FWA Singapore - Financial Women's Association

🌍 𝟭𝟴 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘆 The 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗮𝗽 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 shows that women's economic participation has 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 since the pandemic, not recovered. It will now take 𝟭𝟯𝟭 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 🚺 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 remains below pre-pandemic levels, with a significant drop from its 2009 peak. 🔝 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 are underrepresented. Despite making up 41.9% of the global workforce, only 25% hold C-suite roles. 📡 In 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀, where future opportunities are booming, women represent just 29.2% of the workforce. 🛜 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝗽𝘀 remain, further limiting women's ability to compete in emerging tech fields like AI and big data. 🔑 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 is more than just a slogan, it’s a right. Closing the gender pay gap requires bold action from both public and private sectors. Collective efforts are essential to accelerate progress toward gender parity. At FWA Singapore - Financial Women's Association, we believe that increasing women’s economic participation and achieving gender parity in leadership are key levers to transforming households, societies, and economies. 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯𝟭 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. 💪 💬 What steps can we take to speed up progress toward closing the gender gap? Share your thoughts below! #FWASingapore #EqualPayDay #GenderEquality #UnitedNations

🔥 FWA Hosts Fireside Chat with Tan Su Shan, Deputy CEO & Group Head of Institutional Banking at DBS 🔥 The inaugural FWA Champions Fireside Chat series kicked off yesterday on a momentous start with Tan Su Shan, who founded FWA Singapore - Financial Women's Association in 2001, and moderated by Lily Chia, FWA Champions Engagement head. It was a sell-out event within launch day, befitting of the superstar that she is 😀! Her insights were candid, empowering and filled with lessons for women aspiring to leadership roles. 💡 Key Takeaways which were brought to life with personal anecdotes and stories:- 1️⃣ Attitude is Paramount – EQ and IQ are important, but Attitude is key. This will allow one to be humble and adapt in the face of disruptions such as technology advances. 2️⃣ Diversity in Leadership – a diverse leadership team with complementary strengths will lead to greater outcomes. 3️⃣ Making An Impact – Sometimes it’s good to take a step back in order to take 2 steps forward, especially when you find yourself in a place where you are comfortable but not growing. 4️⃣ Leverage on Gender Differences - embrace your unique strengths as a woman to reframe the issue and achieve your goals. The atmosphere was electric, filled with camaraderie and support. Su Shan's candid reflections on her career and the role of FWA in her personal and professional success were truly inspiring. Our thanks go to our venue sponsor SGX Group and F&B sponsor DBS Bank for helping to make this event a success. Our heartfelt thanks to our FWA volunteers from the Champions Engagement and Events pillars for all the hard work behind the scenes. Jaclyn Kaur Angela Xu Phyllis Phee Carol Chay Chu Yuan (Joanne) Ng Sheetal Bhansali Shynna Lee (李佩蓁） Grishma Kewada Jessie Toh Soek Khim Chang Jacqueline C. Ginny Stephanie Kelaher #FWA #WomenInFinance #Leadership #DiversityMatters #TanSuShan #InspiringWomen #DBS #SGXGroup

🌍 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗔 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 Singapore ranks as the world’s most financially inclusive market as of 2022 and 2023, according to the Global Financial Inclusion Index published by the Economist Intelligence: EIU. But did you know that 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 (The World Bank, 2023)? That’s nearly 1 in 4 adults, cut off from the financial services most of us take for granted. 𝗦𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻? It’s about ensuring that everyone - no matter their income, location, or gender - has access to affordable and sustainable financial services like savings accounts, loans, and insurance. It’s a key driver for reducing poverty and fostering economic development. 🔑 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿? - Empowers individuals and small businesses: Access to credit can enable entrepreneurs to launch or grow their ventures. - Builds resilience: Insurance and savings accounts provide a safety net against financial shocks. - Promotes equality: Financial inclusion can close the gender gap, especially in regions where women are disproportionately excluded from financial systems. 💡 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 - Lack of banking infrastructure in rural areas. - Limited financial literacy. - Gender barriers (women make up 56% of the unbanked population globally). 🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱: 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 Digital financial inclusion (DFI) is about using digital financial services to reach the populations that are financially excluded or underserved. And COVID helped! The surge in digital payments during the pandemic was a game-changer for financial inclusion. In developing economies, the percentage of adults making or receiving electronic payments grew from 35% in 2014 to 57% by 2021. A key player in this transformation has been mobile money. In 2021, one-third of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa had a mobile money account - the largest share of any region and over three times the global average of 10% (World Bank). The rise of digital financial services is revolutionizing access to finance, with fintech and mobile banking extending opportunities to underserved populations like never before. 📱💳 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸? How can we leverage technology to bring financial services to the last mile? Let's share ideas and continue this crucial conversation in the comments! 💬👇 #FWASingapore #FinancialInclusion #EconomicGrowth #DigitalTransformation #Equality

