Addressing domestic violence issues among women through Wo.Men by Evva Lim

For some people, domestic abuse is a sensational topic that everyone avoids talking about and for this 25-year-old, Evva Lim Yee Fah, It was a topic that everyone should be aware of.

Evva, the interior designer graduate from Taylor University said domestic abuse was very close as her late grandmother was physically abused by her late grandfather which led her to face many issues, physically and mentally.

Growing up to hear that, the protective feelings over women grew in this Interior Design graduate over what she knew about her family’s prior experience and expressed through her project Wo.Men Women Empowerment Centre in Design Discovery Programme at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (GSD)

“During Covid-19 pandemic, I realised when I see this domestic abuse issue, I should voice out and create awareness based on what I can do.

“Realistic as in how I should help women. First of all, it's important to get them out of the situation and provide them shelter.

“Then, we provide them financial independence and teach them skills for them to survive. So, with this little programming I started to make spaces like a baking studio and hair salon for them to learn their skills,” she said.

Evva said, as she owned a personal shop, it could work as a shelter for them to stay as it was unsafe for the domestic abused victims to stay by themselves and it’s going to be expensive for them as well.

Though her family didn’t give much reaction, Evva said they praised her for doing an excellent job in bringing forward the domestic violence issue to the world.

“They didn’t expect that because most of the time they didn't purposely talk about it and only briefly mentioned it. I took it seriously with myself,” said Evva.

Evva was one of two Malaysian students crowned as the winner of the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) 2020/2021 in the Architectural Category and Interior Design Category, respectively by Nippon Paint.

The award itself has brought the young interior designer to a fully sponsored six weeks Design Discovery Programme at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (GSD) in Massachusetts, United States America (USA), worth USD10,000.

Despite starting with a low Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), Evva thought it was not the time for her to give up and managed to prove herself with the award and the idea she had for the fellow women.

Sharing about her plans, Evva said she had plans to further her Masters but was still waiting for the right time to come and focusing on her own business, Hwa Studio.

“I’m focusing more on the conceptual, consultation and also visualisation. It’s doing well and we just finished a project of a cafe at Lalaport and also a florist shop as well.

“What I want to advise the victims out there is to love yourself first and it's always okay to be selfish,” she said.