of Fame

289seniors learnt different skills on the computer

through the IT Hub

114men and women from various international organisations visited

the SCWO

433women benefitted from legal advice given by our volunteer lawyers at the

legal clinic sessions

27the number of local

seminars/ conferences/ consulations attended

by SCWO

18the number of

international conferences attended by SCWO

75women and children continue to benefit

from the Star Shelter programmes even after

they’ve left

50men and women leaders

champion for gender-balanced business in

Singapore

143women and children seeked refuge at the

Star Shelter and benefitted from the

programmes

ORDINARY MEMBERSAidha

American Women’s Association

Association of Women Doctors Singapore

Association of Women for Action & Research

Athena Network (The)

Australian & New Zealand Association

Baha’i Office for the Advancement of Women

Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (Singapore)

British Association of Singapore

Business & Professional Women’s Association (Spore)-3rd

Chapter

Chinese Women’s Association

Crescent Girls’ School Alumnae Association

Daughters of Tomorrow

Filipino Ladies Group (Singapore)

Financial Women’s Association (Singapore)

General Conference Women’s Society of Christian Service

Gentle Warriors’ Trust (The)

Indian Women’s Association

Inner Wheel Club of Singapore

Inner Wheel Club of Singapore - East

Inner Wheel Club of Singapore - West

International Women’s Federation of Commerce & Industry

(S’pore)

International Women’s Forum

Italian Women’s Group

Kamala Club (The), Singapore

Korean Women’s Association in Singapore

Majlis Pusat, Central Council of Malay Cultural

Organisations

Mums@Work

Netball Singapore

NTUC Women & Family Unit

PA Women’s Integration Network Council

PrimeTime Business & Professional Women’s Association

Singapore Association of Administrative Professionals

Singapore Association of Social Workers

Singapore Association of Women Lawyers

Singapore Business & Professional Women’s Association -

Main Chapter

Singapore Business & Professional Women’s Association -

Mandarin Chapter

Singapore Muslim Women’s Association (Persatuan Pemudi

Islam Singapura)

Singapore Nurses Association

Singapore Women’s Association

Society Against Family Violence

Society for Wings

Soroptimist International of Singapore

Soroptimist International of Singapore (Garden City)

Spanish Speaking Women’s Association

UN Development Fund for Women (Singapore Chapter)

University Women’s Association

Wicare Support Group

Women Empowered for Work and Mothering

Women’s Business Connection

Woolf Works Pte Ltd

Young Women’s Christian Association

Young Women’s Leadership Connection

Zonta Club of Singapore

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSDynamic Entrepreneur Women International (DEWI@

SMCCI)

Federation of Business and Professional Women Singapore

Shell Network of Women

Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry

(Women’s Indian Network)

Singapore Khalsa Association Ladies Wing

FRIENDS OF SCWOTSAO Foundation

OURMEMBERS

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1364claimants seeked

help from Maintenance Support Central

11 12

The Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame (SWHF) is a

virtual Hall of Fame that recognizes and honours the most

outstanding women of Singapore’s past and present.

The SWHF aims to document the myriad contributions of

women to the shaping of Singapore, showcase the values

that drive our outstanding women and share the stories

and values to inspire others, especially young Singaporeans,

to dare to dream and to chart their own path.

The 2015 induction ceremony was held on 27th March

2015 at the Fullerton Hotel. 11 women were presented

with The Flame trophy by Mdm Halimah Yacob, the

Guest-of-Honour for the event. The 2016 ceremony,

which honoured 14 inductees, was held on 18th March

2016 at the Shangri la hotel. Mrs Mary Tan, Patron of

SCWO, presented The Flame to the 2016 inductees. As

of May 2016, 133 incredible women have been inducted

into the Hall of Fame for their contributions across 13

different fields of endeavor.

THE SINGAPORE WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME

To raise public awareness and to share the inspiring stories

of the inductees, the SWHF has held outreach activities

such as exhibitions, school programs, public talks and

heritage walks. The SWHF’s school programme has reached

out to around 10, 000 students across 8 secondary schools

with assembly talks, workshops and exhibitions. The SWHF

Heritage Walk, titled “Walking in the Footsteps of our

Foremothers”, aims to create learning opportunities on

Singapore’s history through tracing the footsteps of some

of Singapore’s women pioneers and trailblazers in the Bras

Basah-Bugis area. The walk has been part of the National

Heritage Board’s annual HeritageFest for two years running

and has also been featured on the Channel 5 programme,

On the Red Dot.

