Samsui women, also known as hong tou jin (红头巾; Mandarin for “red headscarf”) after their trademark red headgear, were female immigrants mainly from the Sanshui (“Samsui” in Cantonese; meaning “three waters”) district of Canton (Guangdong today) province in southern ...
The Singapore Women’s Everest Team (SWET) was the first all-female expedition from Singapore to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 8,850 m above sea level. Lee Li Hui was the first member to scale the peak at 3.45 am Nepal time on ...
Singapore’s women’s table tennis team comprising Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu fought a series of tough battles against the world’s best table tennis players to win Singapore its second Olympic medal in 48 years in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The trio won ...
Shirin Fozdar (b. 1 March 1905, Bombay, India–d. 2 February 1992, Singapore) was a women’s rights pioneer. One of the founders of the Singapore Council of Women (SCW) in 1952, Fozdar was also a key figure in establishing the Muslim Syariah Court and the Women’s ...
Tudung is the Malay term for a headscarf or veil that is worn over the head to cover the hair, neck and chest areas while leaving the face exposed. Known in Arabic as the hijab (which means “barrier”), the tudung is considered an important part of the Islamic dress ...
Sophia Blackmore (b. 18 October 1857, Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia–d. 3 July 1945, Australia) was the first woman missionary sent by the Methodist Women's Foreign Missionary Society to work in Singapore. During her stay in Singapore from 1887 to 1928, she ...
The Malays think of death as part of a life cycle predestined by God. Malay Muslim funerals follow specific Islamic rites in accordance to syariah (religious laws), and are solemn and dignified affairs. The body of the deceased must be treated with honour and reverence, ...
The cheongsam (“long dress” in Cantonese), also known as qipao in Mandarin, is a dress style typically worn by Chinese women. The cheongsam was at the height of its popularity between the late 1920s and 1960s, when it was the standard dress for many Chinese women ...
The salwar (also spelt shalwar) kameez, popularly known as the Punjabi suit, is the traditional dress of women in the Punjab region of northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. The outfit comprises a pair of trousers (salwar) and a tunic (kameez) that is usually ...
The baju kurong (or kurung) is a distinctive Malay dress worn by both men and women. Generally, men wear the baju kurong as a shirt top with pants while women pair it with a sarong. The baju kurong is believed to have originated in Indonesia, where the outfit is ...
Jane Lee Zhen Zhen (b. 1984–) is the first woman from Southeast Asia to have scaled the Seven Summits – the highest summit on each of the seven continents of Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Lee was also the co-founder ...
Claire Chiang (b. 4 October 1951, Singapore–) is a social activist, entrepreneur and author. She was Singapore’s Woman of the Year in 1999, and a former nominated member of parliament. Married to Ho Kwon Ping, president of the Wah Chang/Thai Wah group of companies, ...
Janet Lim Chiu Mei (b. 14 July c.1923, Hong Kong–5 August 2014, Brisbane, Australia), born Kwek Chiu Mei, was Singapore’s first Asian hospital matron but is better remembered as its first Asian memoirist. Lim’s bestselling memoir, Sold for Silver, recounts her ...
The majie were a group of women who worked as domestic helpers, or amahs, in Singapore between the 1930s and 1970s.1 They were easily identified by their plaited hair or hair bun and distinctive black and white samfu outfit.
The nonya (or nyonya) kebaya is an outfit that is most associated with the women of the Chinese Peranakan community, who are commonly known as nonyas (or nyonyas). The nonya kebaya is believed to have developed from the Malay baju panjang (long dress), which comprises ...
The sari (or saree) is traditional attire for women of South Asian (especially Indian) descendant and is essentially a long piece of fabric that is draped around the body. It is usually worn together with a short fitted blouse, known as a choli, and a long pet ...
The term Peranakan generally refers to people of mixed Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage. Many Peranakans trace their origins to 15th-century Malacca where their ancestors were thought to be Chinese traders who married local women. Peranakan males are known ...
Tukang urut is a Malay term for masseuse. The art of urut is a pioneering trade practised by both men and women. A tukang urut provides therapeutic and soothing body massages to provide relief for a range of muscle aches, cramps, pain and even strains. Female tukang ...
The first vertical marathon in Singapore was held on 3 May 1987. A total of 130 men and 50 women took part in the race up 1,336 steps to reach the top of the world’s tallest hotel at the time: the 73-storey, 226-metre-tall Westin Stamford (now known as Swissôtel ...
Sophia Cooke (b. 27 February 1814, Hilsborough, Norfolk, England–d. 14 September 1895, Singapore) was an Anglican missionary and teacher who made significant contributions to the Chinese Girls’ School (CGS) – now known as St Margaret’s School. She also started ...