Press Release: Pre-launch of SHECARES@SCWO, 11 Jan 2023

SHE LAUNCHES SINGAPORE’S FIRST ONLINE HARMS SUPPORT CENTRE

SHECARES@SCWO is a one-stop centre providing holistic victim support, including a helpline, pro bono legal assistance, counselling, and referral to Police.

Collaborations announced with partners across ecosystem: SCWO, PBSG, SHEIN, TSMP, MinLaw, Police, MCI, MSF, NAVH, and internet platforms.

SINGAPORE, 11 January 2023 – Singapore’s first one-stop support centre for victims or survivors of online harms, SHECARES@SCWO, will officially open on 19 January 2023.

Launched by non-profit SG Her Empowerment (“SHE”) in collaboration with the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (“SCWO”), the centre:

- Provides a telephone helpline, textline, pro-bono legal assistance and counselling services to support victims or survivors who have experienced harms on the internet, such as bullying, harassment, stalking and doxxing.

- Will have a particular focus on girls and women, who face different types of harms targeted at them based on their gender, such as sexual harassment, stalking, and non-consensual intimate image sharing, and feel less safe online compared to men.

- Fills in an identified gap for victims of online harms who do not know how to seek help. This builds on findings from a 2022 sensing poll by the Sunlight Alliance for Action to tackle online harms that found 61% of women in Singapore are not aware of how to seek help when they encounter online harms.

The Singapore Police Force (“Police”) will be piloting an initiative to provide support for select serious sexual assault cases by interviewing the victim on-site at SHECARES@SCWO premises. 

SMS Sim Ann, Special Adviser of SHE said: “I am delighted that we have been able to act on the findings of the Sunlight AfA report to set up a one-stop support centre for victims of online harms. Online harms was also an action area in the White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development endorsed by Parliament last year. We hope those facing this issue who may not have known how to seek help previously will now be able to get a seamless and supportive experience amid often traumatic circumstances. This is an important first step towards working to further empowering girls and women in Singapore.”

Stefanie Yuen Thio, Board Chair of SHE, said: “All of us have a part to play to tackle societal issues we collectively face, be it online harms, the pay gap between men and women or skewed gender roles. SHE will work in tandem with our partners to build a stronger, safer, and more equal society for Singapore.”

The full press release, as of 11 January 2023, is available here.