In November 2015, the SWHF was invited to hold an

exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore for a

period of 5 weeks. This was later extended to 11 weeks.

Entitled “A Salute to the Pioneering Women of Singapore”,

the exhibition told the inspiring stories of the 119 SWHF

honourees from the first two induction cycles. It showcased

portraits of the inductees, milestones of the Women’s

Movement in Singapore, as well as personal artefacts from

various inductees. Interactive elements included a tribute

station for members of the public to pen their own tributes

to women who have made an impact on their lives, and

these tributes were pinned on a giant replica of “The

Flame” trophy, as well as weekly quizzes, which received

around 1, 400 responses. This popular exhibition drew over

60, 000 visitors over the 11 weeks.

13 14

BOARDAGENDER

BoardAgender inaugurated its SG50 Champions of

Change, an incremental initiative from the 100 Champions

initiated previously to commemorate the 100th year of

the International Women’s Day on 23 September 2015.

The SG50 Champions of Change aims to bring together a

group of influential male and female leaders from across

industries in Singapore. These Champions will use their

individual and collective influence to ensure that the issues

of gender diversity and representation at senior levels of

the corporate world are elevated on the national business

agenda in Singapore.

The launch, held at Tower Club Singapore with Guest

of Honour, Minister K Shanmugam was supported

by Goldman Sachs, and has garnered the support of

50 Champions from across industries which include

distinguished names from the government, SGX, DBS

Bank, Hyflux, Shell, Accenture and more.

As part of the Diversity Action Committee (DAC), on 29

September 2015, BoardAgender helped bring together

100 senior women executives and professionals; all

recommended by corporate leaders and governance

experts as board-ready, to further facilitate the search for

women board directors in SGX-listed companies. DAC and

five leading executive search firms – Egon Zehnder, Heidrick

& Struggles, Korn Ferry, Russell Reynolds Associates and

Spencer Stuart – also presented a set of best practices for

board appointments supportive of gender diversity; the

search firms pledged to assist their clients in providing

diverse slates of candidates with majority percentage of

them being women.

Following the SG50 Champions of Change initiative launch

in September 2015, the Diversity Action Committee (DAC)

approached BoardAgender to an event partnership in an

effort to increase the active pool of women Board Director

candidates. DAC’s recent initiative brought together 100

senior women executives and professionals, and to help

raise the profile of these 100 potential women directors,

BoardAgender invited three SG50 Champions (Euleen Goh,

Goh Swee Chen, Simon Israel) to meet with the DAC’s 14

potential women directors (out of the 100) for a luncheon

in May 2016.

WOMEN’S REGISTER

The Women’s Register (WR) is a platform for networking,

education and inspiration.

WR’s approach is to target women aged 18 years and

above, to provide them with networking opportunities

and to get them involved in the community. It is our

vision that these women are connected and supported

by fellow women in the community, given inspiration and

empowerment to take charge of their lives and lead them

with positivity, compassion, courage and determination. Our

role is to create these opportunities, making them accessible

through online media, social networking, dialogue sessions

and volunteer events. The main component of the WR

is the WR Presents series. WR Presents are a Series of

Talks, Discussions & Networking Sessions that are geared

towards helping individuals succeed in their personal and

professional lives.

More than 200 individuals have benefitted from WR talks

and workshops over the past two years. The WR currently

has a membership base of 230 women.

15 16

STAR SHELTER

Itchy Fingers

Itchy Fingers, a weekly fabric art creation workshop, was

started in 2014. It was led by Wilma Limmen, a self-

taught artist, who is passionate about fabric art. In this art

workshop the ‘painter’ uses recycled fabric pieces (scissors

and glue) to ‘paint’ a canvass.

The process of art creation has many therapeutic benefits

such as building up one’s confidence as many survivors of

violence suffer from low self-esteem. In the last 2 years,

this programme has benefitted over 60 women and

children at the shelter.

Many of the completed art pieces made beautiful

and meaningful gifts or tokens of appreciation to our

donors, sponsors and supporters. There were two large

collaborative fabric art pieces that were presented to the

Speaker of Parliament, Mdm Halimah Yacob and to the

President’s wife who is also SCWO’s patron, Mrs Mary Tan,

at the last two SCWO International Women’s Day gala

dinners. The residents were extremely proud that their art

pieces were appreciated by so many people.

