Corinna Lim

Corinna Lim (born 1965) is a lawyer and has served as the Executive Director of Singapore's premier feminist organisation AWARE since 2010. She joined it in March 1992. Her previous position at the advocacy group was Honorary Secretary from 2006 to 2007. AWARE has become more impactful and sustainable under Lim’s stewardship, with excellent services for women, and strategic research and advocacy programmes. She is also a board member of WINGS. 

=Qualifications=

Lim has a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University and is a Fulbright Scholar. She graduated with an LLB from the National University of Singapore and was called to the Singapore Bar in 1988. She is currently a corporate counsel. Her experience includes 10 years in practice and partnership in Allen & Gledhill, Khattar Wong & Partners and Koh Ong & Partners.

Lim was for five years CEO of Bizibody Technology, a dot com start-up which transformed into an IT company providing IT solutions for the legal industry. Her experience here has much to do with how she transformed AWARE into an organisation that by 2020 had a team of 25 employees, supported by a group of passionate volunteers, running its services and programmes.

=Personal reasons for serving at AWARE=

While Lim did not enjoy the phase of her career when she worked as a lawyer, the practice opened her eyes to those who could not afford legal advice. She recounts: “I was doing legal counselling with the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers, and AWARE also had that service and they needed more lawyers, so I joined them (in the ’90s). My heart went out to those who needed help, and I wanted my work to influence real, positive change.” Those were the early days when she learned more about women’s rights.

On the AWARE saga: "You don't realise how precious something is until you come so close to losing it. I consider myself to be one of the "middle guards" in AWARE. I had done some exciting things in AWARE like working on the Domestic Violence Campaign, helping Dr Kanwaljit Soin to draft the Family Violence Bill, campaigning for more support for older women as a result of the AWARE-Tsao paper on Women Growing Older but Poorer."

I was taking a short break from AWARE work after an active stint on the Exco when it happened - AWARE was taken over and we were engaged in the intense but thankfully short battle of reclaiming AWARE. All the different generations of women came together and, in an incredible show of solidarity and strength, we won back our beloved organisation. In the process, AWARE was reborn.

We are now in what is, arguably, the most exciting part of AWARE's history since it was founded.

Many hearts and minds were ignited on 2nd May, a day when women from all walks of life experienced and participated in the passion, the intelligence and the courage of AWARE. Singapore and AWARE will never be the same again and I am honoured and privileged to have served on the EXCO, and now as the Executive Director, at this time. The work has been punishing and I expect that it will continue to be tough. But I will give it what I can to make the most of this unique opportunity.

What I can contribute - my legal and management skills, creativity and the ability to bridge the Old Guard with the younger generation who move at the speed of light through the Internet."

Dr Kanwaljit Soin, a Nominated Member of Parliament from 1992 to 1996 and a founding member of AWARE, roped Lim in together with two other lawyers to draft the Family Violence Bill. Soin recalls: “I remember the incredulous look on Corinna’s face when she first heard my idea to table the bill in Parliament. She offered to be part of the legal team, rolled up her sleeves and worked long and hard.” Although the bill fell through, the Women’s Charter was amended in 1997, adapting principles from the Family Violence Bill, which gave women more protection from violence. Soin adds with admiration: “Corinna has grown from someone who was a little diffident, searching for her place in society to a confident leader and eloquent champion of women’s rights and gender equality.”

=Projects=
 * The Domestic Violence Campaign
 * Drafting Dr Kanwaljit Soin’s Family Violence Bill 1995
 * Campaign for support for Older Women
 * Fund raising
 * Setting up AWARE’s training arm Catalyse Consulting, targeted at companies to prevent and manage workplace harassment

=Negotiation= Like a savvy negotiator, Lim speaks with fervour on a myriad of topics, tinged with the occasional dose of humour that puts one at ease - a quality that enables her to engage with different folks, whether heartlander, chief executive or civil servant. Lim, who has a twin sister, says: “I have regular dialogues with the government bodies that AWARE works closely with. It’s important to provide feedback on various issues, and share the knowledge. We’re like another pair of eyes on the ground.”

While AWARE has many loyal supporters, the group has its fair share of detractors who sometimes make hurtful comments on social media. Lim concedes: “It (criticism) comes with the territory of making social changes, even when it’s for a better and fairer society. Still, we have to be empathetic, thick-skinned and focus on what’s ahead.”

With her wealth of experience, Lim pays it forward, helping groups such as Daughters of Tomorrow (DOT). DOT’s executive director Carrie Tan says: “Corinna is a mentor and friend, and AWARE is a big sister to DOT. From 2016 to 2018, AWARE helped us with capacity-building, mentorship and funding.” To close friends like theatre thespian Pam Oei, there is another side to Lim. “She can be very blur for someone with an amazing brain power,” Oei muses. “Corinna approaches everything with curiosity, positivity and a twinkle in her eye.”

In December 2019, Lim scored a coup, interviewing former American first lady Michelle Obama when the latter was in Singapore for a talk.

Lim admits to being a workaholic. “Having a balanced work life is challenging for me as I enjoy what I do,” she says. “It’s really hard to say ‘no’ to opportunities, and taking on more stuff.” To unwind, she goes on hiking trips with her friends, having recently returned from Bhutan. “I read books on meditation, do tai chi to keep myself sane, and I’m a fan of local plays.” Still, the most rewarding aspect in life for her is helping women emerge from adversity. “This is what I wanted to do from Day 1. What’s better, after they survive the crisis with a little help from us, they become ambassadors of the cause, or come back to help other women in need.”

=See also=
 * AWARE saga

=References=
 * https://aware.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/Corinna-Lim-bio-as-ED.pdf
 * https://www.herworld.com/women/women-now/aware-executive-director-corinna-lim/

=Acknowledgements=

This article was written by Roy Tan.

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