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Forward Singapore: Women in Action

04 Mar 2023 3 min read

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The People’s Action Party (PAP) Women’s Wing is calling on women in Singapore to play an active role in shaping the country’s future, and join in efforts to take action for the community as Singapore charts its way forward.  

Since its beginning, the Party has championed women’s development in Singapore, pushing for change and shaping policies for our women to live out their fullest potential. Recognising women’s role in building our nation and their aspirations for the future, the Women’s Wing turned its spotlight on women taking action to bring Singapore forward at its International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations this year.  

Chairwoman of the PAP Women’s Wing Sim Ann said, “We believe that women in Singapore want to play an active role in bringing Singapore forward. The PAP Women’s Wing activists have been impacting our local communities, and we welcome more like-minded women to step up and join us. We are also ready to do more with community partners, whether it is advocating policy changes or scaling projects on the ground, to improve the lives of Singaporeans, including women and girls.” 

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said, “There’s still much we can do to advance and support women’s development in Singapore. One important aspect of this is to ensure that women are part of the conversation – you are part of our ongoing efforts to build a better and more inclusive Singapore. That is why under our Forward Singapore exercise which we are now undertaking, we are continuing to engage a broad spectrum of Singaporeans – men and women – from diverse backgrounds, and I am glad that the Women’s Wing has been contributing to these conversations as well.”  

Equipping women for the future  

The International Women’s Day commemorative event today brought together some 300 MPs, retired women MPs, activists, and friends, and showcased many community initiatives driven by women. These includes a year-long series of outreach initiatives, each driven by the Party’s Women Members of Parliament and Branch Chairs, to support various causes and target different segments of our society. 

 They include:

  • Projects that care for, uplift and support those who may need it most. For instance, Nee Soon South is organising a series of educational talks to equip activists and residents on planning for old age, so as to better support sandwiched-generation families and seniors; while in Punggol West, Project Fresh Start rallies the community to lean in, help and enable a fresh start for women and children living in crisis shelters. 
  • Caring for our environment through green initiatives, giving an entry point for Singaporeans of all ages to participate in sustainable efforts. These include regular food rescue drives, as well as educational visits to green spaces around Singapore. Over in Sengkang North and Serangoon, preschoolers are learning about food sustainability through the adoption of Food Bank Boxes at PCF Sparkletots, reiterating that no one is too young to start making a difference.  
  • Equipping and empowering women for the future workforce. For instance, in MacPherson, stay-at-home mothers looking to transition back to work or women looking to pick up new skills after retirement can look forward to support via access to professional coaches. Over at Woodgrove, women looking to keep up with current trends and gain confidence to contribute in their own capacities can sign up for workshops organised by mumpreneurs of Mumpreneurs-Go-Places.  

The varied array of initiatives are captured in the Forward SG – Women in Action digital collection, launched by DPM Lawrence Wong at today’s event.  

The anchor panel discussion discussed the challenges that our women face and how best to equip them to take on the future. Moderated by Organising Committee member Hany Soh, changemakers and WW community partners Zaharah Ariff (Founder of Casa Raudha Women’s Home), Vanessa Ong (Co-Founder of Mumpreneurs-Go-Places) and Phua Wee Seng (Deputy Chief Rare Advocate of Rare Diseases Society Singapore) concurred that women must be well-supported to thrive in their diverse roles, seize opportunities and pursue their goals. They also challenged workplace and caregiving norms, and invite Singaporean women to boldly call for change they want to see in our Singapore society.   

Organising Chair​person Sun Xueling said, “In an era of volatility, uncertainty and change, renewing our social compact and re-emphasizing how we can support one another is imperative. Through the many projects featured in the digital collection, we see how women can champion change and improve lives – whether it is working with partners to enable a fresh start for women and children living in crisis shelters, providing services for new mothers and empowering back to work women, or promoting sustainability. Women voices and actions make a difference and help create the inclusive society we all care deeply about. 

 For more details and a full list of initiatives, view the Forward SG – Women in Action digital collection at www.pap.org.sg/iwd2023/.   

Refer to DPM Lawrence Wong’s speech.

Refer to Chairwoman of the PAP Women’s Wing Sim Ann’s speech.

Refer to Organising Chair​person Sun Xueling’s speech.