Mrs S R Nathan
Guest-of-Honour and Patron of SCWO
Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office
Second Minister for Finance and Transport
Your Excellency Doug Chester
Australian High Commissioner to Singapore
Mrs Laura Hwang
President of SCWO
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
The theme of SCWO’s IWD celebrations –
Creating the Future – Women in Society, Economy & Government – is both timely and relevant. Women in Singapore have made significant achievements in various fronts. As the umbrella body for women’s organizations, SCWO wants to ensure that the legacy of women’s contributions and achievements continues.
SCWO’s online directory called the Women’s Register is an essential platform in this endeavour. It is a platform for (1) Networking; (2) Education; (3) Mentoring; (4) Inspiration; and (5) Service.
Over the weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced the People’s Association Women’s Executive Committee’s new initiative which complements the Women’s Register. Aptly named “Her Cozy eCorner”, it is a virtual club for women to interact, as well as obtain information regarding a wide range of women-related topics and interests.
The Women’s Register and Her Cozy eCorner will also give women access to a network of successful women leaders who will help other women better themselves in their careers, in their social circles and in their families. I am very pleased to know that to date, SCWO has enlisted more than 30 women mentors from diverse backgrounds and sectors.
BoardAgender is the second outreach arm of Women’s Register. It is a conscious and concerted initiative to raise awareness on the economic benefits of an inclusive and gender-balanced business. BoardAgender encourages and enables more women to contribute their expertise in the boardroom and committees.
Korn/Ferry International’s recent study on board diversity in Asia Pacific revealed that only 6.4% of the directors among the 100 largest home-grown companies in Singapore were women. The corresponding percentages were 11.2% in Australia, 8.5% in Hong Kong, 7.7% in Malaysia, 7.5% in New Zealand and 4.7% in India. Through BoardAgender and the active participation of and partnership with PA WEC, I am confident that more corporations will recognize the considerable advantages of gender diversity at top levels of management.
Gender-balanced business is not only a matter of inclusiveness but a
business necessity. It enables companies to tap into the best leadership and talent – regardless of gender – to further innovation, productivity, profitability and sustainability in today’s global economy.
I congratulate SCWO and PA WEC for these initiatives as they augur well for women, our families, our community and businesses. Women’s progress and contributions to all segments of society and all walks of life are only possible when there is collective ownership and partnership by all stakeholders such as men, society, employers, and unions. Thank you and once again, a Happy and Memorable International Women’s Day.