THE WOMEN'S WOMAN

In the decade that she’s been at the helm of Aware, former lawyer Corinna Lim has spearheaded numerous projects and campaigns – from helping single parents to victims of sexual assault – that have led to positive changes in the community.

- CARA VAN MIRIAH

For a day of back-to-back meetings, she shows up in a white tunic blouse paired with jeans, looking a decade younger than her 55 years, with her hair in a crisp bob. “We’ll sit at the pantry, if you don’t mind?” she looks to you for approval. “I got us some kueh for tea.”

Simple yet homely, the no-frills open plan space with meeting pods and counselling rooms in the suburb of Dover Crescent is the centre of Singapore’s gender equality group Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) – a non-profit organisation (NGO) established in 1985 that campaigns for gender equality through social services for women, and research and advocacy.

Its charismatic executive director Corinna Lim, who has been in the role for 10 years, wears her authority lightly. “This ED doesn’t have an office, really,” she smiles, settling comfortably at the pantry table. “I can work anywhere, it doesn’t matter.”

What really matters, though, is her body of work for Aware in the last decade that has been nothing short of stellar – transforming the volunteer-led group to a structured organisation, and spearheading a stack of initiatives that has seen positive social changes for women.

This year also welcomed another wave of change: The government amended the laws (which take effect in 2020) to decriminalise attempted suicide and treat marital rape as a crime, following years of campaigning by Aware and other groups. Last December, Corinna scored a coup, interviewing former American first lady Michelle Obama when the latter was in Singapore for a talk.