Toni Kasim

Today I learnt that a great woman had passed away. Toni Kasim was a woman who inspired me in the field of being a women's rights activist. When I first met her in 2003, she was my trainer for AI's gender training workshop. I was then a person who sided with women so much that I have forgotten about the similarity of behaviours between men and women. I enjoyed talking to her about women's issues and religion. I remembered once I went to the training session after reading a news that the attorney general or some lawyers said that rape victims could not give very small details about the rape which affects the trials. It was something that discriminated rape victims. When I told Toni, she said that rape victims are so traumatised that the first thing they do after the incident would not be looking at the time to record it. She further added that it is important to train lawyers and attorney general to understand these. After the training, I worked with her to organise a gender training workshop at ADP during my 2nd year there. Once I went off to Uni, I did not keep in contact with her. The last time I saw her was during the farewell-cum-welcome party for Josef and Shannon, held at the old AI office last Sept.

Although we weren't close, I did think of her often especially when I am thinking about organising workshops on women's issues. I never thought she would leave so ... sudden. It was through facebook that I know of her funeral today. Then I read this blog piece. http://www.kakiseni.com/blog/?p=280 It said that she had liver cancer and was supposed to live until the end of this year. Sadly ...

I think, despite that Toni only lived for 41 years, she had touched many people in their hearts along her way through life.

Toni, you won't be forgotten by me ...