Annual Review 2012

A N N U A L
R E V I E W
Contents
VISION
DONATION & SPONSORSHIP
MISSION
Cheque to be made payable to:
Women’s Centre for Change
CIMB Account No: 0737 0000 360105
Maybank Account No: 5070 6813 5616.
WCC envisions an inclusive society free
from gender violence and discrimination,
and where women can actualise their full
potential.
WCC is committed to:
• Eliminating violence against women
• Empowering women and children
• Promoting gender equality and
social justice
Established in 1985, WCC provides free
counseling, emotional support, legal advice
and temporary shelter for women in crisis,
irrespective of their ethnicity, religion and
social background. WCC also conducts
various outreach programs: sexual abuse
prevention for children and youth and
gender awareness for the public. WCC is
a member of the Joint Action Group for
Gender Equality (JAG) which actively
campaigns for policy and legal reforms
affecting women and children.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
WCC is a non-profit, tax-exempt
organization and welcomes donations
and sponsorships to support our work.
CONTACT
Women’s Centre for Change (WCC)
241, Jalan Burma, 10350 Penang, Malaysia
Tel
: +604 - 228 0342
Fax
: +604 - 228 5784
Email
: wcc@wccpenang.org
Website : www.wccpenang.org
Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita (PPW)
67A, 1st Flr, Jalan Perai Jaya 4,
Bandar Perai Jaya, 13600 Perai, Penang.
Tel
: +604 - 398 8340
Email
: ppw@wccpenang.org
© 2013, Women’s Centre for Change, Penang. All rights reserved
Designed by Liz Tan, C-Square Sdn Bhd, Penang
Printed by Jutaprint, Penang
2 - 5
| President’s Report
6 - 7
| 2012 At A Glimpse
8 - 9
| General Committee 2012 & Working Groups
10 - 21
|
22 - 35
36 - 43
Programs and Activities
Service Report
Community Outreach Report
Advocacy Report
| Diary of Events 2012
|
Appreciation & Gratitude
Donors & Sponsors
Volunteers - Official Opening Event & General
Partners & Supporting Agencies
CONTRIBUTORS
Mariam Lim, Loh Cheng Kooi, Prema Devaraj, Annie Yeap, Goh Sze Mei, Lee Sook Foong,
Melissa Mohd Akhir, Tasha Merican, Mangleswary Subramaniam & Lim Chooi Leng
EDITORS Loh Cheng Kooi & Kat Fatland
PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2012
Mariam Lim
OUR NEW OFFICE
2012 proved to be yet another important and meaningful year for WCC. It marked the beginning of
a new chapter as WCC began working out of the new office at 241, Burmah Road. Our prominent
location at a busy junction in Pulau Tikus has brought greater visibility to our organisation and our
cause. The much improved facilities have also provided us
with needed space to take on new, exciting initiatives
as well as to expand our programs. To commemorate
our office move, WCC held an opening ceremony
in September officiated by the Chief Minister of
Penang, YAB Lim Guan Eng. The festive halfday event, which included a mini concert,
food fair, jumble sale and other fun programs,
was held to thank all parties who had helped
to make our new office a reality - the generous
donors, sponsors, volunteers and members as
well as the Penang community at large for their
unwavering support for WCC’s good work in
serving women and children over the years.
NEW INITIATIVES AND WORK EXPANSION
Y
es, WCC has a new look and operates in a new
improved setting but at the heart of it all are the
same spirited members, volunteers and staff who
go about their work with dedication and passion.
In a pioneering effort, WCC jointly with
the Penang State Prosecution Unit successfully
conducted a training aimed at bringing about
more effective
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Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
prosecution of sexual crimes for deputy public
prosecutors in the northern states of Malaysia.
This collaborative effort is a feather in the cap for
the advocacy work of WCC. It showed that a longstanding NGO like WCC is recognised as a credible
partner by an enforcement agency to impart its
knowledge and skills to help ensure better access
to justice for victims of sexual crimes.
Our four year collaboration with the One
Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) at Hospital Pulau
Pinang has begun to bear fruit, with WCC being
called upon to give emotional support and
counseling to survivors of violence. In 2012,
OSCC cases increased by 66%; we handled 160
cases compared to 96 in 2011. More significantly,
we made inroads with Hospital Seberang
Jaya, which began to refer cases to Pusat
Perkhidmatan Wanita (PPW), the women’s
service centre on mainland Penang operated
by WCC and sponsored by the Penang State
Government.
WCC is also actively involved in the
training of medical personnel of hospitals in
the state, including enhancing skills and
knowledge in handling sexual assault
cases. Through WCC’s persistent efforts,
regular interagency meetings are now
taking place between hospitals, police,
welfare departments and WCC to iron
out challenges encountered by various
agencies when dealing with actual cases
and to seek ways to improve cooperation.
Notably, WCC’s service work in
2012 has progressed beyond crisis
intervention to advocating for client’s
rights. Increasingly, domestic violence
and sexual assault clients look to WCC
as a dependable body to help them with
follow-up dealings with enforcement
agencies like the police and welfare department
regarding safety protection and law enforcement
matters. Such work includes making countless
phone calls to the relevant authorities on the clients’
behalf, explaining the rights of the client to have
protection and giving emotional support to victims
attending court trials, which entail numerous
hearings and often postponements.
Another noteworthy initiative
undertaken in 2012 is the Women’s
Stories
Project,
an
innovative
program for ex-clients to help them
build their self- esteem through a
series of self-discovery workshops.
Through a process of story-telling,
sharing experiences and drawings,
participants were able to build a close
rapport amongst themselves and
provide support to each other. By the
end of the workshops, the women
felt empowered and transformed
themselves into more self-assured
individuals. Their hopes and dreams
were expressed through creative
drawings and compiled into a table top calendar.
The successful sale of 2,000 calendars has given rise
to a start-up fund for future women’s empowerment
projects. This project will continue into 2013 and
will culminate in a collection of these women’s
own stories. The positive effects of the healing and
empowering journey which these ex-clients have
experienced have been remarkable.
IMPETUS OF ON-GOING WORK
N
ew developments aside, WCC’s counseling
services for clients in crisis continued
unabated. With WCC and PPW fully operational
on the island and the mainland respectively, in
2012 our counseling services handled 650 new
clients, an 8% increase from the previous year, and
assisted 2,400 hotline callers, making us one of the
most active women NGOs serving women in the
northern region.
WCC’s outreach work with the different
communities to raise
gender awareness and
prevent violence reached
over 7,000 people –
children, youth, women
and men – an all time
high for the organization.
Our popular Be Smart, Be
Safe program to educate
children on the dangers
of sexual abuse reached
more than 2,600 children
– twice the number
reached last year. We
also trained teachers in national and Tamil
primary schools in Penang and Perak to ensure
the sustainability of this program. This year, our
new ICT cyber safety in social media program
benefitted another 1,000 teenagers. WCC
also continued with the delivery of its Respek
program, teaching over 600 youths about the
importance of mutual respect in relationships
and personal safety.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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3
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
PARTNERSHIPS FOR A COMMON CAUSE
W
CC is mindful of the need to seek smart
partnerships with relevant bodies so as to
further our cause and increase the impact of our
work at the community level. WCC worked closely
with the newly established Penang Women’s
Development Corporation (PWDC) to train local
community groups like Vivekkam, District Offices
and village community leaders to raise awareness
on domestic violence and gender issues.
Partnering with Think City, WCC also undertook a
project to promote safety for children in the inner
city of Georgetown. Working with local groups like
Arts-Ed, the Indian Muslim community and the
Kapitan Keling Mosque Qaryah Committee, this
project entailed organising creative workshops
for children and residents of the area regarding
the issue of safety. The project culminated in a
stakeholders’ dialogue which brought residents
and government agencies together to seek ways to
improve safety for residents in the inner city.
MOVING FORWARD
s WCC’s visibility grows, we hope so will
our influence and the impact of our work. In
2012, we took stock of WCC’s work in the three
major areas of Service, Outreach and Advocacy
and to set directions and priorities for the future. A
series of in-house strategic planning sessions were
conducted, and the deliberations that came out
will serve as a compass as WCC moves forward
into the next term. A few important realisations
struck us:
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Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
• Funders/donors will always be needed to
financially support our programs; a core group
of loyal members is necessary, just as are
dedicated and competent staff to execute the
WCC’s work-load. But at the end of the day it
is our active, engaged volunteers who will be
the ones who bring diversity of talent and fresh
ideas to energise the organisation as a whole.
• We need to move with the times and begin
to employ social media more actively and
effectively as a communication tool.
An important start has already been made at
improving volunteer recruitment, with the
holding of regular volunteer induction sessions
for those who are interested to get involved with
WCC. The next step is to devise an effective process
to convert the goodwill and good intentions of
would-be volunteers into active engagement.
APPRECIATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
W
A
• If WCC is to remain vibrant and if the good
track record of our work to eliminate violence,
empower women and bring about gender
equality and social justice is to be sustained,
we need to reach out and connect with a
broader and younger cohort.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
CC’s existence and growth is made
possible by generous foundations,
corporations and many individuals who
financially support our cause. It is heartening
to note that in 2012, the number of casual
donors with gifts of RM100 or more increased.
