Singapore Cooperation Programme Visits SCWO

SCWO was delighted to be a part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Singapore Cooperation Programme (MFA-SCP) organised by the Civil Service College (CSC). The MFA-SCP on Gender Equality between Men and Women: Towards a More Inclusive Singapore Society aims to explore the measures in place to encourage a more inclusive Singapore society.

As part of the 5-day in-person programme, 30 mid- to senior-level foreign government officials involved in policymaking for gender equality visited SCWO to learn about the “Role of Civic Society in Supporting Women” in Singapore. In addition to the visit, a presentation on “Promoting Women Leadership in Corporation” was also given by board member Georgette Tan representing BoardAgender at the programme’s venue.

The visit started off with an introduction to SCWO’s initiatives (BoardAgender, Women’s Register, Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame) and services (Star Shelter, Maintenance Support Central). CEO Angel Chan also elaborated on the history and role of SCWO as the national coordinating body of women’s organisations in Singapore. More importantly, she shared on how we support our members in our mission and vision of equal space, equal voice, and equal worth for women.

It was followed by a question-and-answer session, with queries mostly surrounding the partnership of SCWO with external stakeholders such as the government and private cooperations. It was emphasised that support through volunteering and donations were vital to SCWO’s operations, especially in its most vulnerable times during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The visit ended off with a tour of SCWO, with exhibit displays of some of Singapore’s trailblazing women. A key takeaway of this session is that civil society works best when there is support provided by the community, and opportunities presented for discussion and debate, collaboration and cooperation.