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SINGAPORE: Singapore's leading women's rights advocacy group AWARE said it had begun a new phase of growth and service.
AWARE, which stands for Association of Women for Action and Research, held its 25th Annual General Meeting on Saturday.
Members elected a seven-member Board that will serve for two years instead of one, and will provide leadership for the association in a governance rather than an operational role.
In a statement, AWARE said the new Board comprises both veteran and relatively new members.
It is led by corporate lawyer Nicole Tan as President.
Family lawyer Halijah Mohamad is Vice-President.
Nicole, who has been an AWARE member for 13 years, served on the last Executive Committee as Assistant Secretary and Chair of the Legal Sub-committee.
"This year AWARE celebrates its 25th anniversary. We are also embarking on a new, more professional phase. My professional training as a lawyer, in particular, a corporate lawyer, equips me with skills that are relevant and important in this phase of evolution of the association," she said.
"I am very glad that I have on the board a mixture of old and new members balancing continuity with the infusion of new blood. We have lawyers, an entrepreneur and educationist, media and marketing professionals, academics, and a financial adviser, each bringing to the table their different perspective of being a woman and their different professional skills," she added.
"During the next two years, AWARE will draw on her strengths in research and public education and reach out to the non-English speaking public," said Nicole, who is bilingual.
"AWARE will also strengthen her competencies and engage in discussion and debate on issues that affect us all."
Former President Dana Lam said it had been a privilege to serve AWARE in what had been an exceptionally challenging year.
"We pulled together and we have definitely come out of the year stronger. What I am most proud of is the team's commitment to renewal and continuity. The threat to AWARE's values and principles led many of us to realise that we must protect and advance what we believe in. This has served us very well in the past year and I am sure it will continue in the future," she said.
Ms Corinna Lim, who became Executive Director in March this year, described members of the new Board as "strong individuals, dynamic and smart, each with a wealth of experience in their respective fields".
The switch from a 12-member Executive Committee that served for one year to a seven-member Board serving for two years follows changes to AWARE's Constitution approved by members at the 23rd AGM held in March 2008.
Another change requires candidates for the Board to have been AWARE members for at least two years.
- CNA/de
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