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Doing Good Great
Chapter 9: Laboring for Rights
BRAEMA MATHI
Country: Singapore
Organisation: TWC2 / MARUAH
Cause: Migrant Workers / Human Rights
In glistening city-state Singapore, it would be easy to overlook the needs of migrant workers. Even as they help to power the economy, they do not have much money, identity, or voice. However, in the world according to Braema Mathi, the founder of TWC2, these workers also have rights. She has worked tirelessly to champion their rights and to uphold their dignity.
It is not just migrant workers who get Mathi’s attention. She also cares and fights for abused women, trafficked persons, poor children, the disabled, and the elderly. Throughout her life, this serial social entrepreneur has spoken up for the disenfranchised in parliament, the media, and civil society organizations.
Her focus is advocacy, which she believes is the path towards long-lasting systemic change. A common thread of her work is human rights, a cause for which MARUAH had been created. And by far, making MARUAH work will be Mathi’s greatest challenge to date.
Brief facts
BRAEMA MATHI
|
1958 |
Born in Singapore to Ceylonese Tamil parents |
|
1981 |
Obtained certificate in teaching, Institute of Education in Singapore |
|
1991 |
Graduated with Bachelor of Arts, Nottingham University |
|
1992 |
Post-graduate research student at the Nanyang Technological University as its first research scholar in the School Of Arts |
|
1993 |
Started volunteering at AWARE |
|
1995 |
Journalist, the Straits Times |
|
1999 |
Wrote article, “The Comeback Kids,” which led to the setting up of the ST Pocket Money Fund |
|
2001 |
Head of Corporate Communications, Alexandra Hospital Nominated Member of Parliament (until 2003) |
|
2002 |
President, TWC2 (until 2007) |
|
2004 |
Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies President, AWARE (until 2006) |
|
2007 |
President, MARUAH Rejoined the Straits Times as Senior Writer (until 2008) |
|
2008 |
Regional President, the International Council of Social Welfare |
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
|
1981 |
National Institute of Education Singapore’s Public Spiritedness Awards |
|
1991 |
Nottingham University’s Peter and Elizabeth Marsden Prize for contribution to the University and academic competency |
|
1999 |
The Straits Times’ Story of the Year (“Comeback Kids”) |
|
2006 |
Singapore Indian Association’s Woman of the Year (Community Service) |
|
2014 |
Singapore Advocacy Award’s Civil Society Advocate of the Year |