Needless to say, WCC is extremely grateful to
our main sustaining sponsors and donors:
Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED),
Penang state MMK Women, Family and
Community Development, Lim Lean Teng
Foundation and Neoh Foundation for their
on-going generous grants. Special mention
to the Lee Foundation which gave a generous
one-off grant towards WCC’s building fund.
Fundraising remains an on-going challenge
for NGOs but we remain optimistic that
based on our strong performance record,
the community at large will continue to
shower WCC with goodwill and support us
generously. Last but not least, special thanks
to my colleagues of the General Committee,
and to all our dedicated volunteers and staff
of WCC who contributed in no small measure
to making 2012 another highly successful
year. United in spirit and working together,
we can build a more caring society free from
violence and discrimination against women
and children.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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5
Photo: Bulletin Mutiara
WCC
Building
Official
Opening
18 Sept 2012
a
t
a
2
201
GLIMPSE
WCC “Respect” & “Be
Savvy Be Safe” program
reached out to 1,611 youths
on gender violence, cyber
violence and safety.
Releasing of butterflies
children
ram benefitted 2,703
og
pr
)
IS
(B
at
lam
Se
evention
WCC Bijak Itu
rs on sexual abuse pr
he
ac
te
2
23
ed
in
tra
and
s
Public Prosecutor
ty
pu
De
r
fo
ng
ni
Trai
ates
from Northern st
Mini Concert
Children’s Amazing Trail
International Women’s Day: Wanita Suara Perubaha
n in PJ;
WCC joined over 5000 people to march for a better
society.
Food Galore
Jumble Sale
Exhibition
THE COUNSELING NUMBERS
648
6|
200
new clients counseled and
handled by WCC and PPW
2403
tele-counseling for women
in crisis.
cases of domestic violence and sexual assault referred by government hospitals.
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
Women’s Stories Project: empowering & rebuilding
womens’ lives through story-telling and drawings.
“Promoting Safety in George Town” with Think City:
• Taught 450 children to be safe
• Produced posters and booklet on personal safety
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 | 7
• Stakeholders Dialogue on Safety
gENERAL COMMITTEE &
WORKING GROUPS 2012
Patron
: Y.A.Bhg. Toh Puan Dato’ Seri Utama Hajah Majimor bt. Shariff
Trustees
: Lalitha Menon
Chin Khuan Sui
Yuslinov Ahmad
: Mariam Lim
Vice President
: Shakila Abdul Manan
Vice President
: Lalitha Menon
Secretary
: Karen Lai Yu Lee
Assistant Secretary
: Hajar Abdul Rahim
Treasurer
: Chin Khuan Sui
Committee Members
: Lim Kah Cheng
Molly Lee
Susan Siew
Ivy Ho
Hajar Abdul Rahim
Loh Cheng Kooi (ex-officio)
Finance
Annie Chin,
Chin Khuan Sui
Loh Cheng Kooi
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
Sharon Sim Joo Joo
Shelter Assistant
Jenny Ng
Administrator
(resigned August 2012)
(resigned October 2012)
Poh Lerk Shih
Special Projects Officer
Lim Chooi Leng
PPW Coordinator
Jennie Antonisamy
Project Officer
Liz Tan Lee Soo (part-time)
Service and Shelter : Maria Francisca Belavandram*, Wendy Ang, Wee Siew Eng, Monina Vergas, Sally Alexander, Susan Siew & Molly Lee
Staff: Annie Yeap, Lee Sook Foong, Tasha Merican &
Mangleswary Subramaniam
Outreach
: Shakila Manan*, Lim Kah Cheng, Ivy Ho, Hajar Abdul Rahim,
Susan Siew & Cindy Ruble
Staff: Prema Devaraj, Tasha Merican, Poh Lerk Shih
Mangleswary Subramaniam
Advocacy
: Karen Lai*, Lalitha Menon, Christine Khor, Mariam Lim,
Susan Siew, Ivy Ho and Shakila Manan
Staff: Melissa Akhir, Prema Devaraj & Loh Cheng Kooi
* denotes Chairperson
8|
Lee Sook Foong
Social Worker
Tasha Merican
Mangleswary Subramanian
Project Officers
Working Groups
: Mariam Lim*
Annie Yeap Lay Pheng
Service Coordinator (left for further studies Sept 2012)
: Mariam Lim*
Chin Khuan Sui,
Melissa Mohd Akhir
Advocacy Officer
Lau Swee Li
PPW Coordinator
Standing Committee
Goh Sze Mei
Service Manager
PPW Staff
Fundraising Ambassador : Annie Chin
Human Resources
Loh Cheng Kooi
Executive Director
Prema Devaraj
Program Director
General Committee 2012
President
WCC Staff
PPW
: Chin Khuan Sui*, Christine Khor, Cheah Gaik Kim,
Maria Francisca Belavandram, Beh Chooi Heah
Staff: Lau Swee Li, Lim Chooi Leng & Jennie Antonisamy
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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PROGRAMMES & ACTIVITIES2012
Table 2: Types of cases handled
by WCC & PPW in 2012
Types of cases
Annie Yeap, Prema Devaraj, Goh Sze Mei, Lee Sook Foong, Tasha Merican,
Mangleswary Subramaniam, Lau Swee Li, Lim Chooi Leng and Jennie Antoniosamy
INTRODUCTION
T
he move into a bigger office in 2012 improved our service work as it provided a better counseling
environment and attracted more women to seek help from WCC. Service work saw an increase in the
number of clients. We also expanded our outreach to Hospital Seberang Jaya. Service advocacy became
core to our work in 2012, with increased requests for WCC to follow up with enforcement agencies as well
as to give emotional support for sexual assault victims and their family members through court trials.
Other interesting programs last year included an innovative women’s empowerment project for ex-clients
and a pilot project for children, largely initiated by Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita (PPW).
COUNSELING SERVICES
Table 1: Number of Clients handled in 2012
I
10 |
WCC
PPW
Total
New clients
381
267
648
Former clients
57
47
104
Total no.
438
314
752
n 2012, WCC and PPW handled a total of 752 clients. 648 were new clients, an 8% increase
compared to 601 cases in year 2011. WCC office itself saw an 11% increase in new clients, partly
due to the increased number of cases referred by Hospital Pulau Pinang (HPP) and also because
of the greater visibility of the new office. For PPW, the number of cases have increased consistently
over the last three years due to the large demand for counseling services on the mainland and also
due to word of mouth by former clients to other women in need.
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
PPW
No. of Cases
%
No. of Cases
%
Domestic Violence
115
30
37
14
Marital Problem
107
28
98
37
Relationship
42
11
48
18
Rape / Incest
13
4
2
1
Sexual Harassment
5
1
0
0
Child Sexual Abuse
8
2
1
0
Legal Advice
48
13
40
15
Information Seeking
25
6
32
12
Others
18
5
9
3
381
100
267
100
Total
The types of cases handled by both centres
remain unchanged. The majority of the total
cases in WCC were domestic violence (30%)
followed by marital cases (28%). Many of the
domestic violence cases were referred by HPP.
Comparatively, the majority of PPW’s cases dealt
with marital issues (37%) whereas only 14% of
cases were domestic violence.
Interestingly, out of the 152 domestic violence
cases received in WCC and PPW, 67% of the
clients lodged police reports. This comparatively
high percentage indicates that many women are
more aware of their rights. But out of these, only
“
10 women applied for Interim Protection Orders
(IPOs) to protect themselves from further violence
from their husbands. Marital issues handled in
WCC were mainly related to husbands having
breakdown (31%) while in PPW it was mostly due
to communication breakdown issues (49%).
WCC service continues to serve women from
lower income groups. 66% of WCC and PPW’s
clients earned less than RM1,500 and most of
them only have secondary education. Of these,
36% were home makers and another 30% were
working women.
“
Service Report
WCC
I stand now as a free woman, free from hell and importantly free from him.
I thank God for allowing me to still be able to breathe the fresh air
I once thought I’d never breathe again.
— 28 year old client with 2 children
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pROGRAMMES & ACTIVITIES 2012
TELEPHONE
Others
6%
Child Abuse
1%
Sexual
Harassment
1%
COUNSELING
Domestic
Violence
22%
Information
Seeking
20%
In 2012, WCC and PPW received a total of
2,395 telephone calls: 1,078 were new and 1,317
were follow-up calls. The majority of telephone
calls received by WCC were mainly related to
domestic violence issues and individuals seeking
information of various resources whereas PPW
mainly dealt with marital issues and information
enquiries. In light of the phone call data, we have
recognised a need for service staff to be equipped
with legal knowledge and to be updated on the
availability of community resources.