Healthy for Life Program

Star Shelter started the Healthy for Life Programme in

2015, mainly to encourage residents to adopt a healthier

and happier lifestyle through enjoying the outdoors and

being more active. In the last 1� years, over 70 women and

children at the shelter have benefitted from the programme.

The residents have since been to the Botanic Gardens,

East Coast Park, Gardens by the Bay, Sungei Buloh, Fort

Canning and Hort Park among others, to enjoy nature,

fresh air and to engage in healthy activities such as brisk-

walking, outdoor yoga, ball games and so on.

After the physical activities, they would enjoy a picnic

of healthy sandwiches and fruits as they bond with one

another and spend quality time with their children.

The residents shared that they were thankful for the

Healthy for Life Programme that helps them to unwind

after a long work week and provides the opportunity for

them and their children to enjoy the outdoors, be active

and healthy.

17 18

MAINTENANCE SUPPORT CENTRAL

Fresh Maintenance Applications

MSC also provides a video-link filing service for mainte-

nance claims. Through this service, our clients can file their

court applications at our office, instead of going to the

Family Court and can affirm the contents of their docu-

ments before a Family Court Judge by way of video-link.

Previously, MSC was only able to assist with enforcement

applications (when a court order already exists). However,

since 1 July 2015, this service has also been expanded to

include fresh maintenance applications for first time appli-

cants. MSC has received many enquiries from wives whose

husbands had stopped providing them maintenance, or

mothers who needed maintenance for their children. Hence

it saw a need to expand its scope of services to address

these needs. After discussions with the Family Court, and

the appropriate training for MSC staff, the pilot project

was launched. This service has helped wives and mothers

apply for maintenance, and reduced their number of court

attendances, in a less intimidating environment.

MSC Presents

As part of its public education initiatives, MSC has organ-

ised a total of 3 public talks since August 2015. The talks

were conducted at SCWO and the topics were curated

to include issues which touch the everyday lives of many

members of the community. The topics included Lasting

Powers of Attorney and Wills, Maintenance Rights and

the Administration of Muslim Law Act. In addition, for the

first time, one of the talks was conducted in both English

and Mandarin - in order to make it accessible to more

individuals. These sessions are open to all members of the

public and were conducted by experienced and well re-

garded members of the legal profession. The participants

also had the opportunity to clarify any doubts they had

and pose questions to the speakers. After attending the

talks, the participants were more aware of the law and

their legal rights.

To commemorate and celebrate the 20th Anniversary of

Singapore’s accession to the Convention on the Elimination

of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW,

SCWO together with its member organisations, PA

WIN and NTUC WDS, co-organised ‘See Doors Open:

Celebration 20 years of CEDAW’ public forum with

the support of the Office of Women’s Development (OWD)

of the Ministry of Family and Social Development (MSF)

in October 2015. CEDAW, which is often described as

an international bill of rights for women, defines what

constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an

agenda for national action to end such discrimination.

See Doors Open Forum was attended by some 200

participants and graced by Parliamentary Secretary and

Mayor of South West CDC, Ms Low Yen Ling (see image

below).

The President’s Forum aims to bring the presidents of

member organisations together with the objective to

discuss and identify issues of common concern. The 6th

Presidents’ Forum held in February 2016 focused on the

issue of governance of the non-profit and had speakers

from Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (CNPL) sharing

their expertise on the topic. In the picture: Winifred Loh

(Managing Director) & Edna Leong (Deputy Director),

Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (CNPL).

ENGAGING OUR MEMBERS

19 20

VOLUNTEERS

An average of 175 volunteers a month gave their time and

skills to help SCWO, its programs and events, donating

more than 10,600 hours of service yearly to keep SCWO’s

programs running.

Through these hours of support in the past one year:

• Over $270,000 was raised through the efforts of the

New2U Thrift Shop and IT Hub volunteers,

• 232 low-income women received legal advice from

the SCWO Legal Clinic,

• Various events were successfully carried out, and

• 85 Star Shelter residents received help, enrichment

classes and training.

The contributions of the SCWO’s volunteers are recognised

at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Event in December,

where volunteers receive a token of appreciation for their

efforts and dedication. Volunteers who have been with

SCWO for more than 5 or 10 years receive Long Service

Awards from the National Council of Social Service (NCSS).

