When the Singapore government announced they planned to construct an expressway over parts of Bukit Brown cemetery, variegated factions of civil society representing Singapore’s ecological, cultural and historical interests organized themselves into a movement to save the cemetery. Through a series of innovative and sustained advocacy efforts, Bukit Brown activists have succeeded in establishing a …
In 2019, National University of Singapore student Monica Baey made a call, through social media, for more stringent punishments to be taken against a fellow student who had filmed her in the shower in her residential hall. This incident galvanized the student population to take steps that would encourage the university administration to improve its …
The NUS Student-led Gender and Sexual Justice Movement Read More »
Section 377A of the Penal Code criminalises “gross indecency” between men in Singapore, which can be punished with imprisonment for up to 2 years. This law legitimises and perpetuates discriminatory attitudes towards LGBTQ persons. After failing to petition the Government to remove Section 377A, a group of LGBTQ activists came together in 2009 to organise …
Until 2007, Singapore’s Penal Code provided legal immunity to marital rape. In 2007, marital rape was criminalised under specific circumstances. The movement sought to fully repeal marital immunity for rape, and has nearly succeeded as of February 2019, when Parliament proposed its full repeal in the Criminal Law Reform Bill.
Singapore one of only a handful countries in the world that still criminalises attempted suicide. This has broad effects upon the stigmatisation of suicide and the willingness of people with suicidal behaviour in seeking treatment. The movement to decriminalise attempted suicide is nearing success as of February 2019, with Parliament proposing its decriminalisation in the …
Singapore has faced criticism of the inadequate protection of labour rights of its large populations of migrant workers – a significant demographic of whom are foreign domestic workers. The movement, which sought to legislate a mandatory day-off per week for foreign domestic workers succeeded in mobilising public and political support, contributing to the inclusion of …
