Speech by President Halimah Yacob at WoW In Conversation 2020 Webinar

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar, Member of Parliament of Ang Mo Kio GRC, Member of NUS Alumni Advisory Board and Founding Chairperson of WoW

Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS President

Distinguished guests,

Fellow alumni,

Ladies and gentlemen.

Good evening. I am pleased to be delivering the opening address for the inaugural WoW: In Conversation panel discussion. Originally scheduled to take place in March to coincide with International Women’s Day, this event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am glad that the event eventually found a virtual platform to celebrate the achievements of women. 

The theme for International Women’s Day this year, “Each for Equal”, reflects how all of us has a role to play in shaping a gender equal world. Indeed, the collective work to create a gender equal world is a continuous effort that does not stop on International Women’s Day. It is therefore fitting that today’s event is titled ‘WoW: In Conversation’ as the conversation on gender equality should never cease. I am heartened that Dr Intan Azura has initiated this effort to create opportunities for past and present NUS students to be inspired by its established alumnae.  Ms Chew Gek Khim and Ms Junie Foo who form the panel are good examples of NUS’ commitment to nurture successful women leaders.

Women have been breaking the glass ceiling in various fields. From film, music, sports to medicine, business and academia, politics and science, women around the world are constantly proving that we have what it takes to succeed, and that we have much to contribute to society.

Singapore has also been making progress towards gender parity.  According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020 compiled by the World Economic Forum, Singapore has moved up 13 positions from the previous year to rank 54^th globally and 5^th in the East Asia and Pacific region today. Furthermore, Singapore has reduced the gender gap in relation to enrolment in secondary and tertiary education sub-index, which measures the ratio of women to men in primary to tertiary education[1]. In the Economic Participation and Opportunity sub-index, which looks at the composition of the labour market, managerial opportunities for women, and the gender income gap, we have also improved our standing by 25 spots as compared to 2006 to now rank 20^th globally.

This year’s report made special mention of how Singapore has larger share of women in the more traditionally-segregated industries such as Engineering. I am certain that the various initiatives of NUS to support women in male-dominated Science and Engineering disciplines have contributed to this progress. The Women in Science Initiative by NUS Mechanobiology Institute, for example, encourages members to be involved in mentorship, networking and outreach. It is especially heartening that several NUS women alumni have established themselves in traditionally male-dominated industries and occupy top management positions in Singapore today. These include Ms Aw Kah Peng who was appointed Chairman of Shell Companies in 2019, and Dr Pauline Erica Tay who is Chief Operating Officer of biotechnology company Celligenics.

To increase the representation of women on the boards of private, people and public sectors organisations, the Government has also formed the Council for Board Diversity (CBD) in 2019.  I am glad that through the CBD’s effort in the past year, the proportion of women on the boards of Singapore’s top 100 listed companies is now at 16.2% as compared to 15.2% in 2018 and the number of all-male boards among these companies has gone down from 25 in 2018 to 19 in 2019.

While these steps are all moving in the right direction, gender parity is still very much a work-in-progress.  I am therefore encouraged to see that NUS is contributing to the dialogue on this important issue. The opportunities and achievements of women around the world today are the result of the   efforts of many women (and men) before us, who firmly believed and worked tirelessly to ensure that no one is unheard or unseen because of their gender.  Wow: In Conversation will continue building on this effort.

I also encourage more women to step up, take the lead and inspire others. It is through inclusivity and the diversity of expertise and experiences that we can learn from one another. The road ahead may seem uncertain, especially in the context of COVID-19, but take heart that we are not alone. Many others have paved the way to ensure that we now have the resources and opportunities. So, let’s support one another on this important journey.

I wish everyone a wonderful and inspiring conversation this evening. Thank you.