To commemorate International Human Rights Day on 10

December 2015, the Delegation of the European Union

in Singapore organised a seminar entitled ‘Progress and

Perspectives for Women’s Rights in Singapore and

ASEAN’. President of SCWO, Malathi Das was invited to

be a panellist on a panel segment focusing on progress on

women’s rights in Singapore. Malathi Das’ presentation

focused on progress on women’s rights in Singapore and

discussed, for example, women’s advancement in access

to education and high literacy, as well as the existing

challenges, such as gender wage gap and inadequate

protection of foreign domestic workers.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES

Lorraine Lim, Manager of Star Shelter, was invited to

contribute to discussions on migrant spouses and family

violence at the 3rd World Conference of Women’s

Shelters held in November 2015 at the Hague,

Netherlands. In her presentation ‘Support for Migrant

Survivors of Domestic Violence in Singapore’, Lim gave

an overview on the situation of migrant brides and

transnational couples in Singapore and shared about

Star Shelter’s experiences in helping migrant survivors of

violence. The conference, which was organised by the

Global Network of Women’s Shelters and the Foundation

of Women’s Shelters in the Netherlands, was attended

by approximately 1500 advocates who are engaged

in eliminating domestic violence and violence against

women from all over the world.

21 22

VISITORS

SCWO receives visitors from Singapore, the region,

around the world and also from other women’s

organisations. Past visitors include the Lao Women’s

Organisation of the Ministry of Public Works and

Transport for Lao PDR, and Yayasan Suara Wanita

(YASNITA). YASNITA – a Malaysian non-profit organisation

that champions the wellbeing of Women in Malaysia –

was particularly interested in how SCWO was formed

and its structure. They were also interested to learn

how SCWO engages different member organisations to

interact with one another and form collaborations.

The Star Shelter also receives visitors from various

organisations. Past Star Shelter visitors include Reverend

Ong Chooi Seng, the new Chaplain of Family Care Centre

(under the Singapore Anglican Community Services),

Medical Social Workers from Singapore General Hospital

and Sengkang Health, as well as representatives from

Casa Raudha Women’s Home. The purpose of these visits

ranged from wanting to learn more about women and

children’s issues in Singapore, to the running of the Star

Shelter, as well as other SCWO activities.

It is heartening to know that there are kind people like you who constantly help SCWO do more for the welfare of women

and their families in Singapore. Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations would like to extend our sincere gratitude

and appreciation for the continued support of the following generous donors:

OUR DONORS

• 100 Women Who Care

• 3S (Singapore) Success Group

• Acadian Asset Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd

• Akhter Nadeem

• Alice Cheong

• Alina Sim

• Amy Christopher Barnes

• Ann Florini

• Ann Tan & Associates

• Annabelle Tan

• Anne Lochoff

• AON Singapore Pte Ltd

• Arfat Beebee B Noor/Priya P

• Arts to U Services

• Ascendas Land (Spore) Pte Ltd

• Beryl Yak

• Blackberry S’pore

• BlackRock

• Brenda Chong

• Camille Gautry

• Cargill TSF Asia Pte Ltd

• Carolyn Lee Song Leng

• Celine Bouas EP Keil

• Chan Cheng Min Serene

• Chandrachud Giriappa

• Chemalco Enterprise S’pore Pte Ltd

• Chen Tingni

• Cheng Puay Koon

• Choong Sin Kheong

• Chu Kin Fong

• Citibank

• City Developments Limited

• Claudia Anne Barston

• Clifford Chance Pte Ltd

• CornerStone Wines

• Deborah Moore

• Debra Soon Su San

• Deepali Bhatia

• Didier Marcel Paul Alain Salvetat

• Dinesh Khan Sundararajan

• Dr Kanwaljit Soin

• Margaret Thomas

• Dr Voigt Emily Anne

• Dulcie Shimmen

• Edel Tan Sock Hong

• Edmond Ip Hoi Wah

• Edward Wu

• Elizabeth Hernandez

• Erica Lim

• Ewha Woman’s University Alumni

• Felicia Chiang

• First State Investments (Singapore)

