SINDA Initiative on Women Development and
Empowerment Launched by Minister Indranee Rajah
Range of programmes under “Let Her Shine!’ complement recent White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development through upstream initiatives for the community

1. On 7 May 2022, SINDA launched its latest initiative, ‘Let Her Shine!’, to spotlight women’s development and empowerment within the Indian community. Under ‘Let Her Shine!’ a series of long-term programmes and workshops will equip women with lifelong skills and develop self-confident and engaged Indian women. These programmes will also serve as upstream measures to provide young women with the right knowledge, tools and resources in empowering their mindsets and nurturing increased aspirations.

2. Launched by Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and SINDA President, Ms Indranee Rajah, ‘Let Her Shine!’ is in keeping with and in support of the recently unveiled White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development. ‘Let Her Shine!’ is targeted at enhancing SINDA’s efforts for Indian girls and youths aged 7 to 30 years old, and is based on feedback and issues raised during the Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development series. This initiative will work towards closing the gap in areas where Singaporean Indian women face barriers and challenges.

3. ‘Let Her Shine!’ will have three focus areas at the initial stages:
(i) Empower – to build resilience and capacity to overcome adversity;
(ii) Inspire – to nurture aspirations and ambitions and imbue in women the necessary
skills; and
(iii) Nourish – to cultivate a healthy mindset and encourage a lifestyle of wellness.

4. In addition to these areas, there will also be an increased focus on promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-related studies to young girls, and developing their confidence in these subjects, to ultimately result in more Indian women pursuing STEM-related careers.

5. As a pilot launch, ‘Let Her Shine!’ aims to reach and impact 300 young women in 2022, with participants not required to meet any household income criteria or prerequisites. The initiative is expected to grow in the coming years to benefit more women and will be reviewed at regular intervals to remain relevant to the landscape and women’s needs.

6. ‘Let Her Shine!’ joins SINDA’s other women-centric programmes, including ‘Project Athena’ – a single parent programme meant to empower Indian single mothers, rebuild their confidence and nurture them into confident, independent and self-sufficient individuals. SINDA also has the ‘Women Empowerment Fund’ to cater to the specific needs of its female beneficiaries. In addition to such social and financial assistance schemes, SINDA also regularly organises women-centric development and enrichment programmes for all ages – pre-schoolers, students, young adults, mothers, professionals and leaders.

7. ‘Let Her Shine!’ is led by the SINDA Indian Women’s Development Taskforce  that will shape and oversee this pilot. The four-person Taskforce will also analyse the needs and goals of young women and identify ways in which SINDA can further expand this initiative’s intent.

8. SINDA Executive Committee Member and Chairperson of the Taskforce, Ms Praveen Randhawa said, “SINDA’s ‘Let Her Shine!’ initiative will provide Singaporean Indian women access to understand and build important skills such as resilience to overcome adversity, nurture aspirations alongside key leadership skills to excel and compete in the workforce, as well as enhance understanding of our unique health and wellness needs to cultivate a healthy mindset and encourage a lifestyle of wellness. It is important for us to come together as a community, so that we can collectively look out for each other, and in doing so, enable ourselves and each other to shine brightly in everything we aspire towards.”

9. The launch also saw two panel speakers, Dr Savitha Ramachandran, a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, who shared on wellness and cultivating healthy lifestyles, and Ms Harveen Kaur, a polytechnic lecturer, who shared on the importance of cultivating an environment where younger generations of girls will be able to see an equal representation in the workforce and the community, as these will open their minds to more career paths. Ms Harveen added, “I hope to see the strength and confidence in future generations, not only for the betterment of themselves, but for the entire community at large.”

In leading the women empowerment cause in the Indian community, SINDA will partner close to 20 national agencies and women’s groups. CEO of SINDA, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran shared, “Women empowerment is an important area of focus in SINDA’s work to uplift the community. We’re excited to lead the Indian community in this cause and are heartened to be joined by various industry partners. We must be able to provide women with the right resources, in supporting not only those who face challenges, but also enabling those who want to reach greater heights. ‘Let Her Shine!’ will help us do just that, in supporting women’s dreams and aspirations. We want to be able to accompany every individual in their journey to success, and ultimately support the entire community’s progress.”

The launch of “Let Her Shine!” on 7 May 2022 was attended by 70 attendees, comprising partners from national agencies and women’s groups, as well as community leaders and members of the SINDA Executive Committee.

Photo and Article Source:  SINDA Press Release