Marital
Problems
17%
Legal
Matters
19%
Rape / Incest
4%
Relationship
10%
WCC
Total calls: 1,290 calls
ONLINE
COUNSELING
Legal
Matters
11%
Sexual
Harassment
4%
Others
16%
Information
Seeking
21%
Relationship
12%
Marital
Problems
23%
Domestic
Violence
13%
WCC online counseling received a total of 59
emails in 2012. More than one third of the emails
were related to marital issues; another 15% dealt
with domestic violence issues. The rest of the
emails were enquiries relating to legal matters,
relationship issues, sexual harassment, child
sexual abuse and family matters.
SHELTER
“
In 2012, WCC provided shelter to nine abused
women and eight children. After a temporary
stay in our shelter, most of the clients went back
to their relatives or siblings. We also assisted two
clients to find a new home and found employment
for a client to enable her to start a new life with
her child.
“
PPW
Total calls: 1,105 calls
I cry in my heart but still my tears flow from my eyes. I beg to God to take my life
so that I don’t have to deal with my husband anymore...
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Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
— 31 year old domestic violence victim with 2 children
ONE STOP CRISIS CENTRE (OSCC)
This year is the fourth year of collaboration between WCC and OSCC in Hospital Pulau Pinang. On the
mainland, we made significant progress with Hospital Seberang Jaya (HSJ) which began referring sexual
assault cases to PPW in March 2012.
Table 3: Cases Referral by OSCC HPP and HSJ in 2012
Types of Cases
No. of Clients
Referred by
HPP
No. of Clients
Handled by
WCC
No. of Clients
Referred by
HSJ
No. of Clients
Handled by
PPW
Domestic Violence
171
119
33
23
Sexual Assault
51
41
27
17
Total
222
160
60
40
Overall, the number of cases referred to WCC
by HPP has increased tremendously to 73%. In
HPP, domestic violence cases showed a three-fold
increase whereas sexual assault cases showed a
noticeable decrease of 32% (51 compared to 75
cases in 2011). The drop was mainly due to the
difficulty in getting consent from the parents of
underage clients, as most of the sexual assault
victims were below 18 years of age. Out of 282
cases referred by both hospitals (222 in HPP and
60 in HSJ), the social workers were able to reach
70% of the clients (200 cases).
SERVICE
ADVOCACY
To enhance our Rape Survivors Support Network,
WCC and PPW jointly with HPP organised a oneday training for nurses from six hospitals to train
them to handle medico-legal cases systematically.
Subsequently, HSJ for the first time invited WCC
and PPW to have an OSCC meeting and referred
more clients to PPW. Two interagency meetings
were held at HPP and the police department this
year to discuss possible collaborative efforts to
improve the handling of sexual assault cases.
I
n 2012, WCC service work expanded greatly into service advocacy. We are
now able to provide court support for clients who have experienced sexual
assault and to follow up domestic violence cases with enforcement agencies.
This work is labour intensive and time consuming.
One challenge that many of our domestic violence clients face constantly has
been the failure to receive appropriate attention from the relevant enforcement
officer. One client has filed 13 police reports since 2005 and only in 2011, with
the support from WCC, did the client finally obtain an Interim Protection Order
(IPO). Subsequently, the husband was charged and was given a good behavior
bond for two years. Unfortunately, the woman was beaten again. Clearly her
husband breached the IPO and bond. Her husband was finally arrested and
once again charged. It was very frustrating for both the client and WCC to
keep pursuing the police officers to expedite their work.
WCC supported seven sexual assault clients in court. Three cases were
assisted by our watching brief lawyers. Before the court trial started, WCC
went through the court process with our clients and even brought the
clients to view the court room and witness room in order to prepare them
emotionally. When our clients received the subpoena to go to court, WCC
accompanied the client and her family members to court and provided
emotional support to them. It was quite challenging that some of these
trials kept being postponed which made our clients suffer greatly.
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pROGRAMMES & ACTIVITIES 2012
STRENGTHENING COUNSELING SERVICES
FOR WOMEN’S NGOs
n 2012, as a follow up to help strengthen counseling services for women’s NGOs in other states, WCC
organized two workshops for Sabah Women Action Resource Group (SAWO) and Sarawak Women
for Women (SWWS). Their staff and volunteers were trained in counseling service skills and educated
in dealing with domestic violence issues. Over 30 participants from these organizations benefited from
the workshops. It was encouraging to learn that some went on to organize similar workshops in their
community.
EMPOWERMENT
PROGRAMME
FOR WOMEN AND
CHILDREN
A
joint effort of WCC and PPW saw
the development of a one-year
“Women’s Stories Project” (WSP) to
empower a group of 13 women with
past experience of marital problems
or domestic violence. WCC designed
a participatory approach of ‘storytelling-drawing-reflecting-writing’ of their life experiences, which was used during a series of six workshops.
These women came together and depicted their hopes and dreams through creative drawings, which were
14 |
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
The program was essential in helping children to
deal with their emotions and their parents’ issues
more positively.
Another workshop on “Parenting after
Divorce”was held in Mandarin and Bahasa
Malaysia for a total of 98 women. Besides learning
positive parenting skills, participants were able to
share their struggles and reflect on ways to find a
balance between work, children and self-care.
Towards the year end, WCC and PPW
organized an outing to Pulau Jerejak to give our
clients and their children a chance to bond as
families. Eleven single mothers and 26 children
appreciated the reconnection and interaction, and
participated in fun activities like flying fox and
telematch.
CONCLUSION
T
his year, the service staff was fully occupied with the increased number of counseling cases and the
expansion of service advocacy work. The year ahead looks to be an exciting one where more selfdevelopment programs for women will be developed. We hope to mobilize more volunteers to support
our staff, particularly in dealing with the huge number of OSCC cases and telephone counseling.
“
“
I
later produced into a table-top calendar. 2,000
calendars were sold and the money raised will be
used to promote more women’s empowerment
programs in the future.
PPW also developed many programs for
women. A series of eight sessions on “Journey to
Intimacy” were organized to help clients improve
communication and enhance family relationships.
Another enhancement program on “Eliminating
Destructive Communication Patterns in Marriage”
and a self-esteem building program were also
conducted.
In a pilot project to help children with
parents going through divorce, PPW embarked
on a project entitled “Helping Children Deal with
Family Stress”. The eight session program was
conducted with six children 10 to 12 years old.
PPW is the tree trunk and WCC is the root of the tree. I am the cocoon and I
have to go through the life cycle before I can be transformed into a butterfly.
— 35 year old woman from Women’s Stories Project
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Outreach Report 2012
Prema Devaraj, Tasha Merican, Mangleswary Subramaniam and Jennie Antonisamy
W
hat a varied and interesting year the outreach team had!
While continuing full swing with school programs for youth
and children, the outreach team embarked on a new project
on promoting safety in partnership with Think City. At the same time,
focusing on the need to reach out to more women in the community,
the outreach team partnered with the Penang Women’s Development
Corporation. The team travelled to more rural parts of the state and
also broadened the scope of work to include women’s participation,
empowerment and rights.
PROMOTING SAFETY IN
GEORGE TOWN WORLD
HERITAGE SITE (WHS)
I
n collaboration with Think City, WCC embarked
on a project “Promoting Safety in George Town
WHS” which aimed to empower and capacitate
children on sexual violence prevention and to
encourage the inner city residents of George
Town to be involved in making George Town a
safer place for all.
From March to July, WCC trained facilitators
who, together with our staff, went to six schools
and taught over 450 children in the inner city to
differentiate between good and bad touches and
where to seek help, using the WCC sexual abuse
prevention package Bijak Itu Selamat (Be Smart, Be
Safe). WCC also translated our children’s booklet
Nina and Her Secret, which encourages children to
tell someone about sexual abuse, into Mandarin.
A children’s poster on preventing child sexual
abuse Jika ini berlaku (If this happens…) was also
produced in Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin.
These 4,000 posters have been widely distributed
to all schools and to the one stop crisis centres
(OSCC) at the hospitals in Penang.
Between July and November WCC worked
closely with three community organizations:
the Indian Muslim Community Organisation
Malaysia (iMCOM), the Kapitan Keling Mosque
Qaryah Committee and Penang Arts Education
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Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
BIJAK ITU SELAMAT (BIS)
B
ijak Itu Selamat or Be Smart Be Safe program continued this year with
WCC reaching out to children in schools and training educators to
ensure the continuity of the program. This year, WCC conducted BIS for
2,634 children from 40 primary schools and community organizations,
doubling the number of schools reached in 2011. There are 306 primary
schools in Penang, and WCC made a conscious effort to seek out schools
which have not previously had the BIS program. This year we reached out
to 25 new schools including schools in the inner city through the Think City
Project and also Tamil schools on the mainland through the Malar Project,
which focused on Tamil speaking children.
In May, WCC trained 38 primary school counselors on the BIS
program. The teachers were taught not only how to conduct the program
but how to become more pro-active in handling child sexual abuse matters
(recognising and reporting child sexual abuse). The program received
much media coverage. Of the 38 primary school teachers who underwent
the training, more than half were able to conduct the program or portions
of the program by the end of 2012. WCC also trained 125 teachers in Perak,
in a collaborative effort with Perak Women for Women (PWW) and support
from Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah Seri Manjung and Kerian. As more and
more teachers are able to conduct the BIS program, increasing numbers of
children will be equipped with an awareness of child sexual abuse and will
know to seek help immediately should the issue arise.
