Seet Ai Mee (Dr) (b. 31 March 1943, Singapore–) was Singapore’s first female Cabinet minister. She assumed the position in July 1991 when she was appointed Acting Minister for Community Development in a cabinet reshuffle. Seet is also known for her contributions ...
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.
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 ...
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, ...
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.
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 ...
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. ...
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 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 ...
Agnes Joaquim (Ashkhen Hovakimian) (b. 7 April 1854, Singapore–d. 2 July 1899, Singapore), a second-generation Singapore resident of Persian Armenian descent, is best known for successfully cross-breeding Vanda teres with Vanda hookeriana to create a new orchid ...
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 ...
Arguably one of Singapore’s funniest women, talented local artiste Selena Tan (b. 1971, Singapore–) is a director, playwright, actress, producer and comedienne. As a versatile actress, Tan has performed in live theatre shows such as stand-up comedy acts, musicals, ...
Kouo Shang-Wei (b. 1924, Vietnam–d. 22 December 1988, Singapore) was a pioneer photographer of Singapore. He is known for his shots of Singapore as a newly developing city from the 1950s to the 1980s. His subject matter include the Singapore River and samsui women. ...
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 ...
Chin Woon Ping’s Details Cannot Body Wants was the first Singapore play to receive a Restricted (R) rating, which grants admission only to viewers at least 18 years of age. First performed at The Substation’s Guinness Theatre on 12 September 1992, it was one of ...
The Singapore Indian Association was formed in 1923 with its main premises at Short Street. The Association was very active in sports. Cricket and hockey were its fortes in the late 1950s, with many of its members representing Singapore in regional and international ...
The Chinese Protectorate was established in the Straits Settlements in 1877 to address matters concerning the Chinese community. Its main functions included establishing a pool of civil servants conversant in the Chinese language, managing newly arrived coolie ...
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 ...
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 ...