Speech by Minister Josephine Teo at the SGIAWW 2nd Anniversary Celebrations

REMARKS BY MINISTER JOSEPHINE TEO AT THE SINGAPORE INDIAN ASSOCIATION WOMEN’S WING – 2ND ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS ON 7 SEP 2024

EMPOWERED WOMEN REWRITE THE RULES AND REDEFINE WHAT’S IMPOSSIBLE

1. Anaivarukkum vanakkam! (Greetings everyone!)

2. I am happy to join you on this occasion to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Singapore Indian Association Women’s Wing and to participate in the launch of the SGIAWW logo.

3. I am glad that the Singapore Indian Association decided to set up a Women’s Wing, and to support activities that help women in the Indian community to grow and reach their full potential. I myself have been very fortunate, that through my various community commitments, to have had the privilege of working with several outstanding women from the Indian community.

4. The first woman is someone I call Sister Thana, and she is K Thanaletchimi, President of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). In the history of NTUC, which dates all the way back to 1961, there have only been three women presidents, and Thanaletchimi was the third. She trained as a nurse and decided to devote her life to uplifting the conditions of fellow workers in the healthcare sector. Whenever I’ve interacted with her over the years, I've seen how she put forth the concerns of her fellow workers, and also found ways to persuade the management to improve working conditions for them. So, it was not surprising that Thana became a leader in the union. At a point in time, the NTUC nominated her as their representative in Parliament - as a Nominated Member of Parliament - and in the last Central Committee Elections of the NTUC, Thana won the mandate to be the president of the NTUC. She is a fine example of a woman with a professional background who cares about her fellow citizens.

5. Besides Sister Thana, there is also Dr Sudha Nair. I am sure she is known among those who are active in the social sector. When we launched the Pioneer Generation Package back in 2013, one of the biggest challenges we had to overcome was how to help our pioneers understand the benefits that were available to them and would help them to have a peace of mind and sense of assurance in the golden years because they have contributed much to our country.

6. When Dr Maliki Osman and I were tasked to form the Pioneer Generation office, Dr Sudha Nair came to our assistance. She helped Dr Maliki and I to develop a programme that would enable thousands of volunteers to understand our seniors, the concerns they would have, and what were the effective ways in which we could reach out to them and engage them so that they could benefit fully from the Pioneer Generation Package. It came as no surprise, and it gave all women a sense of pride, when Dr Nair was appointed to the Council of Presidential Advisors, which of course, is a very high office to be appointed to.

7. However, I don't want you to leave thinking that we only respect and honour those who are in high office, Because within our midst, there are also many examples of women of Indian descent, who have made differences in the lives of others – big or small – and support one another. A former colleague who I will always be grateful for is Ms Jaswant Kaur. When I was a young mother, wondering how to manage work and family, I used to listen to her experiences. Being a mother of three young children at the time, she would tell me how she managed her tremendous responsibilities at work and home. Her kind advice, her willingness to share, as well as the fact that she continued to discharge her work responsibilities, made me take my hat off to her.

8. In our community in Singapore, there are many women like Ms Jaswant, Sister Thana and Dr Nair. At a recent Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations event, Dr Nair spoke about how we can uplift the abilities of women. We should recognise the fact that they are already many capable women in the community, and they deserve to be given the right opportunities.

9. Very recently, PM Lawrence Wong spoke about the PAP being very keen to field more women candidates in the next election. I think the time has come for us to recognise women for their abilities and their capacity to contribute to Singapore's future and make it a brighter one for all of us.

10. In the case of the Singapore Indian Association, I also want to acknowledge the fact that as an organisation, you have stood the test of time since 1923. As I was entering the building, I chanced upon a photograph of former Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, laying the foundation stone of the association in 1950. The fact that the association was established in 1923, had its foundation stone laid in 1950, and is continuing to refresh its agenda to recognise the abilities of women in the Indian community speaks volumes about the organisation and the team that leads it.

11. For those of us who are fortunate to have the opportunities to fulfil our potential, I often say that it is not only other women who have supported our growth and development. Very often, it is the men in our lives who also play a very important role. They may be our fathers, brothers, husbands, bosses, co-workers or even colleagues who report to us – and all of them are part of this network of allies. So on this occasion that I want to congratulate the Women's Wing for commemorating your second anniversary, I would like to equally recognise the men in SGIA, as well as within your own circle of family and friends who are supporting you in this journey.

12. The SGIA has already stood the test of time. Therefore, you have very strong foundations upon which you can do more to help women in Singapore shine. You can help women develop in any field that they choose, and to set an example for younger generations of women, so that they know that in Singapore, they will always have the chance to be who they want to be.

13. So, on that note, I want to thank you once again for inviting me. I wish you the very best as you introduce more programmes that could benefit the community of women.

14. Mikka nandri. Vaazhga valarga. (Thank you very much. Wishing you success and prosperity!)