On the eve of EGM, I thought, I would call around the usual suspects and put together briefly how AWARE was formed. Its formation was sensitive so the names were left out.
One night, fucking old man during the ND Speech threw out a bombshell - social engineering which led to the great marriqage debate. There were rumbles and women of substance decided to get together. NUSS organised a particular forum in 84 on this subject and some of the attendees decided to explore the best possible way to gauge the feeling of Singaporean women and present their views. At same time, Viv B / Simon Tay NUSS Leadership was told to keep their voiceferous few quiet on this subject and like the Great Table Tennis Inquiry everything went to ground quietly.
The ladies were not pleased. They looked for existing platforms and vehicles on women's rights including the pro-government umbrella body - Singapore Council of Women's Organisation. The decision was then taken to form a new group that had no links with the PAP after what NUSS leadership displayed in term of their manhood ande chivalry. AWARE was formed in 1985 and quickly became a thorn on the side of the government and replaced long standing icon, old man wife as the existing beacon of women's rights in view of the work done on the women's charter.
The government had to take notice but could not control AWARE as much as it liked compared to other bodies under the Societies Act. Mainly in order not to look silly bullying the fairer sex. In 1987, the Marxist Consipracy emerged and a number of AWARE members were caught in it. AWARE had to be lot more careful to avoid closure by association. Then the Catherine Lim affair in 89 occurred, when GCT expounded his OB marker doctrine laced with old man's knuckleduster threat. This more or less led to agitation being removed as pressure point and the use of forums, seminars and legalse to further the cause.
To put in a nutshell, AWARE was not formed by some floozies but by serious people who were professionals and people of substance. The founding members hopefully will one day pen its official undiluted history including the threats, the intimidations and the results that they achieved.
One night, fucking old man during the ND Speech threw out a bombshell - social engineering which led to the great marriqage debate. There were rumbles and women of substance decided to get together. NUSS organised a particular forum in 84 on this subject and some of the attendees decided to explore the best possible way to gauge the feeling of Singaporean women and present their views. At same time, Viv B / Simon Tay NUSS Leadership was told to keep their voiceferous few quiet on this subject and like the Great Table Tennis Inquiry everything went to ground quietly.
The ladies were not pleased. They looked for existing platforms and vehicles on women's rights including the pro-government umbrella body - Singapore Council of Women's Organisation. The decision was then taken to form a new group that had no links with the PAP after what NUSS leadership displayed in term of their manhood ande chivalry. AWARE was formed in 1985 and quickly became a thorn on the side of the government and replaced long standing icon, old man wife as the existing beacon of women's rights in view of the work done on the women's charter.
The government had to take notice but could not control AWARE as much as it liked compared to other bodies under the Societies Act. Mainly in order not to look silly bullying the fairer sex. In 1987, the Marxist Consipracy emerged and a number of AWARE members were caught in it. AWARE had to be lot more careful to avoid closure by association. Then the Catherine Lim affair in 89 occurred, when GCT expounded his OB marker doctrine laced with old man's knuckleduster threat. This more or less led to agitation being removed as pressure point and the use of forums, seminars and legalse to further the cause.
To put in a nutshell, AWARE was not formed by some floozies but by serious people who were professionals and people of substance. The founding members hopefully will one day pen its official undiluted history including the threats, the intimidations and the results that they achieved.
Greater things to cum for the gender?
...oh and I say this as a cradle Catholic