PREVENTING
ICT VIOLENCE
Programs for Young People (Arts Ed). The
WCC and these organizations held several
consultations with the adults and children living
in the Kapitan Keling Mosque area. Safety issues
were identified and suggestions for making
the area safer were put forward by the children
and residents themselves. In late November,
a Stakeholders Dialogue chaired by YB Chow
Kon Yeow was held, bringing together relevant
partners, agencies and residents to discuss how
best to move forward to make the heritage area a
safer place to stay. A public launch was held and
an exhibition of the project was displayed on the
morning of the dialogue.
WCC’s partnership with Think City
enabled a process of people’s participation and
collaboration. Our wish is that this endeavor is
replicated throughout George Town so that we
can work together to create a safer Penang.
W
CC’s
program
on
preventing
ICT
violence
and promoting cyber safety
among youth, Be Savvy
Be Safe, carried on into
the second year with the
production of a pamphlet
Savvy Connections printed in both
Bahasa Malaysia and English. The program continued to be received with great enthusiasm, reaching
a total of 971 students from eight secondary schools. As part of this effort, WCC was also sponsored by
Georgy Girl – Phaik Choo Memorial Fund and reached out to Form 2 and Form 3 students in St. George’s
Girls School in July and October.
This year WCC conducted a survey of 100 school boys between the ages of 15 to 17 from 10 schools on
the mainland and island, on the usage of the handphone and internet. The key findings of this survey show
that young men have access to or are accessing sexually explicit material including pornography, through
their handphones or through the internet. The survey analysis shows that approximately 4 in 10 teenage
boys had received sexually explicit calls/ sms-es/videos and approximately 6 in 10 teenage boys had been
shown sexually suggestive material via handphones. With regard to internet usage, 1 in 4 boys admitted to
browsing through porn websites. WCC feels that this is an area which needs addressing urgently and will
be looking into developing a specific program for boys.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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GENDER AND PERSONAL SAFETY
P
romoting gender equality and personal safety among young men and women continues to be part of
the outreach team’s activities, as concern over the sexual exploitation of young people continues. This
year WCC reached over 640 youth in six secondary schools and three colleges. Using modules from the
Respect program, WCC staff and volunteers were able to get young people to look at gender as well as safety
issues in relationships. In addition to this, WCC has trained educators to conduct the program
independently. Eighteen youth workers from the International Catholic
Migration Commission (ICMC) were trained
early in the year and by the end of the year had
carried out the program with 120 refugee youths
in eight refugee learning centres and schools
in Selangor. The materials of the program were
well received and with ICMC sponsorship, the
video clip Mabuk Cinta was dubbed into English in
October, making it available to an English speaking
audience. WCC also trained 28 educators from the
Vivekkam Motivation Team in September who then
went on to conduct modules of the program with
100 teenagers at a youth camp in early October.
WORKING
WITH
WOMEN
T
o incorporate the
empowerment
of
women in outreach
programs, WCC began
a partnership with the
newly formed Penang
Women’s Development
Corporation (PWDC).
WCC was involved in
conducting
training
sessions in two workshops jointly organized by the Society for Good Governance and Gender Equality
(3Gs) and PWDC, in March. The first workshop was a half day session on Gender and Voter Education with
30 participants, and the second workshop was a one day Women’s Political Leadership Training, where 20
women from different political parties worked together to look at what was needed to support or enhance
the position of women in politics. In June, WCC conducted a workshop organized by PWDC, Persatuan
Kebajikan Wanita Mawar Pulau Pinang and Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan (JKKK) Bakau Tua
for 30 women in Penanti on Isu Wanita Komuniti.
Later in October, as part of Local Democracy Month, WCC teamed up with SUARAM and PWDC
to conduct two half day workshops with community women in Penaga and Teluk Kumbar. A total of 60
participants attended. During the workshops, WCC promoted awareness regarding the lack of women in
political leadership and explained the reasons why more women should be involved in local democracy. They
also made participants aware of the things that hold women back from full involvement and participation
in local democracy. WCC also began working with the Northeast District office to have access to JKKKs
(Village Welfare and Security Committees) in the district, so as to reach more women in the community.
18 |
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
Advocacy Report
Melissa Mohd Akhir, Prema Devaraj and Loh Cheng Kooi
A
dvocating for clients is a component of
WCC’s work to ensure clients receive
adequate support services as is their
right. WCC advocates via the services we provide
to clients daily, and on a wider scale by engaging
with institutions to drive change in unfair systems
so that clients are not left powerless, especially
after suffering from a crime. The highlight for
advocacy in 2012 was the notable engagement
with service providers to advocate for better
support for women and children who suffer
from domestic violence and sexual crimes, and
to pursue their rights as victims in the criminal
justice process.
VICTIM ADVOCACY
AND SUPPORT
A
ground-breaking success this year has been
the collaboration with the Penang State
Prosecution Unit in conducting a full-day training
for 20 Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) from
Penang, Perak and Kedah. The training aimed
to sensitise DPPs on victims’ experience during
investigation and court trial so that they can better
understand the victims, and help reduce the
trauma from the investigation and trial process.
We hope this training will lead to a more effective
prosecution of sexual crimes.
The contents of the above training was based
on WCC’s experience in providing support in
court for victims of sexual crimes. The DPPs were
informed on the research regarding past cases in
court and the range of victim’s reactions to crimes
that the DPPs may not have been able to understand
in past cases. The DPPs were informed of a list of
protection measures available for the victim pretrial and during trial, as well as the positive and
negative aspects of a sexual crime trial.
Throughout 2012, WCC actively assisted clients
through seven court cases (six sexual crimes
and one case of domestic violence). WCC’s
court support for clients during the pre-trial
preparations includes:
a) familiarising them with the court process and
explaining what the witness goes through
during trial;
b) getting protection for victims and family
members who were harassed before their day
in court; and
c) liaising with the prosecutor and enforcement
agencies on arrangements to minimise the
victim’s trauma as she gives evidence.
The support during an on-going trial includes:
a) Obtaining legal representation from our
volunteer lawyers to conduct watching briefs
as an avenue to protect the victim’s rights
during trial;
b) Assisting the prosecutor with legal arguments
that support the victim’s evidence; and
c) Providing the victim with an avenue to
explain the impact the crime had on them
and the suffering it caused (Victim Impact
Statement), and advising them on their rights
to compensation for the injuries suffered.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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“
“
On the day of my court hearing, my tears fell down without my noticing it.
My hands suddenly became icy cold, and my whole body trembled uncontrollably.
I was so nervous that I could practically hear my heart beating out of my chest.
— Incest victim of 8 years
CONSULTATIONS AND MONITORING
W
CC held dialogues with government
agencies to advocate for overall
improvement of the public institutions
that help women and children. One such dialogue
was with the Penang Police Department, chaired
by the Chief Police Officer of Penang and
attended by all District Chiefs and WCC General
Committee members. WCC highlighted eight
domestic violence and sexual crimes cases of
concern. The focus was to sensitise enforcement
officers to the client’s rights, for example, in cases
where the police have delayed or resisted action
to protect the client. At the end of the dialogue,
the Police Department agreed to WCC working
closer with the D11 (Sexual Crimes, Domestic
Violence and Child Unit) division of the police
to follow-up on all the repevant cases. They
also agreed to regular dialogues with the police
over issues arising in sexual crimes and
domestic violence.
At the
national
l e v e l ,
WCC was
involved in
efforts for
consultation
in
legal
reform
for
better laws that
affect women
and children. As
part of the Joint Action Group for
Gender Equality (JAG), WCC was
involved in drafting the petition on
highly controversial statutory rape
issues including the sentencing of
20 |
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
rapists in criminal trials. This petition highlighted
the victim’s perspective in statutory rape, and
was presented to the Minister in charge of
Legal Affairs. The related press conference was
publicised in the media. This form of civil society
pressure contributed to the push for a Sentencing
Council in Malaysia.
As a form of monitoring of our government’s
obligation on women and children’s rights, WCC
gave feedback in NGO reports to the United
Nations through JAG, the child rights coalition
and Suhakam. These reports assess how well
the law or policies which serve women and
children have been implemented in Malaysia, and
highlight the relevant NGO recommendations
for better enforcement of these laws and policies.
The reports were presented internationally in the
CEDAW Report on women’s rights and the NGO
Status Report on the Convention of the Rights of
the Child, as well as in various other publications.
PUBLIC AWARENESS OF
THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN
AND CHILDREN
W
CC’s work in empowering women
and eliminating violence is primarily
driven by public support and activism
for the fundamental rights of women and
children. To this end, activities to educate the
greater community in these rights have also been
an important component of advocacy in 2012.
We were proud to organise two busloads
taking 45 Penang women to participate in the
Wanita Suara Perubahan event held in Petaling
Jaya, Selangor and at the Esplanade in Penang
in conjunction with International Women’s Day.
