https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Checha_DaviesChecha Davies - Revision history2026-10-22T04:46:28ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Checha_Davies&diff=298909&oldid=prev>JJMC89 bot III: Merging :Category:Indian women social workers to :Category:Social workers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers2021-07-31T18:27:12Z<p>Merging <a href="/w/index.php?title=Category:Indian_women_social_workers&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Category:Indian women social workers (page does not exist)">Category:Indian women social workers</a> to <a href="/wiki/Category:Social_workers" title="Category:Social workers">Category:Social workers</a> per <a href="https://en.bharatpedia.org/wiki/Bharatpedia:Categories_for_discussion/Log/2021_July_3#Category:Male_social_workers" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3">Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2021 July 3#Category:Male social workers</a></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Checha Davies<br />
| image = Checha_Davies.jpg<br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_name = Checha George<br />
| birth_date = 1898 <!-- {{Birth date|df=yes|1898|MM|DD}}. --><br />
| birth_place = [[Kerala]], India<br />
| death_date = 2 September 1979 <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|1979|09|02|1898|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --><br />
| death_place = Singapore<br />
| nationality = Singaporean<br />
| other_names = Mrs. E. V. Davies<br />
| occupation = educator, social worker, women's rights activist<br />
| years_active = 1916–1979<br />
| known_for = donating her weight in gold to build a women's hostel for the YWCA of Singapore<br />
| notable_works = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Checha Davies''' (often cited as '''Mrs. E. V. Davies''') (1898–1979) was an Indian-born [[Singaporean]] social worker and women's rights activist. In her younger days, she was an educator but after her move to Singapore she was active in church work and social service organisations, serving as president of the [[YWCA]] on two separate occasions. Davies was instrumental in the committee which drafted the rules for the [[Singapore Council of Women]] and served on its executive committee. Davies received the [[Bintang Bakti Masyarakat|Public Service Star]] in 1970 and was inducted into the [[Singapore Women's Hall of Fame]] in its inaugural year, 2014.<br />
<br />
==Early life==<br />
Checha George was born in 1898 in [[Kerala]], [[India]] to T. D. George, a [[Methodist local preacher|Methodist lay preacher]].{{sfn|Sutherland|2009}} Receiving her education during the [[British Raj|British rule of India]], she attended school in [[Madras]],{{sfn|''The News-Palladium''|1962|p=4}} studying economics and English History and earning her bachelor's and master's degrees.{{sfn|Sutherland|2009}}{{sfn|Cheong|1979|p=5}} George also earned a medal for playing tennis and continued to play even after her marriage and move to Singapore, wearing her [[sari]] on the courts.{{sfn|Chew|1994|p=10}} She joined the [[YWCA]] Association in 1916, adopting their mission to improve education opportunities for women and girls.{{sfn|Singapore YWCA|2015}} She also served as a lay preacher for the Methodist church.{{sfn|Sutherland|2009}} George became a school teacher and was employed at the [[Women's Christian College, Chennai|Women's Christian College]] in Madras. On 3 April 1925 at Madras, she married E. V. Davies (Edward Vethanayagam), of Singapore's [[Outram, Singapore|Outram Road]] School, and returned with him to Singapore.{{sfn|Sutherland|2009}}{{sfn|Cheong|1979|p=5}}{{sfn|''The Straits Times''|1925|p=8}}<br />
<br />
==Community activism==<br />
When she arrived in Singapore, Davies joined the [[Tamil Methodist Church]] and served as both a preacher and a lecturer. She travelled abroad, to various places in Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East{{sfn|Sutherland|2009}} as the president of the Women's Society of Christian Service.{{sfn|''Alton Evening Telegraph''|1962|p=11}} Though travelling as an unaccompanied Indian woman was unheard of in the 1930s, she also travelled as an ambassador-at-large for the YWCA.{{sfn|Singapore YWCA|2015}}{{sfn|Chew|1994|p=10}} In 1931, Davies founded the Indian-Ceylonese Club, later known as the Lotus Club, which was the first ladies' organisation for women of Indian descent in Singapore.{{sfn|Sutherland|2009}} After a dinner with [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], in which he suggested that the Lotus Club merge with another organisation called the Ladies Union, the two clubs became the Kamala Club. The club served as both a social and cultural organisation and was a landmark of charitable works.{{sfn|Chew|1994|p=12}} She also served as president of the International Women's Club, which aimed at uniting women of various nationalities in completing community improvement projects.{{sfn|Chew|1994|p=11}} In her endeavours, Davies was driven by the idea that "doing rather than talking" was a demonstration of faith.{{sfn|Chew|1999|p=7}}<br />
