Zoe Tay warns women about date rape with 'You Can Say No' campaign
SINGAPORE — Zoe Tay launched a campaign against date rape at a panel discussion on Wednesday (25 June), during which she warned women and girls against being taken advantage of by men in social situations.
The actress started the “You Can Say No” campaign last year in collaboration with the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) to advocate for women on issues that affect them, such as domestic violence, date rape and workplace harassment. The focus this year is on date rape, after she campaigned against domestic violence last year.
Together with a panel including Cheryl Chong, an SCWO board member, and fellow actress Bonnie Loo, Tay discussed issues surrounding unwanted advances by men against females in casual social situations, including unwelcome touching and date rape drugs.
The panel discussion, conducted in Mandarin at Mediacorp, was moderated by TV host Guo Liang and video of it streamed live on Facebook.
Tay, 51, warned women about the danger of date rape drugs, which are used to spike drinks and sexually assault people by weakening their physical and mental states.
“When you go to a club, it’s best to order your drinks at the bar and watch them open the bottle. If you leave your drink unguarded while going off to dance, you shouldn’t drink it again when you return,” she said.
Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore sat down for a chat with Tay after the panel discussion and asked her what advice she would give to women going on dates to keep themselves safe.
Tay said, “You have to protect yourself. Share with someone you trust before your date about where you’re going. Ask your friend to check on you after your date by calling you.”
LGBT group Sayoni recently released a report documenting discrimination and violence against LGBT women in Singapore, so we asked Tay what were her thoughts on sexual violence against LGBT people.
Tay said, “I think no one has the right to abuse anybody. I find it very sad that it happens in our modern Singapore. We should protect everybody. Besides your own children, you should respect everybody.”
