Aware Saga

In March 2009, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) was briefly taken over by a Christian faction. Their coup was overturned within a matter of weeks, but the episode highlighted a variety of issues, including the role of religion in civil society, sex education, homosexuality, state intervention and media engagement. Although the immediate issue was control of an activist group concerned with women's rights, it has implications for the agendas and concerns of NGOs, 'culture wars', the processes of citizenry mobilization, mass participation and noisy democracy, and liberal voices in contemporary Singapore.In this book, academics and public intellectuals examine the AWARE saga within the context of Singapore's civil society, considering the political and historical background and how the issues it raised relate to contemporary societal trends. In addition to documenting a milestone event for Singapore's civil society, the authors offer provocative interpretations that will interest a broad range of readers.

The notion of a ‘politics of religion’ refers to the increasing role that religion plays in the politics of the contemporary world. This book presents comparative country case studies on the politics of religion in South and South Asia, including India, Pakistan and Indonesia. The politics of religion calls into question the relevance of modernist notions of secularism and democracy, with the emphasis instead on going back to indigenous roots in search of authentic ideologies and models of state and nation building. Within the context of the individual countries, chapters focus on the consequences that politics of religion has on inclusive nation-building, democracy and the rights of individuals, minorities and women. The book makes a contribution to both the theoretical and conceptual literature on the politics of religion as well as shed light on the implications and ramifications of the politics of religion on contemporary South Asian and South East Asian countries. It is of interest to students and scholars of South and South East Asian Studies, as well as Comparative Politics.

This book critically examines the impact of globalization, changing power dynamics, migration, and evolving rights regimes on regional order, discourse of national governance, state and society relations, and the development of civil society in East Asia. Providing a textured, critical reading of East Asia as an economically, socially, and politically dynamic region, this book also presents the region as one shaped simultaneously by progressive as well as regressive pulls. Attentive to prevailing issues as well as to states’ and civil societies’ responses to them, it focuses on changing societies and politics in East Asia, particularly on shifting notions of citizenship, nationhood, and peoplehood. The contributions feature new and timely conclusions drawn from multidisciplinary fields including law, public policy, sociology, Asian studies, gender, sexuality, and ethnic studies and include direct testimonies from citizens of East and Southeast Asia. Globalization and Civil Society in East Asian Space will appeal to students and scholars of sociology, political science, and Asian studies more broadly.

Our Lives to Live: Putting a Woman's Face to Change in Singapore explores and documents how women's roles, choices, and voices in Singapore have changed in the last 50 years; how women, from all sectors of society, have helped to shape the Singapore we know today. The 31 chapters, some with a more academic slant, others with a distinctly personal tone, reflect the rich diversity and depth of women's contributions to Singapore's evolution in the last half century, and also point to the problematical areas that still need attention. The perspectives in this book are provided by three generations of women, and they put a human face — the woman's face — to the tremendous changes in Singapore society over the past 50 years. The authors include some of Singapore's most accomplished women in many different fields — Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, political scientist and diplomat Chan Heng Chee, global women's activist Noeleen Heyzer, sociologist and politician Aline Wong, food ambassador Violet Oon, sports legend Pat Chan, law lecturer and playwright Eleanor Wong, and novelist Meira Chand. Contents:Fifty Years of Change and Struggle for Equality (Aline Wong)Women and an Age-Friendly Singapore (Angelique Chan)A Home-schooling in Financial Fitness (Audrey Chin)Preparing Our Children for the Future (Carmee Lim)My Life to Live (Chan Heng Chee)My Choices (Choo Wai Hong)Where Will Women Be in 50 Years? (Chye Shu Wen)The Coming Out of the Political Singaporean (Constance Singam)I'd Rather Be a Good Wife Than a Good Woman (Eleanor Wong)Street Smarts and Social Enterprise (Elim Chew)Women in Labour (Evelyn S Wong)Nurturing Nature (Geh Min)Cooking for Their Country (Gretchen Liu)We Must Have Women in Parliament (Halimah Yacob)Singapore Style (Jennifer Schoon)The Woeful Wombs of Singapore (Kanwaljit Soin and Margaret Thomas)The Gifted Who Discern and Say It for Us (Koh Tai Ann)Violence Against Women — From Shadows to Sanctuaries (Kokila Annamalai)Mothering and Parenting: The Superwoman Myth (Lai Ah Eng)Women in the Singapore Economy — The Inequalities Continue (Linda Y C Lim)Sing Women! (Madeleine Lee)Singapore's Women's Charter: Revolution or Evolution? (Malathi Das)Meetings with Remarkable Women — The Making of Lim Mei Lan (Meira Chand)Beyond Diplomacy — Women Creating Change Through the United Nations (Noeleen Heyzer)The Power of Sport (Pat Chan)Women of Faith and Advocacy (Phyllis Ghim-Lian Chew)The Women in My Life: Ages of Wisdom (Renyung Ho)Domestic Labour in Singapore — The Long Road (Siti Nadzirah Samsudin and Braema Mathi)Childbearing in Singapore — Do We Have Real Choices? (Teo You Yenn)Two Sex Workers Speak (Vanessa Ho)A Woman's (Man's) Place is in the Kitchen (Violet Oon)Our Journey, Our History — The Milestones in the Path of Women in Singapore Readership: Southeast Asian and Singaporean history students; members of the general public who are interested in learning more about the trajectory of Singaporean women's struggles, contributions, and status over the past 50 years. Key Features:A vibrant and compelling collection of perspectives — some provocative, some a touch irreverent, all thoughtful and relevant — by women about women and their role and contributions to SingaporeAppealingly designed by well-known artist and illustrator, PK Cheng — with hand-drawn colour caricatures of each authorPart of the World Scientific Publishing 50 years of Singapore collection celebrating Singapore's half-century of independenceKeywords:Women;Singapore;50 Years pf Independence in Singapore;Ageing;Population;Fertility;Economy;Entrepreneurship;Labour Movement;Domestic Work;Civil Society;Women's Charter;Law;Sex Workers;Politics;International Diplomacy;Education;Singapore Literature;Food;Fashion;Culture;Sports;Religion