<br />
After the [[Japanese occupation of Singapore]], Davies and other women worked to improve the deplorable conditions affecting many women's lives. She met with [[Shirin Fozdar]] in 1951 to draft a constitution for a woman's council to address women's issues.{{sfn|Sutherland|2009}} When the [[Singapore Council of Women]] (SCW) was founded in 1952,{{sfn|Singapore Women's Hall of Fame|2014}} Davies, along with Fozdar and [[Tan Cheng Hiong|Tan Cheng Hiong Lee]] served in its executive council.{{sfn|Chew|1999|pp=6–7}} Davies was chair of the membership committee and as such, increased membership by 1955 to over 2000 women.{{sfn|Chew|1999|p=7}} Though the aim of the organisation was to increase the political and socio-economic equality of women in Singapore, Davies preferred to work on social projects for women in need;{{sfn|Chew|1999|p=8}} however, she was a staunch supporter of the [[anti-polygamy]] campaign of the SCW and pressed for men's support in the cause. When the [[Women's Charter]] passed the [[Parliament of Singapore|Singaporean Parliament]] in 1961, a ban on polygamy was adopted, as well as many legal protections for which Davies and the SCW had pressed.{{sfn|Chew|1994|p=11}} After passage of the Charter, Davies turned her attention to social projects with the YWCA and decreased her participation in the SCW.{{sfn|Chew|1999|p=12}} <br />
<br />
In her work with the YWCA of Singapore, Davies pushed for adult women's education and children's programs. She was an advocate for hostels for low-income workers and women with children.{{sfn|Singapore YWCA|2015}}{{sfn|Chew|1994|p=10}} From 1960 to 1964, and again from 1966 to 1968, Davies served as president of the Singapore YWCA.{{sfn|Sutherland|2009}} In 1967, she was awarded a gold badge from the YWCA for her service. In a 1969 project to build a 6-storey women's hostel on Fort Canning Road, Davies proposed that women donate their weight in dollars. To reach her own donation goal, Davies sold her house{{sfn|Singapore YWCA|2015}}{{sfn|Chew|1994|p=10}}{{sfn|Tan|2014}} The building was completed, allowing the YWCA to generate income for other projects from the rent. For this and other services to the community, on [[National Day (Singapore)|National Day]] in 1970, Davies was awarded the [[Bintang Bakti Masyarakat]] (Public Service Star).{{sfn|Singapore YWCA|2015}}<br />
<br />
Davies died on 2 September 1979 at the [[Tan Tock Seng Hospital]] after a brief illness.{{sfn|''The Straits Times''|1979|p=9}} She was posthumously inducted in 2014 into the [[Singapore Women's Hall of Fame]] in their inaugural group of women.{{sfn|Tan|2014}}{{sfn|Singapore Women's Hall of Fame|2014}}<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
===Citations===<br />
{{Reflist|30em}}<br />
<br />
===Bibliography===<br />
{{Refbegin|30em}}<br />
*{{cite news|last1=Cheong|first1=Sheila|title=Woman of laughter|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19791008-1.2.115.9.1.aspx?q=checha+davies&page=1&sort=relevance&token=davies%2cchecha&sessionid=7463ada25b7b4fbe87e7960ff8134676|access-date=19 July 2016|publisher=[[The Straits Times]]|date=8 October 1979|location=Singapore}} <br />
*{{cite journal|last1=Chew|first1=Phyllis|title=Woman Unforgettable|journal=One Voice|date=July 1994|pages=10–12|url=https://2fe784640253d8edc51550f109b8fe12b09a0e44.googledrive.com/host/0B_o3JJXh71GkbktmUTlWd0FHcW8/1994/One%20Voice%20July%201994.pdf|access-date=20 July 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811031553/https://2fe784640253d8edc51550f109b8fe12b09a0e44.googledrive.com/host/0B_o3JJXh71GkbktmUTlWd0FHcW8/1994/One%20Voice%20July%201994.pdf|archive-date=11 August 2016|df=dmy-all}}<br />
*{{cite journal|last1=Chew|first1=Phyllis Ghim-Lian|title=The Bahá'í Faith and the Singapore Women's Movement: Challenges for the Next Millennium|journal=The Singapore Bahá'í Studies Review|date=1999|volume=4|issue=1|pages=3–31|url=http://bahai-library.com/pdf/s/singapore_bahai_studies_review_4.pdf|access-date=20 July 2016}}<br />