• Florence Lian Ting Yan

• Fong Chee Sing

• Foo Yee Bao

• Geraldene Lowe Ismail Ahmad

• Givola Pte Ltd

• Goh Chye Thiam

• Grace, Shua and Jacob Ballas Charitable Trust

• Hands for Hope

• Harpal Singh Dhillon

• Henry Low Tze Kok

• Ho Ching

• Ho Yoke Yin Shelley

• Hydrochem (S) Pte Ltd

• International Women’s Forum (Singapore)

• InterNations Social Impact Night

• Iolanda Meehan

• iRoo International Pte Ltd

• Janette Kwek Moe Heng

• Janice O’Connor & friends

• Jasdeep Singh

• Jasey Fong

• Jasmine Lim

• Jayanti Nadarajoo

• Karen Denise Loon

• Katie Lambert

• King& Spalding (S) LLP

• Kow Pei Ling

• Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple

• Leaena Tambyah

• Lee Foundation

• Lee Phek Leng

• Lin Junqiang

• Lin Zee Ling

• Loh Chi Yong

• Loretta Lopez

• M Thevarani

• Maheswary D/O Nagalingam

• Malayan Banking Berhad

• Manulife (Singapore) Pte Ltd

• Marine Chloe Bora Benoit

• Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte Ltd

• Maureen Deirdre Keough Ball

• MerryLove Weddings

• Metharam s/o Tikamdas

• Michelle Lee

• Ministry of Social and Family Development

• Mok Wei Woon

• Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon

• National Heritage Board

• Ng Lay Pheng

• Nor Asidah

• Okinawa Women with Wings Org

• Ong Pang Boon

• Ong Yeow Chon

• OSIM International Limited

• Patricia Srivastava

• Peh Xiang Hong

• Petrina Lam Huey Ling

• Pham Ha My

• Phua Jie Ying

• Poetree Pte Ltd

• Polly Mak Mei Yan

• Precious Treasure Pte Ltd

• Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP

• Priscilla Ang

• Reena Bapat

• Richlight Trading Co. Pte Ltd

• Robert Newberry

• Rotary Club of Singapore & its members

• Salesforce.com Singapore Pte Ltd

• Salon Bis International Pte Ltd

• See Tho Ving Yuen

• SG50 celebration Fund

• Sim Hui Ying, Yvonne

• Singapore Athletic Association

• Singapore Women in Aviation & its members

• Society of Tourist Guides (Singapore)

• SPH Magazines

• Staff of Deutsche Bank

• SymAsia Foundation Fund (Mrs Lim Hwee Hua)

• Tan Chin Tuan Foundation

• Tan Hwee Keow

• Tan Li Ping Dawn

• Teerarat Siriratanasak

• Teh Su Mei

• Teo Su Huey Staceybobbi

• The Animal Doctors Pte Ltd

• The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore

• Thng Shi Yun

• Uday Mohan Raghavan

• UPS Asia Group P/L-IGS S

• Valerie Tay

• Viviene Kaur Sandhu

• Wan Asshikin Bte Wan Sarip

• Watson’s Personal Care Stores Pte Ltd

• Wee Hui Ching

• Wong Jun May

• Wong Misa Christina

• Wong Sok Ying

• Yang Sijie James

• Yap Cui Xian

• Yap Shing Zeeaa

• Yu Mui Sen

• Zopim Technologies Pte Ltd

23 24

Bank Interest & Sundry Income Staff Expenditure

Income from Facilities Administrative Expenses

Income from Programmes

Donations

Grants and Subsidies Cost of Facilities

54%

28%

10%

13%

23%

1%

INCOME EXPENDITURE

Cost of Programmes

FINANCIALSUMMARY

31%

34%

4%

30%

50%

32%

10%

8%

25 26

2016 2015

$ $

INCOME

Bank Interest 3,761 3,762

BoardAgender 26,820 17,350

Donations

– non tax deductible 84,468 79,956

– tax deductible 329,298 265,777

Grants and subsidies 389,905 435,692

Income from facilities and other services 352,748 368,140

Income from IT Hub 4,275 6,525

Subscriptions income 8,550 8,100

Sundry income 26,873 11,249

Women's Register 1,105 2,660

1,227,803 1,199,211

LESS: EXPENDITURE (as per schedule) 1,206,477 1,217,596

Surplus/(deficit) for the year 21,326 ( 18,385 )

Income tax expense - -

Surplus/(deficit) for the year, net of tax 21,326 ( 18,385 )

Other Comprehensive Income

ACWO Project expenses ( 1,138 ) ( 3,138 )

Depreciation charged to OPF Project Fund ( 83,433 ) ( 83,433 )

Depreciation charged to Building Refurbishment Fund ( 31,251 ) ( 31,252 )

Donations toward Rebuild Programme Fund

– The Star Shelter 670 1,249

Total other comprehensive income, net of tax ( 115,152 ) ( 114,654 )

Total comprehensive income for the year ( 93,826 ) ( 133,039 )

Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year ended 31 January 2016 Expenditure for the year ended 31 January 2016

2016 2015

$ $

Advertisement - 252

Auditors' renumeration 12,305 11,235

Bank charges 1,157 1,046

BoardAgender expenses 13,941 3,498

Cleaning services 18,079 11,821

Contract services 14,949 41,260

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 35,246 18,786

Employee benefits expense 596,103 569,634

Foreign workers' levy 10,080 5,747

General expenses 8,202 12,901

Groceries 16,067 7,334

Insurance 5,876 5,201

International meeting 7,207 3,831

International Women's Day Event expenses 72,017 106,949

IT Hub expenses 4,549 4,605

IT website expenses 1,733 493

Lease of office equipment 8,239 4,120

Maintenance Support Central (MSC) 98,518 85,196

Medical expenses 4,452 4,568

Newspapers and periodicals 421 508

Postage and courier 679 1,012

Printing and stationery 13,628 18,037

Professional fee 3,848 1,498

Property tax 17,250 17,250

Refreshments 5,287 3,962

Repairs and maintenance 40,656 64,842

Research 1,413 -

Security guard services 58,600 56,200

Singapore Women's Hall of Fame 71,809 88,394

Skills development levy 1,247 1,164

Staff welfare 4,464 1,379

Telecommunications 6,945 6,344

Training and development 4,216 2,559

Transport 3,116 2,287

Travelling 3,155 400

Utilities 37,464 45,303

Volunteer allowance 3,120 4,964

Women's register 439 3,016

1,206,477 1,217,596

FINANCIALSTATEMENTS

27 28

Statement of Financial Position for the year ended 31 January 2016 Statement of Changes in Funds for the year ended 31 January 2016

2016 2015

$ $

ASSETS

Non-current Asset

Property, plant and equipment 1,387,089 1,485,363

1,387,089 1,485,363

Current Assets

Receivables 73,213 84,928

Fixed deposits with financial institutions 1,230,119 1,226,658

Cash and bank balances 1,057,732 1,019,464

2,361,064 2,331,050

Total Assets 3,748,153 3,816,413

FUNDS AND LIABILITIES

FUNDS

Unrestricted Funds

Operating Fund 97,765 75,448

ACWO Project Fund 6,839 7,977

OPF Project Fund 1,449,768 1,533,201

SCWO Service Fund 151,456 158,869

Building Refurbishment Fund 445,883 477,134

2,151,711 2,252,629

Restricted Funds

MSC Fund 309,037 352,999

The Star Shelter Funds 1,136,194 1,085,140

1,445,231 1,438,139

Total Funds 3,596,942 3,690,768

Current Liabilities

Deferred income 40,014 43,809

Deferred grant 25,007 –

Payables 86,190 81,836

151,211 125,645

Total Funds and Liabilities 3,748,153 3,816,413

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29

Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 January 2016

2016 2015

$ $

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITES

Surplus/(deficit) before tax 21,326 ( 18,385 )

Adjustments for:

Interest income ( 3,761 ) ( 3,762 )

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 42,360 25,559

Operating surplus before working capital changes 59,925 3,412

Increase in fixed deposits with financial institutions ( 3,461 ) ( 3,444 )

Project funds (utilised)/generated ( 468 ) 30

Decrease/(increase) in receivables 11,715 ( 8,086 )

Increase/(decrease) in payables and deferred income 559 ( 13,204 )

Net cash from/(used in) operating activities 68,270 ( 21,292 )

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

Deferred grant received 25,007 –

Purchase of property, plant and equipment ( 58,770 ) ( 23,612 )

Interest received 3,761 3,762

Net cash used in investing activities ( 30,002 ) ( 19,850 )

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 38,268 ( 41,142 )

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of year 1,019,464 1,060,606

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 1,057,732 1,019,464

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