PERSPECTIVES ON EQUALITY FOR WOMEN : A STUDY OF AWARE MEMBERS

Abstract

Although the concept of "equality for women" has been attracting much publicity in recent years, it remains a largely taken for granted issue. This academic exercise is an exploratory attempt to reveal the varied understandings of this notion in Singapore, particularly pertaining to AWARE members. This necessitates research on the organisation itself - what it stands for and why it is an important symbol of "equality for women" in Singapore. An exploration of the reasons for AW ARE membership will also be carried out. However, since the rule of thumb is that it is often easier to "preach" than to "practise", to obtain truly meaningful results, these ideas of "equality" will also be viewed in terms of how they are applied to the realm of everyday life. In doing so, some light might be shed on the relevance of the concept of "equality for women" in Singapore women's lives and correspondingly, the obstacles they face in this quest for equality.