ADDRESS BY MS INDRANEE RAJAH, MINISTER, PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, SECOND MINISTER FOR FINANCE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND PRESIDENT, SINDA, AT THE LET HER SHINE! SHINESPIRE CONFERENCE 2024, ON SATURDAY, 22 JUNE 2024 AT THE SUNTEC SINGAPORE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

Opening

1. Hello everyone. Good afternoon, and it’s such a pleasure to join all of you here today at the ‘Let Her Shine!’ ShineSpire Conference. It’s amazing to see so many people here in this session, and even more amazing to hear our speakers today, who shared their life stories, gave us inspiration — and Shakti being the latest addition.
2. Conferences like these give power to other women because when you hear the stories of those who had gone before, then you realise it’s possible for you. That’s really what we want these conferences to do, to be able to empower women, not just Indian women, but all women, to reach for the things that you aspire to, the things you have always wanted to do but never thought you could because you may not have been supported, or you thought you weren’t good enough, or might have been beyond your reach.
3. What this conference is really telling you is that it is within your reach and that there are ways to do it. There’s a whole community of women here who are supporting you.

Gender Equality in Singapore

4. So, today is really about highlighting the collective power of all women, helping to build a brighter and more equitable future for everyone. And that’s why the conference is themed ‘Empowered as One’. It captures the essence of the need for a collective journey; the journey marked by the challenges that each of you would have crossed, opportunities that you would have leveraged on, and in the process, becoming the best possible version of yourself.
5. When we look at women’s empowerment and progress, Singapore has continued to make significant progress in providing equal opportunities to all, over the decades. I’m conscious that equal opportunity does not necessarily mean that everybody has the same access or ability to leverage on that opportunity, but what we must do is to make sure that as far as we possibly can, everyone has a chance to make the most of those opportunities that are afforded.
6. In the Progress on Singapore Women’s Development 2024 Report by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore ranked 8^th among 166 countries globally, for ensuring gender equality.
7. A recent review by the Council for Board Diversity also found that the number of women leadership positions in Singapore Exchange-listed companies, statutory boards and charities, tripled to 23.7 per cent in 2023 – and that’s a notable increase from 7.5 per cent in 2015. So, this rise of women on corporate boards serves as a beacon of inspiration for future generations of women and girls, and it also tells us that we are making progress.
8. These are very remarkable steps in the right direction, and the progress we have achieved thus far is encouraging. Gender equality remains an ongoing focus area for the Government, and we are committed to implementing strategies that ensure that everyone, regardless of demographics, receives equal opportunities to pursue their aspirations.
9. Active participation from organisations and individuals in such efforts remain crucial. Through dialogue, education, and action, we can build a more equitable and fair society, where Singaporean women are free to express themselves authentically and to pursue their aspirations without inhibition, equipped with the right resources.

LHS! ShineSpire Conference

10. Throughout my own journey, I have seen the uplifting and strong experiences of remarkable women from various walks of life. I think all of us will readily agree that in most cases the remarkable woman in our life is our mom. All of us have seen the challenges that our mothers have had to undertake and they serve as inspiration to us as well.
11. So you don’t necessarily have to be in a board position, you don’t necessarily have to be at the top of a big organisation, in order to make a huge difference. Just think of our moms. Whether women are striving for their careers or leading change or are dedicated mothers, their collective impact is meaningful and long-lasting.
12. Today’s conference aims to amplify this impact. It provides an opportunity for fellow Indian women to build collective strength and to learn from the shared experiences from all of us. We are surrounded by incredible women today, each with her own story, her own pathway and her own wisdom to share. All of you would have had the chance to engage in open, heartfelt conversations with them, and I truly hope that these interactions will let you know that you’re not alone and that you are empowered to chart your own life path.
13. Some of you may think “oh, I don’t have an incredible story, I don’t have something to share” — you’d be surprised. It may not seem incredible to you but when you share it with others, it has an impact and you may not realise that you could make a difference to other’s lives just by a simple sharing of your own.
14. And if even then you feel that’s not enough, I would say don’t worry, there will be many occasions in your life journey. There’s still much more time ahead and life has many experiences to offer, so you will still have a chance to make a big impact, to be able to find your life’s goal and to be able to chart your own direction. The path is all out there. It’s not something that you can see now, but when it comes you will recognise it, and you will realise that this step was meant to be. All the small steps which you thought were insignificant have led you to this particular occasion, and when you look back you’ll realise that this was where life was leading you.
15. This conference also creates a space for Indian women to engage in discussions on a range of topics that cover various facets of life, even topics that may not often be discussed at home. We thought to introduce these themes so that conversations today are holistic, and give a broader focus that would remind us of the importance of self-care, which is something that we can overlook due to our busy lives.
16. The idea of family involvement has also been weaved into our panel discussions, to foster intergenerational dialogue and understanding – engaging in meaningful discussions on key issues that not only strengthens familial bonds, but empowers the next generation of change-makers. Importantly, such conversations reaffirm to everyone the belief that no dream is too big and no goal is out of reach.

Conclusion

17. So, I just want to say a special thank you to the organising committee, to Praveen Randhawa and to the rest of the taskforce, to Jagdeep as well for all the hard work, to the SINDA staff who have worked behind the scenes, and all our partners, to those who have agreed to speak today, to moderators and facilitators. Thank you all so much for making this a wonderful occasion.
18. So, through ‘Let Her Shine!’, let’s continue to make positive impact and bring impactful conversations to the forefront to support women in their life goals. I wish you a happy conference.