🔍 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Insurance might seem complex, but it’s a powerful tool for securing your financial future. As we gear up for the FWA WEIMPACT event, let’s simplify why understanding insurance is important for your financial wellbeing. 🌟 🤔 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲? At its core, insurance is a safety net—a policy that offers financial protection against unexpected losses. Whether it’s health, home, or life, the right coverage helps you navigate life’s uncertainties with confidence. 🛡️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Here’s a quick rundown of the key insurance types that can safeguard your financial wellbeing: 🩺 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Covers your medical expenses, ensuring access to necessary healthcare without breaking the bank. 💪 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Replaces a portion of your income if illness or injury prevents you from working—keeping your finances stable during tough times. 👨👩👧 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Provides a lump sum to your loved ones if something happens to you, helping them cover significant expenses like mortgages and education. 🏠 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Protects your property against damages from events like fire or theft, covering the structure, belongings, and liability. 🚗 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Covers damages or injuries from car accidents, with options for liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. ✈️ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Ensures peace of mind while traveling by covering cancellations, medical emergencies, and more. 💡 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙨𝙞𝙖: With an average of only 2.3% of GDP spent on insurance, Asia lags behind the global average of 3.3%—revealing significant growth potential. (Source: Swiss Re, "World Insurance in 2022") 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙂𝙖𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚: Shockingly, 60% of women are underinsured in life and health insurance, and women are 15% less likely to have life insurance than men globally. (Sources: Life Insurance Association Singapore, 2023; Axa Group, "Women and Insurance: A Global Insight," 2023) 🎟️ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁! Join us at the FWA WEIMPACT event to dive deeper into how insurance can be your ally in securing financial independence. Bring your questions—let’s empower each other with knowledge! 💬 #FWASingapore #FWAWEimpact #InsuranceInsights #FinancialEmpowerment Please refer to the disclaimer in the first comment.

"Take the risk, embrace new opportunities, and find people to support you.” FWA Singapore - Financial Women's Association held its 3rd quarter networking event (A BIG THANK YOU to members for a full house!!), hosted by Bridgewater Associates at Mandala Club. The evening featured a compelling fireside chat moderated by Shayna Mok, CFA, FWA Membership Committee, and highlighted the career journey of Nicole Schmidt, Director of Client Service APAC at Bridgewater Associates. 💡KEY TAKEAWAYS💡 🔥 Career Journey: Nicole began her career in real estate investment and business development in New York. During the 2008 financial crisis, she seized an opportunity at Bridgewater Associates in Connecticut and hasn’t looked back. Despite the challenges of starting a new job and navigating a steep learning curve, her dedication and client-focused approach advanced her to a leadership role, eventually leading her to Singapore to help establish the company’s local office. 🔥Career and Life-Changing Moments: Nicole followed a mentor’s advice to embrace new opportunities, leading her to take a risk and make the decision to move her family to Singapore. The importance of seizing new challenges and opportunities has shaped her approach to her career and her resilience aided in a smooth transition. 🔥Self-Doubt and Confidence: Nicole candidly shared her experiences with self-doubt when starting new roles; which is a natural aspect of taking risks. Nicole emphasized the importance of women to have the confidence in themselves to embrace the challenge. If someone is giving you the opportunity it’s because they believe in you, and you have earned it, so use that to also believe in yourself. 🔥Leadership Style: Nicole stressed the importance and challenge of balancing and maintaining high standards in a way that is deliberately developmental and motivating. Her approach focuses on developing talent through encouragement, celebrating successes, and constructively addressing areas for development. 🔥Definition of Success: Nicole defines success as making meaningful contributions, achieving personal fulfillment, and maintaining one’s values throughout one’s career. 🔥Promoting Diversity and Allyship: Nicole is committed to gender diversity and broader inclusion at Bridgewater Associates. She actively participates in mentorship programs to support women’s career advancement. She views effective allyship as sponsoring and elevating female talent. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Nicole Schmidt for her inspiring insights and to Bridgewater Associates for their collaboration. 🥂 We look forward to future events that continue to empower and connect women in finance! 💫 Brought to you by FWA Membership Committee | Jacqueline C., Natasha Eu, Shayna Mok, CFA, Ardini Ridhatillah | Bridgewater Associates: Joanne Foo and Abigail Choo | Supporting FWA Exco members for the event: Jessie Toh, Lucie Moïnvaziri, Soek Khim Chang, Lily Chia, Suan Chin Ong Phyllis Phee

