Speech by President Halimah Yacob at Opening Ceremony of Girl Guides Singapore International Camp 2022

Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry

Mrs Koh-Teh Yi Wen, Chief Commissioner, Girl Guides Singapore

Ladies and girls

Good morning. I am delighted to be here with all of you today. Let me begin by congratulating Girl Guides Singapore (GGS) for successfully organising this International Camp 2022. I would also like to extend a special welcome to our friends from overseas.

Regardless of where we are in the world, much of our attention over these past two years had been on the pandemic. I was heartened by how quickly GGS leaders, staff and volunteers came together to develop creative solutions and embrace digital technologies so that Guiding programmes could continue. You went above and beyond to deliver an inclusive CCA programme to provide much-needed support to your members. Likewise, girls and Guiders have remained resilient and adaptable, embracing the virtual and hybrid opportunities to collaborate, learn and grow.  

Girl Guiding was founded over a century ago, when a group of women and girls stood up bravely for what they believed in – that girls should have the same opportunities to pursue their aspirations fully. I see this same fortitude in GGS today in your efforts to empower girls through the pandemic.

The camp theme “She Can” resonates strongly with all that you have done and are setting out to do. Let me touch on three areas that stands out for me about Guiding today, in Singapore and around the world.

The first is the impressive diversity of “girl-led” training and development programmes offered by Guiding. Guiding programmes are intentionally designed to be relevant for meeting the needs of girls and opening up new horizons and possibilities for them.

An example is GGS’ efforts to nurture girls’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) because these will open doors to fulfilling careers. We benefit from having equal representation of women in these fields that will shape our future world.

GGS also has programmes to engage girls meaningfully to instil a deeper understanding of important global issues. Girls as young as nine are gaining insights into pertinent causes, such as body confidence, environmental protection and climate change, mental health, and gender equality. Eighteen- to 25-year-olds are participating in United Nations global conferences. Regardless of age, you have the opportunity to learn about the impact of such issues and how you can speak up and speak out to make a difference.

The second area that stands out is the effort to create authentic learning experiences outside the classroom. From outdoor adventures to community service, Guiding provides these “learning by doing” opportunities for you to acquire essential dispositions and 21^st century competencies like confidence, leadership, resourcefulness and empathy. These equip you to step out of your comfort zones and become an active participant, a change-maker who will build a better world.

The third area that stands out is the mission of GGS in empowering girls to make a difference in society. While Singapore women have made considerable progress in the past decades, more needs to be done for Singapore to become a fairer and more inclusive society. All of us have a part to play in embracing the values of mutual respect and equal partnership between men and women in order to succeed together. GGS’ programmes are great examples of initiatives that support this whole-of-nation effort, and I welcome more to join in.

To this end, two critical pillars of support will be useful in enabling girls to reach their fullest potential. 

The first is the support of committed adult role models, who are passionate about volunteering their time to nurture our girls and our youths. I urge everyone to give of their time and talents to guide and inspire our future generations. It is truly encouraging to see the inter-generational Guiding connections at this International Camp. These bonds of support will contribute to building a strong social fabric for Singapore and our world.

The second pillar is the support of corporate partners who are willing to donate resources to support impactful Guiding programmes. Amongst them is the Masonic Charity Foundation, who recently pledged funding support for GGS members in the financial assistance scheme, to enable them to benefit from the full Guiding experience.

GGS has also received generous support to construct the Baden-Powell Eco Challenge activity area at Camp Christine. I am sure the girls are looking forward to this “first-of-its-kind” water obstacle course in Singapore. It will not only support GGS’ goal of developing girls holistically, but also be accessible to people in our community. The BP Eco Challenge will be a unifying platform for people of all walks of life and ages to benefit from the hands-on Guiding experience and learning opportunities it offers.

We could not have asked for a better time than now to launch this, as Singapore further eases COVID-19 restrictions to restore normalcy. I hope more corporate sponsors and Friends of GGS will continue lending their support to enable these Guiding programmes and benefit future generations of girls.

In closing, I would like to urge each of you participating in this GGS International Camp to grasp every opportunity to learn all you can and widen your horizons. Take time to explore your strengths and discover new interests. Keep an open mind and reach out to make new friends within your country or internationally. Together, you will be an unstoppable force to create a brighter future in the community, right where you are and around the world.

With that, I declare the GGS International Camp 2022 open.

Thank you.