Women of Singapore Walk to raise awareness of violence against women

As the article says, 100 walk the talk.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_311...

From the Straits Times

Dec 7, 2008
100 walk the talk
By Tan Dawn Wei
       
A walk through the Botanic Gardens ended in a candlelight vigil at Unifem's office in Nassim Road. Family violence accounts for the second-highest number of hotline calls at the Association of Women for Action and Research.

ORGANISERS of a walk yesterday had expected wet weather but the rain which came did not dampen the spirits of some 100 people who trooped through the Botanic Gardens.

They had signed up for the event organised by Unifem (United Nations Development Fund for Women) Singapore to raise awareness of violence against women.

It is a first for the organiser, which wanted an occasion to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, declared as Nov25 by the UN.

The walk ended with a candlelight vigil at Unifem's office in Nassim Road.

<snip>

Despite amendments to the Women's Charter in 1997 to improve legal protection for women, there still remain gaps when it comes to delivery, said Mr Benny Bong, president of the Society Against Family Violence (SAFV), a volunteer group.

A study completed by SAFV in April, which took stock of domestic abuse from 1997 to last year, singled out a few areas for improvement. In some countries, the police have the power to issue a protection order at the scene of the crime, noted the report, but the police here do not seem to take immediate action to protect a victim unless there is a serious threat.

But social workers said the biggest challenge they face is changing mindsets. 'There is still this belief that, if we take it outside the family, it's disloyalty,' said Mr Bong, who recently published a book, Couples In Crisis.

Aware's manager of direct services, Ms Kerry Wilcock, agrees.

'When you report a case of abuse, you're trying to save the family rather than break it up. It was already broken,' she said.

I suggest everyone go read the entire article and maybe we can even send some letters of encouragement to these women who walked the talk. nh