Violet Oon (b. 1949, Malaysia–) is a food critic, chef-restaurateur, consultant, cookbook writer and expert on Peranakan and Singapore cuisine. Oon is often featured in newspapers such as The Straits Times, and has been referred to as a “cooking doyenne”. Oon first ...
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in Singapore is located at 254 Outram Road. Established in Singapore in 1875 by British missionary Sophia Cooke, the organisation was founded on the same Christian principles as its parent in Britain.
The KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital has a history that stretches back to 1858 as the fifth general hospital established since Stamford Raffles set up a trading post in Singapore in 1819. The hospital officially became a maternity hospital on 1 October 1924. ...
Established in 1985, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) is a Singapore non-governmental organisation (NGO) concerned with issues of women’s rights and gender quality. AWARE seeks to eliminate gender-based barriers through research, advocacy, ...
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 ...
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 ...
Zena Denise Tessensohn née Clarke (b. 16 December 1909, Singapore–d. 25 July 1991, Singapore) was a founder of the Girls’ Sports Club (GSC), the first recreational club for young women in Singapore. As the club’s president for over 40 years and a member of its ...
Chan Choy Siong (b. 1934, Singapore–d. 11 February 1981, Singapore) was a pioneering female politician and activist for women’s rights, and was influential in enacting the Women’s Charter.
Checha Davies, also known as Mrs. E. V. Davis (b. 1898, Kerala, India–d. 2 September 1979, Singapore), was a social worker, women’s activist and community volunteer. She was prominent in various organisations, including the trailblazing Singapore Council of Women ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
Nallammah Ruth Tan, née Navarednam, popularly known as Nalla Tan (b. 12 May 1923, Ipoh, Malaya–d. 27 March 2012, Singapore), was a doctor, academic and author. She was best known for her advocacy of a diverse range of issues, especially sex and health education, ...
Leong Liew Geok (b. 1947, Penang, Malaysia–) is a renowned local poet. She was one of the 10 Singaporeans selected for American publisher W. W. Norton’s 2008 international anthology featuring 440 poems by 440 poets. The 1998 anthology that Leong edited, More Than ...
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 ...
Daisy Tan Quee Hong née Lim (b. 12 February 1926, Singapore–d. 26 January 2004, Singapore) helped establish the Singapore Women’s Netball Association (now Netball Singapore) and led it for 25 years. She also co-founded and headed the Asian Netball Federation. Despite ...
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 ...