*{{cite web|last1=Sutherland|first1=Duncan|title=Checha Davies|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1445_2009-02-19.html|website=E-resources|publisher=National Library Board of Singapore|access-date=19 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140829220434/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1445_2009-02-19.html|archive-date=29 August 2014|location=Singapore|date=19 February 2009}}<br />
*{{cite news|last1=Tan|first1=Theresa|title=They helped shape today's Singapore|url=http://news.asiaone.com/news/diva/they-helped-shape-todays-singapore?nopaging=1|access-date=21 July 2016|publisher=[[The Straits Times]]|date=12 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113064630/http://news.asiaone.com/news/diva/they-helped-shape-todays-singapore?nopaging=1|archive-date=13 January 2015|location=Singapore}}<br />
*{{cite web<br />
|ref={{harvid|Singapore Women's Hall of Fame|2014}} <br />
|title=Checha Davies <br />
|url=http://www.swhf.sg/the-inductees/10-advocacy-activism/3-checha-davies <br />
|website=Singapore Women's Hall of Fame <br />
|publisher=Singapore Council of Women's Organisations <br />
|access-date=21 July 2016 <br />
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325122833/http://www.swhf.sg/the-inductees/10-advocacy-activism/3-checha-davies <br />
|archive-date=25 March 2014 <br />
|location=Singapore <br />
|date=2014 <br />
|url-status=dead <br />
|df=dmy <br />
}}<br />
*{{cite news|ref={{harvid|''The News-Palladium''|1962}}|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Declares Jesus Not Outdated|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5937288/declares_jesus_not_outdated_the/|access-date=19 July 2016|publisher=[[The News-Palladium]]|date=19 November 1962|location=Benton-Harbor, Michigan|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}<br />
*{{cite news|ref={{harvid|''Alton Evening Telegraph''|1962}}|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Malayan Speaker to Talk at Wood River|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5937305/alton_evening_telegraph/|access-date=20 July 2016|publisher=[[Alton Evening Telegraph]]|date=4 September 1962|location=Alton, Illinois|via = [[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}<br />
*{{cite news|ref={{harvid|''The Straits Times''|1925}}|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=The marriage of Mr. E. V. Davies|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19250402-1.2.28.aspx?q=checha+davies&page=1&sort=relevance&token=davies%2cchecha&sessionid=7463ada25b7b4fbe87e7960ff8134676|access-date=19 July 2016|publisher=[[The Straits Times]]|date=2 April 1925|location=Singapore}}<br />
*{{cite web|ref={{harvid|Singapore YWCA|2015}} |title=Mrs Checha Davies: 1950s |url=http://ywca.org.sg/ywcastory/gallery/mrs-checha-davies/ |website=YWCA |publisher=Young Women's Christian Association |access-date=20 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720135154/http://ywca.org.sg/ywcastory/gallery/mrs-checha-davies/ |archive-date=20 July 2016 |location=Singapore |date=2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}<br />
*{{cite news|ref={{harvid|''The Straits Times''|1979}}|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Pioneer Social Worker Dies|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19790903.2.42.aspx|access-date=19 July 2016|publisher=[[The Straits Times]]|date=3 September 1979|location=Singapore}}<br />
{{Refend}}<br />
<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Checha}}<br />
[[Category:1898 births]]<br />
[[Category:1979 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Social workers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women's rights activists]]<br />
[[Category:Singaporean social workers]]<br />
[[Category:Methodist missionaries in Singapore]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]<br />
[[Category:Women educators from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:19th-century Indian women]]<br />
[[Category:19th-century Indian people]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian women]]<br />
[[Category:Activists from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:Educators from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Methodist missionaries]]<br />
[[Category:Female Christian missionaries]]<br />
[[Category:Social workers from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]</div>>JJMC89 bot III