International Women’s Forum South Africa visits SCWO
Wednesday, 5 October 2022 – SCWO had the honour of hosting a visit from the International Women’s Forum South Africa (IWFSA), led by Duke Corporation Education Africa for their Women in Leadership Programme’s Immersion Trip.
The ladies in this leadership retreat to Singapore are holding senior management positions in the government sector, private finance and services sectors, as well as audit and consultancy firms.
The event started with an introduction of SCWO and IWFSA, followed by sharing on BoardAgenderby Chairperson Georgette Tan. This prompted a casual discussion led by Junie Foo, SCWO’s Board President and Georgette. The delegation was interested to understand how SCWO operates and how Singapore Government plays a part in seeking the voices of the various groups.
SCWO, our Member Organisations & Non-Profit Boards
The discussion opened with questions on SCWO – the diversity of our membership organisations, SCWO’s role as an umbrella organisation to unite them with a common ground by working around the different organisations’ objectives. Georgette, Junie and SCWO CEO Angel Chan also shared their experiences as women in leadership positions in non-profit organisations (NPO), and the differences to that of a corporate or public service body. It was agreed that more board-ready women should have the opportunity to serve on the boards of NPOs as part of their learning journey. The unique challenges and experiences on NPO boards can prepare them well to serve on corporate boards.
Support from Community and Government
Several discussion points touched on the role of NPOs and how more effort should be dedicated to highlighting their services and resources available to the public, especially women in need of them. The government should show support and endorse their causes by providing more funding and sponsorship for them to serve their beneficiaries with the quality they deserve. With a supportive community and robust legislative measures, NPOs will be empowered to better help those in need, especially those who require immediate emergency services and resources.
Protecting Women and Children against Violence
The discussion ended with the importance of supporting victims in every step of the way – from prevention and early intervention, to protection and rehabilitation. From the start, girls should be taught the early/different signs of abuse to look out for, and boys should be taught to be aware of their behaviour towards girls to that it does not cross the line. Parent support programmes and early intervention with perpetrators were also brought up to introduce a more holistic approach to tackling family violence. Ultimately, it all comes down to changing mindsets on holding conversations on all forms of abuse.
SCWO looks forward to working with IWFSA for further collaborations, specifically in empowering more women to serve on boards and advocating for more to be done on violence against women globally.