In Selangor, we walked with more than 5,000
women from all over Malaysia, holding placards
and banners with messages on gender rights.
The crowd danced, shouted and sang to have
women’s voices heard. As women are among
the most vulnerable to corruption and bad
governance, participants called for six demands:
a government free of corruption, a decent living
wage, a better quality of life, an end to violence
against women and all genders, the repeal of the
Peaceful Assembly Act 2011, and finally, free and
fair elections.
The national “Walk the Talk” event, held
during the 16 days of activism against gender
violence in November, had heartening turnout.
During this event, 100 people walked from
Straits Quay to Gurney Drive, holding placards
demanding an end to sexual violence and
advocating for safety for women and children.
Jointly organised with Soroptimist International
Club of Penang, the clear message of this event
was to demand urgent action to stop violence
against women and children, especially on the
part of the enforcement agencies.
As a means to educate the general public
on gender issues to encourage equality in all
spheres of public life, WCC continued to highlight
important issues through press statements, letters
to the editor and newspaper features. WCC and
JAG provided comments on current issues to the
press and were featured in magazine articles (print
and online) as well as in a rare TV appearance.
We wrote and spoke about justice for rape victims
in the legal process and about the importance of
understanding a child victim’s evidence, and we
reminded the Minister for Women, Family and
Community Development of pending women’s
demands and issues,.
The overall experience and summary of
WCC’s advocacy in 2012 is that we are making
positive forays into crucial areas of our struggle
for rights, despite the numerous challenges that
exist. WCC is extremely fortunate to be able
to derive our strength from the support of our
members, volunteers and the general public, in
order to push on and stand together with our
clients. We look upwards and onwards in gaining
positive change for all women and children.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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21
DIARY of EVENTS 2012
16
Tasha delivered a session on WCC’s partnership with
the Hospital Pulau Pinang for 100 staff and nurses.
17 & 8 Mar
Using Satir model therapy, PPW coordinator
Lau Swee Li trained WCC and PPW staff and
volunteers to enhance their skills in understanding
the process and ways to support our clients.
18
9th General Committee 2011/12 meeting
22
WCC participated in The Star’s Bid
and Win charity series and won
the fourth prize with 68,164 Star
Points tokens worth RM10,000 of
Panasonic electronic goods.
Staff Mangles and Jennie, volunteer Chueng Kwan
Leng and interns Mariyah and Crystal conducted a
session on Teenage Friendships and Sexual Violence
for 41 Form 1 to 3 students at SMK Machang Bubuk.
22 - 25
12
Social worker Lee Sook Foong attended a 4-day
training of trainers’ workshop on Social Competency
Frameworks in Kuala Lumpur aimed at developing a
clear understanding of social work competency.
8th General Committee
2011/2012 meeting
23, 28 & 29
16
WCC held an appreciation
ceremony for Lions Club of
George Town, their sisters’
clubs and Mr & Mrs Tan Kheng
Liat for their donation for the
lift installation in WCC’s new
premises.
Prema and Tasha conducted three sessions of the
Ok Tak Ok touch program for 18 children aged
6 to 11 years at the Pusat Jagaan Kanak-Kanak Padang Tembak.
24
PPW staff Jennie Antonisamy went to SJKT Mayfield and SJKT Malakoff to conduct
the BIS program in Tamil for 35 and 38 standard 6 students respectively.
25
WCC set up a promotional booth at SMK AL Mashoor and SMK Padang Polo at an
event entitled Remaja Sihat, Lestari Kehidupan organised by an NGO, Payong.
JANUARY
6 Jan - 6 Feb
18 & 2 Feb
WCC project officers Tasha Merican
and Mangleswary Subramaniam conducted a training on Bijak Itu Selamat (BIS)
program for 50 trainee teachers at Institusi Pendidikan Guru, Kampus Pulau
Pinang.
20
Tasha represented WCC at the Muzakarah Memperkasakan Keharmonian Institusi
Kekeluargaan meeting organised by Pejabat Agama Islam.
FEBRUARY
3 & 10
WCC conducted in-house training for 17 volunteers on the BIS program; General
Committee member Susan Siew presented on “Understanding child sexual abuse”
while Tasha explained the contents of the VCD Sentuhan Ok Tak Ok.
5
WCC staff Annie Yeap, volunteers Kae Shih and Lee Y’ng, assisted by Kew
Si Cheng, Crystal, Cindy and Wong Soo Lan conducted a talk on Circle of
Friendship & ICT Safety to 120 students in Standard 6 at SJKC Chung San.
9
Jennie went to SJKT Mak Mandin to conduct the BIS program in Tamil for 112
Standard 6 students.
8
WCC staff Tasha and volunteer Cindy Ruble ran interactive sessions on Teenage
Relationships and ICT Violence for 50 teenage girls at SMK Methodist Girls School.
10
10
WCC advocacy officer Melissa Mohd Akhir attended an NGO Roundtable on
Domestic Violence organised by the Performance Management and Delivery
Unit (PEMANDU) of the PM’s Office to call for standardisation of procedures by
enforcement agencies.
WCC staff Mangles, Tasha and Annie conducted an in-house training on the BIS
program for 11 volunteers in Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia.
10
The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) invited WCC program
director, Prema Devaraj and Mangles to conduct a training based on the Respect
manual for 18 Burmese community workers.
PPW organised the first Mandarin Women’s Support Group session for 27
women. Facilitator Swee Li helped the participants understand how they can
improve communication to enhance relationships and marriages.
13
Malaysian Child Resource Institute interviewed Melissa about our documentation
on child abuse cases to prepare for an Alternative Report on Malaysia’s
Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC).
15 & 16
22 |
MARCH
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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18
APRIL
2
PPW conducted a Women’s Support Group session for 30 single mothers and low
income women to discuss women’s self-worth and development.
2
WCC ran a promotional booth at Loyar Burok Rock4Rights concert at Fort
Cornwallis.
4 & 14
Prema, Mangles, Tasha and Cindy conducted in-house training on gender
awareness from 11 new volunteer facilitators on gender issues and violence
against women. These volunteers received on-the-job training by facilitating
the Teenage Relationships program at SMK Air Itam, SMJKC Union and Tenby
International School.
5
WCC President Mariam Lim, staff Lerk Shih and Cheng Kooi attended the
first Microsoft Roundtable in Penang together with approximately 30 NGO
representatives.
19
Tasha observed trainee teacher
Nazira Roslee conduct the BIS
program for 20 Standard 5
students at SK Padang Tembak.
19
WCC co-organised IWD Talent 2012 with International Women’s Association,
Young Women’s Christian Association, World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action
and Soroptimist International Club of Penang.
5
21
WCC staff Prema, Swee Li and Tasha attended an inter-agency networking
meeting with medical personnel at the One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC), Hospital
Seberang Jaya.
Volunteer Chin Jing Ping went to SK Batu Maung to conduct the BIS program to
101 Standard 5 students.
6
WCC 27th Annual General Meeting at the Centre’s new office.
1st General Committee 2012/2013 meeting.
Staff Prema, Tasha, Lerk Shih and Mangles conducted a session on gender issues
with 20 trainee teachers at IPGM Tengku Bainun.
9
WCC staff and Sook Foong conducted a 2-hour session on domestic violence
with 22 student nurses from Lam Wah Ee Nursing School.
Mangles and Tasha conducted a session on gender issues with 20 student nurses
at KDU Penang School of Nursing.
12
WCC and PPW’s Service Working Group held an in-house training session on
the Domestic Violence Act Amendment to 11 staff and volunteers conducted by
Melissa.
24
26
27
28
24 |
In conjunction with
International Women’s Day
(IWD) 2012, WCC brought
two busloads of women
to join rally Wanita Suara
Perubahan at Petaling Jaya
to demand for a corruptionfree government and better
living conditions for people.
Tasha and Kwan Leng went to SK Bukit Gelugor to conduct the BIS program for
90 Standard 5 students.
19
Volunteer Yu Jo, assisted by Woo Boon Leng and Su Lan, carried out her first BIS
session in Mandarin for 52 Standard 5 students at SJKC Min Sin.
29
Annie gave a session on issues of violence against women to 28 medical students
at Penang Medical College.
29
Trainee teacher Ahmad Azfal went to SK Sri Aman to conduct the BIS program
for 42 Standard 5 students.
30
WCC and PPW Service Working Group held a training session on social work
competency conducted by Sook Foong for staff.
31
WCC outreach
conducted an in-house
training to 13 volunteers
on ICT: Be Savvy, Be Safe
program, which includes
negative and positive
aspects of the internet
and hand phones.
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
WCC and PPW collaborated
with Hospital Pulau Pinang
and held a one-day training
on Best Practices for nurses
and staff from the One
Stop Crisis Centre from 6
hospitals from the 5 districts
in Penang. Participants also
paid visits WCC and PPW.
19
Mangles and Kwan Leng conducted the ICT: Be Savvy, Be Safe program for 62
Form 2 students at SMK Zainal Abidin.
