SCWO website honours key women figures in S’pore history

SINGAPORE — About 100 women, including the country’s first female assistant superintendent of police, will have their contributions immortalised in a virtual hall of fame.

The initiative by the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) will honour well-known names such as former national swimmer Joscelin Yeo and author Catherine Lim, as well pioneering women like the late Mary Quintal, the first woman assistant superintendent.

The SCWO first launched its wall of fame in 2005, when photographs of nine women, such as former politician Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, were pinned onto the walls of its office. In 2012, after a research and selection process that took more than a year, another 99 women in various fields, such as the sciences and government, were chosen by a five-person panel headed by Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh.

SCWO President Laura Hwang said the hall of fame will act as a depository to document the work of women in Singapore, both in the past and present. Having an online platform will enable more names to be added in the future and also allow more people to access information about these women.

“Their lives are so significant and inspiring, they can be role models for the future generations,” she said.

Swimmer Theresa Goh, 26, said she is honoured to be inducted into the hall of fame.

“Such a platform is important for women who might have been judged harshly by the society or the media at times ... it is nice to know that there can be inspiring women from every sector and from all walks of lives,” she said.

The SCWO will be launching the hall of fame website, containing profiles of the honorees, at a gala dinner on March 14. Members of the public are encouraged to give their nominations for future honorees through the website.