Press Release
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"#$%!#&'()&*!+,!$-(&).//!"()&&(*!"0'1-2/)&!345+,5!6!7&.8!,495!:,33!6!;-<8!,495!::43!6!===>?@=/>/)1>?1! “Today, women in Singapore have achieved parity with men in most areas,” he added. ‘But when those pioneering women were making their mark, women still faced discrimination and other obstacles.” SCWO President Laura Hwang explained that a key objective of launching the Hall of Fame is to establish a repository of information about Singapore’s outstanding women and their achievements. “Their life stories are so inspiring. We want to make sure that the stories are documented and in one place so that many people, and especially the young, can have easy access to them. As we progress, we should not forget the past. There are valuable lessons for us in the experiences of our predecessors,” Mrs Hwang said. She added that as Singapore moves towards becoming a more smart, liveable and sustainable city, women’s role becomes even more important in helping to weave the moral fabric that enables a resilient infrastructure. “Singapore will benefit from the perspectives and values that women leaders and policy- makers bring to the task of governing Singapore,” Mrs Hwang said. SCWO will, after the launch of SWHF, work with various public and private sector organisations to share, in a variety of ways, the inspiring stories of the honourees. An organisation that has made a three-year commitment to supporting the SWHF is Citibank. Mr Michael Zink, Head of ASEAN and Citi Country Officer, Singapore, explained why: “Citi is proud and honoured to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame to recognize the women who have made remarkable contributions and achievements in the SCWO Centre, 96 Waterloo Street, Singapore 187967 | Tel: 6837 0611 | Fax: 6837 0081 | www.scwo.org.sg history of Singapore. By sharing their stories, we hope that the next generation of young women and men in Singapore can be inspired to pursue their passions and aspirations. “Our partnership with SCWO is part of our commitment in promoting women leadership by recruiting, developing and advancing women. At Citi, diversity is a core value and a source of strength. This belief stems from our understanding that a diverse workforce which fully reflects the communities and clients will ensure that we continue to deliver quality and innovative solutions to meet their needs.” The SWHF website, which will go live on 14th March, will have profiles of the honorees as well as links to further information. There will also be a “Women in Singapore” timeline listing the significant events in the lives of women in Singapore, such as the passing in 1961 of the Women’s Charter. Members of the public will be able, via the website, to nominate women whom they think should be considered for induction to the Hall of Fame. The profiles of five honorees are attached, as well as a SWHF Fact Sheet. SCWO Centre, 96 Waterloo Street, Singapore 187967 | Tel: 6837 0611 | Fax: 6837 0081 | www.scwo.org.sg About SCWO The Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) is the National Coordinating body of women’s organisations in Singapore. Our 57 member organisations represent more than 500,000 women in Singapore. Incorporated in March 1980, the SCWO serves to unite the various organisations, clubs, committees, groups and women leaders together working in accordance with its various aims and objectives. The Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations seeks to coordinate these associations into a national movement and to act on their behalf in matters for which it is authorised by its members. It seeks to promote the ideals of “Equal Space, Equal Voice and Equal Worth” for women in Singapore. - ####### - SCWO Centre, 96 Waterloo Street, Singapore 187967 | Tel: 6837 0611 | Fax: 6837 0081 | www.scwo.org.sg SWHF Fact Sheet The Wall of Fame expands into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame In 2005, SCWO launched The Wall of Fame to honour some of Singapore’s pioneering women activists, educators and philanthropists. By 2010, there were nine inductees – Chan Choy Siong, Elizabeth Choy, HaJJah Fatimah, Maria Dyer, Seow Peck Leng, Shirin Fozdar, Julie Tan, Lim Hwee Hua and Yu-Foo Yee Shoon. The Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame is an expansion of the Wall of Fame. It aims to recognise and salute the outstanding women of Singapore in all fields of endeavour. The fields of endeavour (or categories of achievement) • Adventurers / Explorers • Advocacy / Activism • Arts / Culture / Entertainment • Business / Enterprise • Community / Social Work • Education • Environment / Conservation • Government • Health • Law • Science / Technology • Sports • Uniformed Professions How the inaugural inductees were selected The candidates for the inaugural list of inductees were identified by a team of researchers who combed through publications and other records. The selection panel then decided who would be inducted. How future inductees will be identified We will continue to build our database of accomplished women, and we will also encourage people to nominate women whom they think ought to be considered for induction to the Hall of Fame. We know there are many women who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame but whose achievements and contributions are not well known. We will be looking to the SCWO member organisations, other organisations as well as individual members of the public to tell us about these women. Selection criteria Candidates should be Singapore citizens or residents, and they should meet one or more of these criteria: • A pioneer in her field • Set new standards for achievement • Made significant and enduring contributions to her field and to society • Elevated the status of women • Helped to open new frontiers for women and for society • An inspiration to others The selection panel The selection panel was chaired by Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large. The other members were Elaine Ng (CEO, National Library Board), Jaya Mohideen (Non-Resident Ambassador to Finland), Kevin Tan (Adjunct Professor, NUS Law Faculty), and Laura Hwang (President, SCWO). Launch of the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame The Hall of Fame will be launched at a gala dinner on Friday 14th March. President Tony Tan and his wife Mary Tan, who is the patron of SCWO, will be the guests of honour at the dinner. The Trophy The trophy that inductees receive is called The Flame. It represents the vitality of the women in the Hall of Fame, and the torch of inspiration that is passed from one generation to another. Artist/sculptor Dr Elsie Yu was commissioned by SCWO to design the trophy. It is made of crystal glaze and each piece is individually cast. Commemorative book and website A commemorative book with brief profiles of the inductees will be given to everyone attending the launch. The SWHF website will go live on 14th March. It will have more detailed profiles of the women in the Hall of Fame, as well as links to further information. There will also be on the website a Women in Singapore timeline. This lists the significant events in the lives of women in Singapore, such as the passing of the Women’s Charter in 1961. Addendum to SWHF media release to be issued on 5 March 2014 FIVE OF THE HONOREES Hajjah Fatimah binte Sulaiman Businesswoman and founder of Masjid Hajjah Fatimah Born: c 1754 (Malacca, Malaysia) Died: c 1852 Category: Community/Social Work Hajjah Fatimah binte Sulaiman was one of Singapore’s earliest traders. Born in Malacca to a well-known and wealthy trading family, she married a Bugis merchant-prince who had a trading post in Singapore. When he died soon after their marriage, she took over the business and steered it to great success.