20
In collaboration with Think City, WCC together with Penang Women Development
Corporation and Penang Heritage Trust co-organised the launch of the book
Kaleidoscope: The Memoirs of P.G.Lim at the E & O Hotel. WCC past president,
Dr Maznah Mohamad gave a lecture on Thinking & Feeling Gender in the History
of Malaysia during the event.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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25
21
2nd General Committee meeting
20, 21 & 22
Melissa attended a training of trainers entitled Eradicating crimes of trafficking in
Persons organised by the Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons and the National
Council of Women Organisations.
21
22
Tasha, Crystal, Mariyah, Sally and Rebecca conducted a session of the Sentuhan
Ok Tak Ok program for the children aged 6 years while volunteer Rosalind and
staff Mangles conducted the BIS program for 24 students from 11 to 13 years old
at St Joseph’s Home.
PPW organised the Women’s Support Group session titled Love Languages for
20 women to learn practical and powerful ways to express love. The session was
facilitated by Swee Li.
MAY
7
Mangles, Tasha and Kae Shih conducted the Respect program for a total of 76
Form 1 students at SMK Air Itam.
9
Mangles went to SJKT Subramaniyar Barathee to conduct the BIS program for a
total of 80 Standard 5 and 6 students.
12
PPW organised a Women’s Support Group session titled Family of Origin for women
to learn that a woman’s family history impacts her behaviour with her partner.
12
WCC, jointly with the Penang State Legal Advisor’s Office, conducted a training
workshop on Justice for Victims of Sexual Crimes for 20 Deputy Public Prosecutors in
the northern states.
13
PPW organised a
workshop on Parenting
after Divorce for 37
single mothers and
38 children at Dewan
Serbaguna, Taman
Chai Leng. Priscilla
Ho, an experienced
creative play therapist,
conducted the
workshop in Bahasa
Malaysia.
22
WCC vice-president, Lailtha Menon delivered a Tamil talk entitled Cara-cara
Meningkatkan Keyakinan Diri Wanita to 38 Indian single mothers organised by
PPW, Persatuan Ibu Tunggal Nibong Tebal and JKKK Inderawasih.
24
24
26
27
26 |
13
Prema shared WCC’s collaboration at the first interagency meeting at OSCC,
Hospital Pulau Pinang.
In conjunction with Nurses Day, Annie Yeap delivered a talk on violence against
women to 100 nursing students while WCC volunteers Sim Bee Hwa, Jane Yew,
Jocelyn Ho, Nadia Ali and Chia Wui Jia set up a promotional booth to sell its
merchandise at KDU Penang.
15
Mastura conducted the BIS program for 59 Standard 5 students at SK Sungai
Gelugor.
Woo, Soo Lan and Annie went to SKJC Shang Wu to conduct the BIS program in
Mandarin to 148 Standard 5 students.
15 & 16
Volunteers Andrew Koay and Cheah Wui Jia
conducted the BIS program for 100 Form 2
students at SMK Bukit Gambir.
Melissa represented WCC at a training of trainers entitled Legal Frameworks and
Child Protection, organised by the Malaysian Child Resource Institute (MCRI).
17
Prema and Lerk Shih gave a briefing about WCC’s work to 10 students and
lecturers from Logsdon Seminary, Hardins Simmons University, Texas, USA.
19
WCC and PPW jointly organised a session entitled Myself, My Life and My Dreams
to 30 ex-clients and volunteers to encourage them to understand and treat
themselves better.
19
WCC was a beneficiary at Malaysia 5th World Belly Dance Day Charity Dinner
organised by Zero Fitness Dance Studio.
Mangles went to SJKT Ramakrishna to conduct
the BIS program in Tamil for 120 Standard
5 and 6 students while the trainee teacher
Hafiza did a similar program at SK Bukit
Gambir for 83 Standard 6 students.
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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20
Tasha attended a workshop entitled Sexuality and Children with Special Needs,
Promoting Positive Development and Preventing Sexual Abuse through Creative
Arts Therapy by Professor Sue Jennings, a trainer from United Kingdom.
21
Mangles conducted a talk on sexual harassment to 60 visually impaired trainees
at St Nicholas’ Home for the Blind.
23
WCC outreach conducted a training workshop on BIS child sexual abuse
prevention program for 40 primary school counselors.
25
Prema gave a brief introduction about WCC’s work to 15 Canadian interns from
University of Alberta as part of their program with KANITA, USM.
28 - 30
WCC Committee Member Ivy Ho attended a 3-day training workshop on
Communication for Development (C4D) organised by UNICEF in Kuala Lumpur.
JUNE
Jun & Sep
28 |
Prema and Mangles gave a briefing on domestic violence to the State Legislative
Assembly persons of Daerah Timur Laut, government agency representatives,
Penghulu and Jawatankuasa Kecil Kampung (JKKK).
2
WCC Review Meeting for 20 staff and General Committee members
7-9
WCC Committee member Susan Siew and staff Mangles went for an exposure trip
to visit social welfare organisations in Songkhla Province, Thailand,
hosted by the Royal Thai Consulate-General Penang.
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
9 & 10
Prema delivered a
presentation entitled
Protecting Children
Against Violence: The
Role of the Community
and moderated a
workshop entitled
Addressing Gaps in the
Child Protection at the
3rd National Conference
Violence Against
Children – Spectrum
of Hope, organised by
Persatuan Pengasuh
Berdaftar Malaysia
(PPBM) in Kuala Lumpur.
13
Volunteer Soo Lan went to SJKC Li Teik (caw) to conduct the BIS program to 37
Standard 5 and 6 students.
14
Tasha went to SK Hutchings to conduct the BIS program for 23 Standard 5 and 6
students.
14
WCC General Committee member Molly Lee represented WCC at the Intel
Involved Matching Grant Program (IIMGP) Pay Out Ceremony.
15 - 17
WCC, hosted by Sabah Women’s Action Resource Group (SAWO), ran a
3-day workshop on Violence Against Women and Children in Kota Kinabalu to
strengthen the counseling services for 18 participants.
16
Kae Shih and Li Ying conducted the Respect program for 79 Form 1 -5 students
at SMJKC Union.
16 Jun
-19 Jul
PPW conducted 6 sessions based on the Journey to Intimacy program developed
by Dr Huang Wei-Jen. The group was facilitated by Swee Li.
18
Volunteers Kae Shih and Li Ying conducted the ICT: Be Savvy, Be Safe program
to 107 Form 1 and Remove students at SMJKC Sacred Heart, Balik Pulau.
20
Volunteer Soo Lan went to SJKC Li Teik (A) to conduct the BIS program to 135
Standard 5 and 6 students.
21
Volunteers Kwan Leng and Wui Jia conducted the ICT:
Be Savvy, Be Safe program for 86 Form 2 students at SMK (P) Sri Mutiara.
22
Volunteers Sally Alexander and Sukhveer Kaur went to SK Convent Lebuh Light to
conduct the BIS program to 75 Standard 4 students.
23
Cheng Kooi shared WCC’s work during the Girl Guides Association Meeting
aimed at networking with NGOs in Penang.
25
Jane, Li Ying and Miaw conducted the BIS program to 153 Standard 5 students at
SJKC Union.
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27
Mangles, Lerk Shih, Andrew and Wui Jia conducted
the Respect program to 50 Form 2 students at Tenby International School.
28
Prema gave a briefing on domestic violence and its impact on women and
children to 40 representatives of Dewan Undangan Negeri and government
agencies during the Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Tindakan Daerah.
28
Mangles conducted the Be Savvy, Be Safe program for 46 Form 3 and 5 students
at SMK Sungai Nibong.
29
Andrew went to
SJKC Li Teik (B)
to conduct the
BIS program for
31 Standard 5
students.
30
PPW organised a half-day session to educate women on self-worth for 20 Malay
speaking women. The session was facilitated by Puan Noor Zakiah.
30
Prema conducted a workshop entitled Isu Wanita Komuniti for 30 community
women, organised by Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC),
Persatuan Kebajikan Wanita Mawar Pulau Pinang and JKKK Bakau Tua in
Seberang Perai Utara.
JULY
30 |
3,5,10 &12
Under the sponsorship of Georgy Girl-Phaik Choo Memorial Fund, WCC
conducted the Be Savvy, Be Safe program for 210 Form 2 students in
St Georges Girls School.
7
3rd General Committee meeting
13 July
& 21 Sept
WCC service coordinator
Annie Yeap conducted
two lectures on violence
against women at the
Penang Medical College
to 56 students.
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
14
PPW Coordinator Lau Swee Li conducted a Women’s Support Group session in
Mandarin entitled Eliminating Destructive Communication Patterns in a Marriage
to 25 women.
14
WCC set up a promotional booth at Penang Christian Centre’s 31st anniversary
carnival celebration and was one of its beneficiaries.
17
WCC staff, Annie, Liz and Tasha attended the workshop entitled Integrating
Creative Arts into Counseling Practice for social workers, NGOs and government
bodies.
18
WCC key General Committee members and staff had a meeting with Chief Police
Officer of Penang, Dato’ Wira Ayub Hj Yaakob and his officer to discuss 10
specific cases on domestic violence and sexual assault which faced problematic
handling by investigating officers.
