Calls to Aware’s women’s helpline went up 32 per cent in 2018

SINGAPORE — The Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) saw a 32 per cent jump in calls made to its Women’s Helpline last year.

A total of 4,062 calls were made last year, up from 3,071 the year before, it said on Wednesday (March 20). 

The not-for-profit organisation, which advocates for gender equality and provides critical support services for women in Singapore, tends to field an average of 3,000 calls yearly.

The main issues reported by callers in 2018 were related to marital problems, abuse and violence, as well as psychological distress:

• 23 per cent were related to marital problems such as separation, divorce and maintenance payment

• 19 per cent reported issues of abuse and violence, including physical, verbal, emotional, sexual and financial abuse

• 17 per cent faced emotional and psychological distress in various settings, such as within the family and workplace and intimate relationships

The numbers corresponded with a 48 per cent jump in callers seeking counselling for the first time from Aware’s Women’s Care Centre. New counselling clients rose to 291 last year, up from 197 in 2017.

Ms Anisha Joseph, head of care services at Aware, said that the overall increase of callers showed that more women feel safe in asking for help.

“Women disproportionately face unfair treatment, violence and barriers to opportunities, leaving them disempowered and unsupported,” Ms Joseph said.

“Many women are made to believe that they are alone in these situations or they are to be blamed for these situations, and asking for help can be intimidating.”

Launched in 1991 as Singapore’s first phone-in service for women in crisis, the Women’s Helpline aims to inform, support and empower women through the provision of emotional support, psycho-education, referrals for assistance and legal information.

The all-female helpline team comprises more than 70 staff members and trained volunteers with varied backgrounds, and they are all are “gender and trauma informed”, Aware said.

MORE SUPPORT FOR CALLERS

When asked if the call numbers reflect a higher incidence of cases, Ms Laura Meehan, senior programme coordinator at Aware’s Women’s Care Centre, said that it was “difficult" to draw a direct connection.

She said that the increase in calls might be due to three reasons:

• An overall change in women’s attitudes when it came to seeking help

• Expanded infrastructure by Aware providing more accessibility to callers

• Heightened awareness of the helpline due to marketing efforts

In June last year, the helpline expanded its coverage to ensure that both of its lines were manned during operating hours. Previously, the helpline was covered by one person during certain times, going up to two during peak hours.

Its service, which used to be available only in English, was revamped in March last year to include support in Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.

In a first for the organisation, Aware conducted a marketing campaign last year aimed at destigmatising such requests to get help.

“Overall, we believe that the increase in callers is a positive change. Calling the helpline is often a person’s first step in the journey of recovery from the cause of her distress,” Ms Meehan said.

However, numerous social, cultural, psychological and other barriers may prevent women from taking that first step, she added.

“With more dialogue, more understanding, more education about abuse in Singapore, women may sooner recognise issues that arise in their lives, and be empowered to take more direct actions and receive further support to cope with them.”

CHANGE IN OPERATING HOURS

To reflect the significant increase in demand, Aware will expand the operations of the Women’s Helpline by one-and-a-half hours, starting from Wednesday.

From the previous 3pm to 9.30pm, the new hours are now 10am to 6pm on weekdays.

The timings were adjusted based on observations made by the helpline team, Ms Meehan said.

A pilot programme also showed that the helpline received more calls in the morning than in the evening.

Aware’s Women’s Helpline number is 1800 777 5555 and it operates from Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm.