Embargoed till 24th Sept 2005, Saturday, 3.50p.

MCYS MEDIA RELEASE NO: 30/2005

DATE OF ISSUE: 24/09/2005

PRESS RELEASE

Women can do more… and they are leading the way

Women leaders are banding together to help address the needs of women
in Singapore under a new initiative launched at a seminar on 24 September
2005.

2 Through a year-long consultation exercise involving more than 300

women, six areas have been identified for further study: leadership and
mentoring; health; lifeskills (with emphasis on IT and financial literacy skills);
work-family harmony; micro and social enterprise; and volunteerism and
philanthropy.

3 Leading the dialogue and consultation with women groups was

Community Development, Youth and Sports’ Minister of State, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee
Shoon. To address the concerns of Singapore women, Mrs Yu-Foo mooted the
formation of six women’s workgroups using the 3P approach ie people-private-
public sectors collaborative approach.

4 Said Mrs Yu-Foo: “Women in Singapore have a chalIenging and bright

future. The constant refrain I get from the dialogue sessions and meetings with
women’s groups during the past year is that there are valuable, untapped
resources such as talents and ideas which women can share for the well-being of
fellow citizens and themselves.

5 ”We must tap on these talents and skills. Hence pooling the resources of
women leaders from the people, private and public sectors make a lot of sense.
They walk and work the ground, and will therefore understand the needs of
women better,” she added.

6 The workgroups have the strong support of the three key women’s bodies
in Singapore, namely, the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations, NTUC
Women’s Committee and the PA Women’s Integration Network. Many prominent
women leaders from the 3P sectors are involved in the workgroups.

7 Some of the recommendations include the establishment of a central

repository of information on enablers of Social Enterprise and Micro Enterprise
and how a Micro enterprise could be established. The idea of a Women’s
Register, a database of successful women from all walks of life, was also
mooted. The Women’s Register is aimed at enabling women to network,
Embargoed till 24th Sept 2005, Saturday, 3.50p.m

serve,and share their knowledge. In so doing they serve the community and
society at large.

8 Details on the composition of the workgroups are in Annex A while the key
preliminary recommendations of the workgroups discussed at the seminar are in
Annex B.

9 Some 400 women attended the seminar organised by the Ministry of

Community Development, Youth and Sports and the NTUC Women’s
Committee. The workgroups will consolidate the recommendations for
implementation by the stakeholders and agencies in the 3P sectors.

Issued by:
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.
24 September 2005

For further information, please contact:

Media Liaison Officer
Mr Harold Lim
Assistant Manager (Communications and International Relations),
MCYS
Tel: 63548174
Hp: 97494138
Fax: 62588605
Email: harold_lim@mcys.gov.sg

Workgroup Women and Leadership
Themes
Terms of Leadership and Mentoring
Reference
• To increase participation of
women in leadership
positions in the
community/people and
business sectors
• To encourage successful
women to mentor younger
women in leadership roles
Chairpersons ƒ Chairperson
- Mrs Fang Ai Lian
(President, Breast Cancer
Foundation)
Co-Chair
- Mrs Tisa Ng
(President, Singapore
Council of Women's
Organisations [SCWO])
Workgroup ƒ Resource Persons
Members - Ms Florence Kang
(Head, PA Women
Integration Network)
- Ms Alex Hope (SCWO
Committee Member)
- Mrs Arfat Selvam (SCWO
Committee Member)
WORKGROUP TERMS OF REFERENCE AND COMPOSITION
Women and Work
Micro and
Social Enterprises
• To identify the target
group(s) of women which
the workgroup intends to
focus on
• To identify obstacles
faced by the target
group(s) in setting up a
business from a gender
perspective or otherwise
• To suggest ways to
develop practical models
of networking and
initiatives (eg. microcredit
services) for the target
group(s)
ƒ Chairperson
- Mdm Halimah Yacob
(Member of Parliament)
Co-Chairs
- Mdm Ho Geok Choo
(Member of Parliament)
- Mrs Elim Chew
(Founder and Managing
Director, 77th Street)
ƒ Resource Persons
- Mr Cheng Tai Chin
(Registrar, Registry of
Co-operative Societies &
Mutual Benefit
Organisations, MCYS)
- Ms Florence Chong
(Senior Assistant Director,
Enterprise Division,
Ministry of Trade and
Work-Family Harmony
• To contribute ideas
and suggestions to
improve or value-add
to the existing work-life
policies and
programmes;
• To strengthen the
professional support of
work-family harmony
among managers and
HR practitioners; and
• To enlist the
involvement of
women’s groups in
advocating their needs
in the area of work-life.
• Chairperson • Advisor
- Dr Jennifer Lee
(Immediate Past
President,SCWO)
• Chairperson
• Resource Persons • Resource Persons
- Mr Raphael Lim
(Deputy Director,
Family Education
Department, MCYS)
- Ms Rosemary
Chan
(Manager, Quality
Workplaces
Department, Ministry
Women and Life Skills
Health
• To review existing programmes
and ways of promoting
awareness and participation
amongst men and women in
various areas.
• To define the significant health
issues facing women throughout
their lifecourse (such as cancers,
osteoporosis, chronic heart
disease, arthritis, and including
HIV/AIDS)
• To identify the social, cultural,
political and economic
determinants of health of women
as well as barriers to good health
and health care (such as income
security, impact of the care giving
role, health care financing, etc.)
• To address the specific and
urgent health needs of women,
especially with regard to the
determinants that negatively
impact on their health and access
to heath care
• To recommend action plan that
would remove barriers to health
and optimise the well being of
women
• Chairperson
- Dr Aline Wong
(Chairman, HDB)
- Dr Mary Ann Tsao
(President, TSAO Foundation)
Co-Chair
- Ms Braema Mathi
(President, AWARE)
• Resource Persons
- Ms Marie Yeo (Family and Child
Protection and Welfare Branch,
MCYS)
- Dr Theresa Yoong (Director, Adult
Health Promotion Board, Health
Promotion Board)
- Dr Roy Chan (President, Action
for AIDS)
- Dr Ivy Ng (CEO, KK Women's
Socio-Community Development
Re-Skilling (IT/Financial Literacy)
• To identify the target group(s)
of women requiring exposure
on basic IT and FL programmes
• To review existing basic
IT/Financial Literacy
programmes, to empower the
targeted group(s) affected by
economic restructuring
• To identify ways of promoting
basic IT and FL programmes
amongst the targeted group(s)
of women
- Ms Natasha Kwan
(Deputy General Manager,
OEM Multi-National & Alliances,
APAC/GCR/Japan,
Microsoft Asia)
- Miss Sim Soo Kheng
(Deputy Director,
Corporate and Marketing
Communications Division,
Singapore Workforce
Development Agency)
- Ms S Suseela
(Member, NTUC Women’s
Committee)
Annex A
Women and
Volunteerism and Philanthropy
• To review existing
programmes which
encourage volunteerism
& philanthropy amongst
women.
• Identify & recommend
ways to promote active
volunteerism &
philanthropy by women
in the community.
• To identify & recommend
ways to encourage &
retain women volunteers
• Chairperson
- Dr Amy Khor
(Mayor of South West
District)
• Resource Persons
- Ms Jennifer Lim (Director,
Marketing & Community
Partnerships, NVPC)
• Workgroup members
- Ms Jenny Lim
(VP, Viriya Community
Services)
- Ms Winnie Tang
• Workgroup members
- Ms Lynette Frugtniet
(General-Secretary of
Kindergarten & Childcare
Staff Union, NTUC)
- Dato Dr Jannie Tay
(President, Women’s • Workgroup members
Business Connection)
- Ms Tan Su Shan
(Executive Director,
Morgan Stanley
Dean Witter Asia)
- Ms Rachel Ong
(Project Director,
Thumbs Up)
- Ms Priscylla Shaw
(Member,
Shaw Foundation)
- Ms Lee-Chew Tan
(Vice-President,
Technology Solutions
Group, South East Asia,
Hewlett Packard)
Industry)
- Ms Farah Adila
(Manager, • Workgroup members
Entrepreneurship
Development, SPRING)
- Ms Alex Hope (SCWO
Committee Member)
- Ms Chan Jer Luang,
(President, DEW)
- Claire Chiang,
( Managing Director,
Banyan Tree Gallery)
- Ms Nanz Chong Komo
(Business Consultant)
- Ms Ramesh
Ramachandra
(SCWO Committee
Member)
- Ms Ho Shiong Yee
(Asst General-Secretary ,
United Workers of the
Petroleum Industry)
of Manpower) and Children's Hospital) - Ms Stacy Loh (Manager, (President, Singapore
ICT Adoption, Infocomm National Stroke
• Workgroup members Development Authority of Association)
- Ms Tan Lee Hoon - Ms Clare Yeo Singapore) - Ms Eunice Olsen
(Managing Director, (Head & Principal Psychologist, (Nominated Member of
LEGO Singapore) Psychology Dept, IMH) • Workgroup members Parliament)
- Dr Chitra Rajaram - Dr Daphne Khoo - Ms Juanita Woodward - Mrs Premala
(Managing Director, (President, Association of Women (President, Primetime Business Gopalakrishnakone
Golin/Harris Doctors/S’pore) & Professional Womens Assn) (Advisor, IT Hub,
International Pte Ltd) - Ms Melissa Kwee - Ms Loh Wai Kiew Singapore Council of
- Ms Kimmis Pun President, UNIFEM Singapore (President & CEO, SembCorp Women’s Organisations)
(President, - Mrs Carmee Lim Environmental Management) - Ms Lee Siok Buea
Singapore Business Vice President, International - Ms Esther Pung (Member, NTUC
& Professional Student Business, Informatics (Chairperson, IT Hub Women’s Committee)
Women's Group Committee, SCWO)
Association) - Mdm Marcellina Giam
- Dr Rosaleen Ow (Chairperson, PA Women’s
(Lecturer, NUS Integrated Network)
Social Work and
Psychology Dept)
- Ms Susie Foo
(Member, NTUC
Women’s Committee
[Singapore Bank
Employees’ Union])
 Annex B
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

WORKGROUP ON LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING

Recommendations Partner/Stakeholder

1. Develop a mentoring programme where more experienced women leaders are Singapore Council of
able to mentor younger women. Women’s Organisations
(SCWO)
2. Encourage up-and-coming and established women to develop and drive mentoring SCWO
programmes within their own firms and organisations.

3. Establish a women’s register to promote networking opportunities and mentoring of SCWO

potential women leaders. The Women’s Register will be a database of successful
women with high potential. The women are to come from various fields and from all
walks of life. The Register will:

• Provide opportunities for women to serve the community and society at large,
and
• Promote networking among women on the Register.

4. Implementation of the Register SCWO

• The Women’s Register will be managed by SCWO.
• Nominations will be called from various bodies and organisations to capture a
wide spectrum of women from all walks of life.
• There will be no selection committee involved.
 WORKGROUP ON RESKILLING (IT / FINANCIAL LITERACY)

Recommendations Partner/Stakeholder

IT LITERACY

1. Increase awareness on the importance of basic IT literacy for older women • Singapore Council of Women’s
and women re-entering the workforce, through public education and Organisations (SCWO)
promotion of programmes.

2. Promotion and enhancement of current IT application programmes to suit ƒ SCWO

practical lifestyle needs for women in general such as: ƒ Other stakeholders

ƒ job search and re-employment for retrenched women

ƒ tax filing
ƒ shopping online
ƒ support for home-based businesses (maximizing available business
softwares)
ƒ research for personal development and interest
ƒ family /intergenerational bonding (emails, chat, forums)

3. Re-engineering current community clubs’ courses for women to include IT • People’s Association
component eg cooking classes, flower arrangement, educational
workshops where participants are required to do internet search and make
presentation etc.
FINANCIAL LITERACY

4. Increase awareness and reinforce the importance and needs for • MoneySense
enhancing financial literacy for women through public education campaigns
and promotion of FL programmes which include print materials and radio
talk shows. The campaign should reach the masses with included
emphasis on women.