20
Cheng Kooi attended a cheque
ceremony at St Georges Girls’
School Open Day for the
sponsorship of the Be Savvy, Be
Safe program by Georgy GirlPhaik Choo Memorial Fund.
21
WCC conducted the child sexual
abuse prevention program for 25 teachers at Sri Pelita School.
23 Jul
& 26 Sep
WCC was involved in preparatory meetings for workshops on local democracy
held in Penaga and Teluk Kumbar.
25
WCC Promo Gang took part in the career and education fair at Methodist Boy’s
School.
31
WCC Emergency General Meeting was held to pass several amendments to the
WCC Constitution including our new logo and address.
AUGUST
4
WCC as part of Penang Forum 5 organised A Public Dialogue with the CM:
A Vision For An International Liveable City for more than 600 participants at
Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang.
7
Prema, Mangles, Latha and Mala conducted the BIS program in Tamil at SJKT
Mahatma Gandhi, Sungai Siput.
11
4th General Committee Meeting
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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31
13
PPW staff Liz Tan kicked
off the first of a series of 8
sessions of group therapy
entitled Helping Children
Deal with Family Stress with
6 children 10 to 12 years
old whose parents were
facing relationship issues.
16-17
18
22 Aug
& 14 Sept
29
Mangles co-facilitated a session with Betty Yeoh and Ho Yock Lin from All Women
Action Society Malaysia (AWAM) for training in equality, gender and gender
discrimination at Star Cruise.
WCC kicked off a year-long project Women’s Stories Project which uses a
participatory approach to foster support amongst women who have had similar
experiences.
WCC held 2 preparatory meetings with Vivekkam Motivation Team prior to the
training on gender sensitisation and portions of the WCC Respect module.
Melissa attended training on Amicus Brief: Holding the State Accountable,
organized by Perak Women for Women in Ipoh.
SEPTEMBER
8
10
11
32 |
Official opening by Penang Chief Minister to mark WCC’s new building at 241
Jalan Burma, Penang. Activities included food galore, jumble sale, concert,
exhibition and children’s event.
WCC Advocacy Officer, Melissa Akhir gave a talk on WCC’s role regarding child
sexual abuse to 45 doctors and specialists at the Penang Hospital.
Prema presented a paper on Community and Social Interventions for Victims
at a half-day OSCC seminar organised by the Department of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology (O&G), Hospital Kuala Lumpur. The event was attended by Heads
of Department of O&G and consultants from all hospitals in peninsular Malaysia.
11
Prema raised the issue of participation of people in local democracy at the
launch of the Local Democracy Festival 2012 at Speakers Corner.
14
WCC promotional booth and merchandise were well received by medical
students from all over Asia at the Global Health Fair at City Bayview Hotel.
18
Soo Lan and Lee Y’ng conducted the BIS program in Mandarin at
SJKC Kheng Tean.
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
19,24, 25,
26 & 28
Under the Malar project,
Jennie went to the
respective Tamil schools
SJKT Ladang Juru, Ladang
Changkat, Batu Kawan,
Ladang Kerian and
Palaniandy to conduct the
BIS program for a total of
183 students.
19
Mangles, Tasha, Anamary
and Kwan Leng conducted
a one-day training of the BIS program
for 56 primary school teachers in the Manjung district, Perak, organised
by Perak Women for Women and Soroptimist International.
21-24
WCC member Christine Khor attended a 4-day workshop in Bangkok to learn
about the international laws related to eliminating discrimination against women,
organised by the International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW).
22
Staff Tasha and PPW intern, Ooi Say Tee represented WCC at a dialogue with 40
USM students regarding Anti Keganasan.
25
Staff Mangles and Sook Foong gave a 2-hour lecture on Domestic Violence to 39
student nurses at the Lam Wah Ee Hospital.
29
PPW organized a half-day program entitled Saya Yakin, Saya Boleh for 30
women.
30
Jointly with PWDC, Prema and Mangles conducted a training on gender
sensitization using the Respect module for 30 youth facilitators of Vivekkam
Motivation Team (VMT).
OCTOBER
Oct to Dec
WCC went to SMK Lunas, Kedah (122 students) and the White Lily Camp by
Vivekkham (102 students) to conduct the Respect program for youths.
Oct to Dec
WCC’s Be Savvy, Be Safe program reached out to 360 students in five schools;
SMK St Georges, St Xavier, Sri Mutiara and Sg Nibong and Tun Syed Syed
Barakbah.
6 & 24
Women’s Stories Project
workshops were held to
engage women to reflect
on their life experiences.
During the workshops,
the women created
drawings and used
storytelling to describe
the challenges they
faced.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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13
WCC Advocacy Strategic Meeting
16 & 18
Jennie went to SJKT Ladang Sampah and SJKT Tasek Permai to conduct the BIS
program in Tamil to a total of 46 students.
18
5th General Committee meeting
18 & 15 Dec
WCC staff shared how WCC handles domestic violence and sexual abuse cases
with health clinic staff at Balik Pulau and Komtar.
24
WCC and Think City
launched project on
Promoting Safety in
George Town, which was
attended by 60 people
including community
NGOs, residents, state
agencies representatives
and local ADUNs.
24
26
DECEMBER
1
PPW and WCC organised a funfilled trip to Pulau Jerejak for 11
families and 26 children.
1
WCC Community Outreach
strategic meeting
9
Prema was invited to be one of 7
speakers for TEDxGurney Drive.
She spoke about WCC’s work and
how she got involved.
13 & 14
WCC jointly with PWDC
held a capacity building
workshop for Vivekkham
members to train them on
child sexual abuse and youth programs.
Melissa represented WCC at the Consultative Meeting on Advocacy and
Strengthening Capacity for NGOs on Domestic Violence in Johor Baru organised
by KANITA and Reproductive Health Association of Kelantan.
15
6th General Committee meeting
19
PPW organised a workshop entitled Parenting after Divorce in Mandarin for 20
women and men.
A high tea evening was held at WCC to discuss collaborative initiatives between
Penang lawyers and WCC.
22
Persatuan Amal Masyarakat Cina, Taman Puteri Gunung invited PPW to conduct
an awareness program on domestic violence attended by 37 of its members.
29 & 30
Jennie went to 3 Tamil schools, SJKT Ladang Jawi, Sungai Bakap and Ladang
Bryam while Rosalind and Tasha went to SK Pinang Tunggal to conduct the BIS
program to 187 students.
31
20 teacher trainees at the Institut Pendidikan Guru attended a WCC training on
gender sensitisation.
NOVEMBER
34 |
14
WCC accompanied a 15 year old child to her statutory rape case appeal hearing
at the Penang High Court.
16 & 17
Staff Prema and Annie went to Kuching conducted a training to enhance
counseling skills on domestic violence cases for volunteers of Sarawak Women
for Women Society.
21 - 25
Melissa Akhir attended a training on Strengthening ASEAN’s Human Rights System
through Legal Advocacy Efforts organised by USAID, Legal Aid Jakarta and Rule
of Law Initiative.
25
About 100 people participated in the Walk the Talk: Stop Violence Against
Women event held in conjunction with the worldwide 16 days of days of activism
against violence against women. The Penang leg was organised by WCC and
Soroptimist International Club of Penang.
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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35
Appreciationand Gratitude
Donors & Sponsors
AGENCIES & FOUNDATIONS
Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED)
MMK Women, Family and Community Development, Penang
Lim Lean Teng Foundation
Neoh Foundation
Kempen Rakyat
Think City
Georgy Girl-Phaik Choo Memorial Fund
Malar Project
Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat
Tun Sardon Foundation
CHARITY BENEFICIARIES
Malaysia 5th World Belly Dance Day Charity Dinner
The Star Charity Walk (Ideal Property Dev S/B)
Penang Christian Centre 31st Anniversary Carnival
Che Hoon Khor Moral Uplifting 2012 Harmony Charity Food Fair
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers Heritage Explorer Trail
Allen Cheung Jewellery Show
QE II Fashion Xtravaganza 2012
Hotel Equatorial Christmas Charity Sales
Rockwills Corporation
Cobra Golfers PTCGS
ORGANISATIONS / CORPORATIONS
Goal Jet Technology
Intel Volunteer Grant Program
Kulim Wesley Methodist Church
Lean Wah Thong Temple Air Itam
Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
M S Elevators Sdn Bhd
Pulau Pinang Clinic Sdn Bhd
SuriaChem Sdn Bhd
INDIVIDUALS
Allan Chew
Chan Chong Seng
Cheah Huey Yee
Chuah Chiew Peng
Gooi Guat Lee
Heah Hooi Peng
Khoo Suan Sim
Leong Keng Yuen
Lim Tow Ho
Loh Lean Lee
Ong Eng Bin
Ong Hui Ling
Poh Li Suan
Richard Rivalee
Tag Beazley
Tan Ai Chin
Tan Hock Lim
Tan Peek Jong
Tan Siew Tee
Teh Hoay Eim
Tham Sock Ying
Ung Siew Lee
Vivien Ng Kum Yip
Wong Siow Cheng
In Memory of
Helen Chan Swee Imm
... and to our many other supporters who gave generously to enable WCC to
carry out its important work for society.
