Spousal abuse occurs beyond the television screen, and is more common than you think. In a 2013 study by PAVE – Singapore’s first family violence specialist centre – it was found that spousal abuse is the most common form of family violence in Singapore.
Out of 3,600 cases it has handled over the years, 72% of new cases were made up of victims who were physically or psychologically abused by their spouses. This excludes unreported cases of domestic violence happening around the island.
When such situations arise, bystanders are quick to emphatise – but that’s where any efforts stop. In an effort to change this, the Sout Ilaahi group started their #VoiceOut campaign.
Established in early 2010, their core business was initially in the production of spiritual music – otherwise known as qasidah albums – in the local Singaporean Muslim market.
After branching out to organising events and religious lectures over the years, Sout Ilaahi’s focus has turn to creating awareness of social issues plaguing the local community. They aim to provide better understanding on how these social issues can be better managed or rectified via events and talks.
With this focus aligned, they recently launched the #VoiceOut campaign last September.
Voicing Out
The 9 months long anti-domestic violence campaign, focuses on the role of bystanders.
When asked what were the reasons behind the creation of the campaign, the husband and wife team behind the Sout Ilaahi group explained that the people they meet during their events opened up their eyes to the complex issues faced by the community.
“We started this because we’ve been doing events for many years so what we’ve seen is that increasingly, there are a lot of people with marriage issues. Domestic violence is at the core of it,” Ainun says. “And the same thing keeps popping up again and again.”
When probed further as to why they think these affected individuals are afraid to seek for help, Ainun explained,
“The thought of not wanting to shame and break up the family is the root cause of it. Perhaps they think that if they remain patient with their ordeals, eventually everything will be okay. And that’s where the problem lies.
She goes on to say that the “concept of “patience” here is very loose”, and these situations become normalised in their daily lives as a result.
“We have also seen and heard situations where families and friends of these individuals discouraged them to seek help for various reasons. That is why our focus for this campaign are the bystanders,” adds Khalid.
Khalid also says that people also a misconception that only families from the lower income bracket have these problems. Having done events for the past 8 years, the couple has seen professionals among those who are victims of domestic violence too.
Challenges Faced
When sensitive issues such as these comes to light, there is no doubt that challenges in organising the campaign were aplenty.
Ainun says “I think the challenge is to counter all those people who may not agree with the mindset change. They may still stay in their perception no matter how hard we try to change their views.”
“So we do what we can especially for the new generation. Most importantly, it’s for them to not remain in this backward mindset because sometimes when you are so used to it (a situation), you assume it’s the right thing.”
Sout Ilaahi is not a non-profit organization, but rather a private limited company.Although there are sponsors from time to time, the couple mostly fund events with their own money.
However, while budget has been a concern, it has never been an obstacle for them.
#VoiceOut Street Fest
After launching the campaign with a panel discussion last September, the Sout Ilaahi group took it to the streets last October at the heart of Kampong Gelam.
Activities such such as batik-painting, fitness bootcamp, bake sales, and spoken word performances were organized to boost the message of anti-domestic violence.
When asked why Kampong Gelam was selected as the location for the street festival, Khalid explains that they felt that Kampong Gelam is a prominent area.
“It was also a perfect location to reach out to the community and spread the important message about the campaign especially for those people who may know or are related to someone who’s going through these situations.”
The importance of normalising a conversation on sensitive topics such as domestic violence must be encouraged among the masses.
Starting Conversations
Finally, I ask both Ainun and Khalid on the potential adverse reaction to the campaign due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Ainun explains that the tagline for the campaign is “Let’s Start Conversations”, and that the campaign has already started to garner reactions, regardless of which side they’re on. There are also stories of people coming forward to share their stories of abuse.
“I would say the fact that they are even thinking about the issue and developing an opinion is already a start of a conversation. So that’s a start, that’s a success.”
While she admits that it’s difficult to change those with “a certain mindset ingrained in them”, she believes that everybody has a story to tell.
“We hope this is something that would wake people up to the realities of the community.”
Follow Sout Ilaahi on Facebook and learn more about the #VoiceOut campaign on their official website.
