AWARE executive director Corinna Lim steps down after 16 years, Lim Shoon Yin takes over

While leading AWARE, Corinna Lim advocated for women’s issues from domestic violence to workplace sexual harassment. She passes the mantle to diversity, equity and inclusion expert Lim Shoon Yin, on Jan 1, 2026.

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Women’s rights group Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) saw a change in leadership on Jan 1, 2026.

Corinna Lim, 61, is stepping down after 16 years as AWARE’s executive director. She is succeeded by Lim Shoon Yin, 50, a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) expert.

Corinna Lim will remain in an advisory role for six months before fully handing over leadership.

Founded in 1985, AWARE conducts research and advocacy on issues affecting women in Singapore, including workplace discrimination and sexual harassment, the poverty faced by older women and Singapore’s compliance with United Nations standards on gender equality.

Corinna Lim, who is a lawyer by training and has a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University, joined AWARE as a volunteer in 1992, providing pro bono legal counselling to women dealing with workplace harassment and domestic abuse.

She recognised how women from underprivileged backgrounds suffered as they could not afford legal advice.

She eventually left corporate law to focus on women’s rights work, later serving as AWARE’s honorary secretary in 2006 before becoming its first executive director in 2010.

During her tenure, AWARE increased its full-time staff to over 30 and also expanded its research, advocacy and care services.

This included establishing the Sexual Assault Care Centre at Dover Crescent, and the launch of Catalyse, the organisation’s corporate training arm focused on workplace gender equality.

Through Corinna Lim’s leadership, AWARE also contributed to bills and policy changes in areas such as workplace protections, paternity leave, housing access for single mothers, and legal safeguards for survivors of sexual violence.

“AWARE has never been about one person – it has always been about people who refuse to accept that inequality is normal,” said Corinna Lim.

“I have been privileged to serve alongside colleagues, partners and supporters who are willing to stay with difficult questions and work for change over time. It feels like the right moment to pass the baton.”

Taking over is Lim Shoon Yin, who brings with her more than 25 years of experience in DEI in the private sector.

She has held senior roles at Shell, Microsoft and Swiss fragrance company Givaudan, and most recently served as global DEI lead at leadership advisory firm Russell Reynolds Associates.

At Shell, she established the company’s first nursing room in 2006 and also co-founded its women’s network in Singapore. At Microsoft and Givaudan, she worked on policies and initiatives to support the advancement of Asian women in other multinational companies.

“While she was not previously directly involved with AWARE, Lim Shoon Yin’s years of experience promoting diversity and equity in the private sector align closely with the organisation’s goals and will be valuable in addressing gender issues today,” an AWARE representative told CNA Women.

Lim Shoon Yin said: “I have admired AWARE’s work for many years, especially its willingness to name structural problems and to stand with those who are most affected by them.

“I look forward to listening closely, learning from the team and our communities, and working with many others to advance gender equality in ways that are practical, hopeful and grounded in people’s lived realities.”

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