2012 BUILDING FUND DONORS
ORGANISATIONS / CORPORATIONS
Lee Foundation States of Malaya
Lions Club of George Town
Georgy Girl-Phaik Choo Memorial Fund
IvoryCares
Ken Keong S/B
Perunding Trafik Klasik S/B
Wei Leng Thean Temple
INDIVIDUALS
Chan Foong Yeen & Friends (New Zealand)
Honey Tan Lay Ean
Chan Hong Ee
Lee Khek Mui
Chan Lai Ngoh
Lim Family (London)
Chan Lai Sheong
Loh Geok Mooi
Cheng Bee Lee
Mariam Lim
Chin Sheng Bin
Mona Lim
Chok Leng Leng
Tan Kwee Chan
Chuah Lee Chin
Tan Yeow Guan
Dato' Chong Eng Keat
In Memory of Dato' Loh Say Bee
Dato' Lim Tiong Chin
Ewe Soon Teik
WOMEN'S STORIES PROJECT - Calendar 2013
Thank you to many generous people who donated and helped sell the table top Calendar 2013
for WCC including Budd & Darlene Hall, Celina Teh Poh Cheng, Lim Huat Chye Paul Joseph,
Therese Tay & Ung Siew Lee.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
|
37
Volunteers & Contributors
Susan Siew
Molly Lee
WCC: BUILDING OFFICIAL OPENING, 8 September 2012
Goh Jie Ying
WCC gratefully acknowledges and thanks our many supporters and friends who have so generously
contributed, supported and volunteered their time and effort to make our building’s official opening
such a success.
Tan Saw Yen
Ann Lee
Andrew Koay
Sri Mahes
Thum Yuan Fong
PTPL students
Mariam Lim
Christina Teh
CHILDREN’S AMAZING TRAIL
Lim Kah Cheng
Rozana Merican
Christy Chong
Shakila Abdul Manan
Anamary Sivatham
Evanezel Khoo
Seow Hwai Joo
Jeremy Tee
Teoh Soo Bee
June Lim
Janet Yeoh
Leong Min See
Wee Siew Eng
Lim Zhi Cheng
JUMBLE SALE
Sally Alexander
Sharon Thean
Chew Win Win
David Seow
FOOD FAIR GALORE
Wendy Ang
Chang Mei Leng
Janice Lau
Wee Siew Eng
Cecilia Yeap
Jennie Tan
Ooi Beng Huat
Lim Bee Sim
Maria Francisca
Jack Ong
Asian Tigers Mobility
Khai Tat Enterprise Sdn Bhd
Esther Wong
Jane Tan Yew Min
A.W. Faber-Castell (M) Sdn Bhd
Lee Ching Seng
Fong See Kim
Gladys Lee
Bayview Beach Resort
Lim Suan Poh
Buncho (M) Sdn Bhd
Lone Pine Resort
Canon Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd
Maestro Swiss Chocolate Sdn Bhd
China House
Oasis
Domino’s Pizza Malaysia
Penang Butterfly Farm
E & O Hotel
PP ASIA Media Packaging Sdn Bhd
Floralsense Creation
Robert Lee
George Town Festival
Star Cruises
Golden Fresh Sdn Bhd
Threequarters Studio
Golden Sands Resort
Tropical Spice Garden
Beh Chooi Heah
Ben Wiseman
Performers & Dancers
38 |
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
MINI CONCERT
EXHIBITION
SPONSORS
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
|
39
Volunteers & Supporters
WCC gratefully acknowledges many individuals who gave time and expertise.
OUTREACH
Aida Redza
Alisha Koay
Bebe Chan
Cheah Wui Jia
Jane Yew Ming
Chueng Kwan Leng
Jeremy Tee
Cindy Ruble
Jocelyn Ho
Eunice Leo
Kalpana Munusamy
Foo Wei Lyn
Khalveena Siva
Adrian Cheah
Liew Li Li
Gan Bee Ching
Koay Kar Ming
Andrew Koay
Lim Tze Cheng
Ivy Ho
Kumanan Kandasamy
Chang Mei Leng
Maria Kempster
Chizuko Nakazato
Ooi Meng Huat
Chris Wolley
Peter Chung
Esther Chan
Tan Chye Suan
Esther Wong
Tan Saw Yen
Krista Goon
Yeo Foo Tee
Lim Cheng Hwang
Lim Yeong Li
Low Yu Jo
Man Yu-Jyne
Mageswari Pattel
Meyuri Michelle
Mimi Chuah
Nadia Ali
Nancy Ong
Ng Chia Wen
SERVICE
Ng Lee Y’ng
Noriah Kalanjiam
Beh Chooi Heah
Parimala Devi
Chan Lean Heng
Parimala Devi Rajaram
Cheah Gaik Kim
Por Ye Huey
Cheng Seet Ian
Rosalind Tan
Cheng Seet Van
Sabrina Soon
Elain Wong
Sim Bee Hwa
Emma Franks
Evanezel Khoo
Jenny Tan Sock Cheng
Maria Francisca
Monina Felix
Sally Alexander
Stella Lau
Wee Siew Eng
Wendy Ang
Yeoh Siew Eng
Siva Priya Muniandy
INTERNS
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
Swarnalatha Subramaniam
Cindy Lim
Tan Lou Rong
Crystal Teoh
Goh Jie Ying
Tang Kae Shih
Vivien Lee
Jazmeen Yunadia Mazlan
ADVOCACY
Kew Si Cheng
Ahmad Munawir bin Abdul Aziz
Wong Soo Lan
Lee Miaw Ling
Christine Khor
Woo Boon Leng
Mariya Siraj
Rowena Nair
Wee Yee Wen
Ooi Say Tee
Sharneeya Subramaniam
40 |
Sukhveer Kaur
Our sincere apologies to those whom we have inadvertently missed out.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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41
• All Women’s Action Society (AWAM)
• Penang Arts Education Programs for Young People (Arts-Ed)
• Baptist Theology Seminary
• Penang Counselling Group
• Bar Committee, Penang
• Penang Christian Centre
• BOLD Association for Children with Special Needs
• Penang Timur Laut District Office
• Cathedral of the Holy Spirit
• Penang Institute
• Children’s Protection Society
• Penang Labour Department
• Creativity at Heart
• Penang Medical College
• Centre for Creative Arts Therapy
• Penang State Women, Family and Community Development
• D’Home Mental Health Association
• Penang Sunshine Square Corporation
• Exabytes Network Sdn. Bhd.
• Pejabat Daerah dan Tanah, Seberang Perai Utara
• Hospital Pulau Pinang
• Perak Women for Women (PWW)
• Hospital Seberang Jaya
• Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC)
• Indian Muslim Community Organisation Malaysia (iMCOM)
• Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)
• Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Pulau Pinang
• Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor (PSWS)
• Institut Pendidikan Guru Tunku Bainun Bukit Mertajam
• Pusat Jagaan Kanak-Kanak Padang Tembak , Pulau Pinang
• International Catholic Migration Commission
• Rumah Kebajikan Seri Cahaya
• Intel, Malaysia
• Sabah Women’s Action Resource Group (SAWO)
• Jabatan Bantuan Guaman, Pulau Pinang
• SEED Training and Counselling Centre
• Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Pulau Pinang
• Sisters in Islam (SIS)
• Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Negeri Pulau Pinang
• Soroptimist International Club of Ipoh
• Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri Pulau Pinang
• Soroptimist International Club of Penang
• JKKK Simpang Ampat Seberang Perai Selatan
• Suara Rakyat (SUARAM), Penang Branch • JKKK Medan Angsana, Daerah Timur Laut
• Surya Nursing College
• KANITA, Women’s Development Research Centre, USM
• Than Hsiang Mitra Welfare Association
• Kapitan Keling Mosque Qaryah Committee
• Think City
• KDU College, Penang
• UNICEF
• Lam Wah Ee Nursing College
• Unit Pendakwaan, Pejabat Penasihat Undang-Undang Pulau Pinang
• Legal Aid Centre, Penang
• Vivekkham Motivation Team
• Legal Aid Centre, Butterworth
• World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA)
• Lembaga Penduduk dan Pembangunan Keluarga Negara (LPPKN)
• Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)
• Lions Club of George Town
• Women’s Welfare Council
• Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP)
Partners & Supporting Agencies
Partners & Supporting Agencies
• Malaysian Child Resource Institute (MCRI)
42 |
Women’s Centre for Change, Penang
ANNUAL REVIEW 2012
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43
Pusat Kesedaran Wanita
241 Jalan Burma, 10350 Penang, Malaysia | T +604 - 228 0342 | F +604 - 228 5784 | E wcc@wccpenang.org
Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita
67A, 1st Flr, Jalan Perai Jaya 4, Bandar Perai Jaya, 13600 Perai | T +604 - 398 8340 | E ppw@wccpenang.org
www.wccpenang.org