5. Financial literacy to be promoted as a core module for employees in all • Stakeholder to be identified
organizations through Human Resource support

6 Increase promotion of FL programmes to reach out to specific women • MoneySense

groups, through the MoneySense national financial education programme
such as the following possible partners:

ƒ SCWO and SCWO affiliates

ƒ NTUC WEC [Tier II and Tier III – Tier I (basic) is covered under
NTUC’s Life Programme for union members)
ƒ PA Win
ƒ CC
ƒ Family Service Centres and CDCs (for low-income groups)
ƒ

7. Highlight and address issues relevant to women in the MoneySENSE • MoneySense

programmes. This would increase relevance and future participation of the
programmes. Issues such as:

ƒ higher life expectancy rate for women – dependency to spouses

 for financial security
ƒ health-related issues which need financial coverage
ƒ bankruptcies involving spouses
ƒ divorce-related financial matters/estate planning in the demise of
spouse

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

8. Hotline Support for IT & FL Programme: • Stakeholder to be identified

ƒ the hotline should be similar to the services provided by the NTUC

Income’s one-stop-call-centre.
ƒ the information on the IT & FL Programmes as well as other services
for women could be disseminated via this hotline support

9. Website Support: ƒ MCYS’s website for women

under the purview of the
ƒ the information about IT and FL programmes for women could also be Women’s Desk
disseminated through an existing website support
ƒ other related women programmes could also be disseminated via this
website support

10.Production and dissemination of booklets on IT & FL Programmes • SCWO

• NTUC WC
ƒ Enhancing the contents for materials on financial literacy to include • Other stakeholders
various issues unique to women
ƒ Reference materials in the form of available booklets to be
disseminated to further increase awareness on the importance of IT &
FL for women.
 Workgroup on Micro-Social Enterprise

Recommendations Stakeholder

1. Establish a central repository of information on enablers of social enterprise. • MCYS /Community

and Social Sector
• The Workgroup is of the view that the current micro enterprise environment is not Development Division
uniform. A central repository of information could be put together to provide • Targeted roll out -
information on the various micro enterprise schemes available and how a micro January 06
enterprise could be established.

2. Collaborate, leverage on established businesses to create sustainable social • Development of

enterprises i.e. enabling beneficiaries of social enterprises. Economy for Women
(DEW) Credit
Cooperative ,
SCORE, & other
corporations

3. DEW to pilot a social enterprise involving 10 – 15 beneficiaries in business • Development of

endeavour (to provide employment at first & later spawn off self-employment of Economy for Women
some beneficiaries in their own businesses after 1-2 years. (DEW) Credit
Cooperative
 Workgroup on Work-Family Harmony

Recommendations Stakeholder

1. Early introduction of work-life concepts to tertiary and HR students through • MCYS (Family Education
• Common Room, a national platform hosting lifeskills education programmes for Department)
youths • MOM
• Objective: to familiarise future workers, managers and HR professionals with the • “Common Room”
concepts of work-life strategy and personal work-life effectiveness. supported by Family
• In the long run, heightened awareness of work-life in the future workforce would Matters! Singapore, in
encourage more work-life friendly workplaces that boost productivity for the collaboration with Fei Yue
company and support employees in managing work and personal/family Community Services
demands. • Timeline: roll-out
tentatively in mid 2006

2. Extend outreach of Personal Work Life Effectiveness (PWLE) promotion through • MCYS (Family Education
strategic partners Department)

3. Promote Work-Life Strategy as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and rally • Singapore Compact
consumer support for employers with good work-life practices.
• Objective: to raise profile of such employers and provide impetus for others to
do likewise
4. Provide free “clinics” or customised briefings on Work-Life Strategy to cater to • MOM
individual companies’ unique work-life needs.
• objective: to raise confidence and help companies get started
 Workgroup on Work-Family Harmony