Collecting more than 200 sources in the global history of feminism, this anthology supplies an insightful record of the resistance to patriarchy throughout human history and around the world. From writings by Enheduana in ancient Mesopotamia (2350 BCE) to the present-day manifesto of the Association of Women for Action and Research in Singapore, Feminist Writings from Ancient Times to the Modern World: A Global Sourcebook and History excerpts more than 200 feminist primary source documents from Africa to the Americas to Australia. Serving to depict "feminism" as much broader—and older—than simply the modern struggle for political rights and equality, this two-volume work provides a more comprehensive and varied record of women's resistance cross-culturally and throughout history. The author's goal is to showcase a wide range of writers, thinkers, and organizations in order to document how resistance to patriarchy has been at the center of social, political, and intellectual history since the infancy of human civilization. This work addresses feminist ideas expressed privately through poetry, letters, and autobiographies, as well as the public and political aspects of women's rights movements.

This anthology hopes to contribute, in particular, to the analysis of the mutually constitutive interaction of the use of cyberspace and Asian cultures, with particular attention to ethical, feminist, and religious perspectives especially within Catholic Christianity.

Changing Landscapes of Singapore illuminates both the social and the physical terrains of modern Singapore. Geographers use the term landscape to refer to visible surfaces and to the spatial dimension of social relations. Landscapes arise from particular historical circumstances, and in turn help shape social arrangements and possible courses of future development. The authors describe how the settings inhabited by various social groups in Singapore affect life experiences, and explore the impact of broader regional and international forces on Singapore. Written for non-specialists, the volume reflects fresh perspectives from the scholarship of Singaporean academics. Their work is sensitive to historical and geographical trends in the region, and also engages with broader theoretical themes.

Advocates and activists in Singapore contribute to policy discussions and positive change through a combination of deft manoeuvres and patient politics. Yet civil society is often unacknowledged, their skill and labour instead frequently misunderstood, even earning them the label of “troublemakers” or “enemies of the state”. This collection of essays and interviews is a candid reflection on the intentions, beliefs and strategies behind the practice of advocacy across a spectrum of causes. The contributors come from varying backgrounds and include academics, artists, lawyers, journalists, non-profit and advocacy organisations, student and community organisers. They share practical insights into their aims and community-building work, and the tactics they employ to overcome obstacles, shedding light on how to navigate a city-state with shifting socio-political fault lines and out-of-bound markers. With an introduction, “It is Time to Trim the Banyan Tree”, by Constance Singam, and a conclusion, “Their Struggle is Ours to Continue”, by Suraendher Kumarr.