5. Provide subsidised training for women re-entering workforce • MOM

• Objective: equip stay-at-home mums with marketable skills and help them stay
relevant to smoothen re-entry to workforce when children are older

6. Set up part-time work registry for women • MOM

• Objective: help women find jobs that allow them to work around their family
responsibilities

Footnote:- Recommendations 4-6 are not new as they are being implemented by MOM/WDA – for example, MOM is
providing free clinics and basic consultancy to interested companies and through partners such as ASME and SNEF.
They are to be complimented for their work in the areas highlighted and should continue.
 Workgroup on Women and Health

Recommendations Stakeholder

1. To develop systematic, comprehensive life-course approach to women's health – • Ministry of Health

health education, their health screening & their health tracking through for e.g. a
health report book that follows the female individual all through her lifespan.

2. To look into developing new health programmes and enhance current • Ministry of Health
health programmes, where necessary, and propose a systematic support system to
cater to the three top killer illnesses and the life-crippling diseases e.g. strokes and
HIV suffered by women.

3. To develop programmes for mental health & well-being of women with special • Ministry of Health
attention to teenage girls

4. To launch an exercise routine for women's health and fitness starting with Women’s • Group Led by Mrs
Work Out Day in October 2005 and culminating in International Women’s Day Carmee Lim
2006. • Singapore Sports
Council
• HPB (in Organizing
Committee)
 Workgroup on Volunteerism and Philanthropy

Recommendations Stakeholder

> To promote active volunteerism and philanthropy among women

1. Public education & media promotion
• change public’s misconception that volunteerism involves committing long and • National Volunteer and
regular hours, or is self-sacrificing. Philanthropy Centre
• creating awareness on the availability of volunteering opportunities for women (NVPC)
and awareness of charities to give to • NVPC & SCWO

2. Strategies
• Promote ad-hoc volunteerism. This should encourage more volunteerism • NVPC
especially among those who are unable to commit on a sustained basis

• Promote family volunteerism. Family volunteerism could help to sustain or

increase women volunteers as they may not feel pressured or guilty leaving • NVPC
their family while they do voluntary work.

• Engage women in areas close to their hearts :

- Helping the less fortunate – Women could seize the opportunity to help • SCWO, NCSS, NVPC
the less fortunate women help themselves and their family
- Health - A pool of trained women volunteers could be developed to help • SCWO
organise promotional efforts and to encourage its members and women
within the neighbourhood to go for health screenings.

• Work with corporate organisations. They could do either provide funding or be • NVPC
 encouraged to collaborate with women’s groups to adopt an organisation or
project under the Community Involvement Programme.

3. New initiatives
• Women Festivals - festivals predominantly for women, like camps and carnivals • South West CDC
which could be organized by women. Such festivals will provide opportunities to
promote volunteerism among women and also educate women on the different
types of charities in Singapore. A festival could be named after an iconic
Singaporean woman who agrees to be a patron and the theme for the festival
could change annually depending on the patron
• Website for women - In view of Singapore’s greying population and women • SCWO
living longer, a one-stop website could be set up to address women issues and
concerns. The focus will be to help women through active ageing
• VolunTourism - Targeted at professional women, the programme seeks to • NVPC
promote holiday-cum-voluntary work overseas in the hope of creating
awareness on volunteerism among the busy professional women and attract
them to continue with the volunteering spirit when they return to Singapore.

> To encourage & retain women volunteers

4. Awards for women volunteers - This prestigious award could help to raise • SCWO
volunteerism to a higher level, and in the process helps to generate greater interest
in volunteerism among women as well as retain women volunteers.

5. Women volunteers’ appreciation ceremony - This could be an opportunity for • SCWO

women volunteers to congregate and network with each other. Through this
gathering, women volunteers could share their experiences and motivate one
another. This appreciation ceremony could be a platform for the above award
presentation ceremony.
6. Seed funding and support - Private companies could be encouraged to sponsor • SCWO
seed money to women’s groups to kick off volunteering opportunities that could
generate income to the organisation. The revenue generated is to be used to
increase volunteering opportunities and to help the less fortunate