💸Let’s talk about Financial Freedom💸 Women play several roles in today’s society and economy and with that comes the need for freedom to make choices about one's life, free from financial stress and constraints. For women, financial freedom is not just about earning a steady income, but also about having control over their financial resources, making informed decisions about investments and savings, and being able to weather financial storms. Achieving financial freedom is essential for women to break free from cycles of poverty, build wealth, and create a secure future for themselves and their families. Take this quiz to test your knowledge on women's financial freedom: 💸1: What is a key factor in achieving women's financial freedom? A) Relying on a partner or spouse for financial support B) Having a stable income and managing one's own finances C) Investing solely in traditional assets like real estate D) Avoiding financial decisions altogether 💸2: Which of the following is a common barrier to women's financial freedom? A) Lack of access to education and job opportunities B) Insufficient financial literacy and planning C) Societal expectations and gender biases D) All of the above 💸3: What is an important step towards achieving financial independence for women? A) Prioritizing short-term financial gains over long-term planning B) Building an emergency fund and retirement savings C) Avoiding investing in the stock market D) Relying solely on a single source of income Tell us your answers in comments! #FWASingapore #WomeninFinance

In collaboration with Ripple, Digital Assets Association and WeWork, FWA Singapore - Financial Women's Association discussed the topic of ‘Building a Career in Web3 and Digital Assets’. The event was moderated by Cherish Q., Head of Audit in Financial Markets and Financial Crime Surveillance Operations from Standard Chartered Singapore. Guest speakers included Suhan Z., Business Development Director from Ripple, TzeChing Chang, CEO from Bright Point International Digital Assets, and Daniel Ngo, SID-AD, Head of Audit in Digital Assets from Standard Chartered Singapore. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Career Journey: - Suhan referenced "building an internet of value" in a conversation about Ripple and blockchain technology with a recruiter 4 years ago. The mission to enable efficient value transfer resonated with her. After thorough research, she embraced this mission to solve real-world problems and has been involved in the field for 3.5 years. - Daniel's exposure to Bitcoin and cryptocurrency began in Australia while studying accountancy. His real experience came when the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) initiated a sandbox to explore the transfer of value over the internet.  - Tze Ching believes in the enabling power of technology. Within MAS, she worked closely with a specialized IT team, understanding the associated risks and gaining deeper insights. She then moved to Apex where she learned about various exchanges and was involved in the launch of the first regulated Bitcoin Perpetual Futures Contracts in Singapore. Web3 and Digital Assets Application: - Suhan highlighted how blockchain technology streamlines international payments, enabling real-time money movement at low cost and improving access to hard-to-reach markets.  - Tze Ching discussed blockchain's role as a risk management tool in capital markets, particularly during volatile periods where stable coins can mitigate margin call risks over weekends, ensuring clients maintain their positions and hedges before markets reopen. - Daniel shared a use case from China where blockchain, IoT, and smart contracts expedite car accident insurance claims, allowing for instant reimbursement if the claim is below a certain threshold. Advice on Career: - Daniel advised learning blockchain fundamentals and exploring funding and sponsorship opportunities from platforms like SkillsFuture or industry employers. - Tze Ching recommended speaking with industry professionals and understanding company structures to set clear career expectations. - Suhan emphasized the importance of networking within the blockchain community and maintaining a passion for continuous learning and staying updated with industry trends. Once again, we’d like to thank our panellists Suhan, Tze Ching, and Daniel for their enriching insights. We’d also like to thank our amazing moderator, Cherish, and our partners, Ripple, Digital Assets Association and WeWork for co-hosting this event with FWA Singapore.

🌟 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 🌟 At FWA Singapore - Financial Women's Association, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our corporate members for their continued support. Together, we will continuously drive change, empower women, and shape a more inclusive financial industry. Interested in joining FWA as a Corporate or Individual Member? Visit our website or reach out to our Membership Pillar for more information. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events! #FWASingapore #FWACorporateMembers

For those who registered for our upcoming ’Building a Career in Web3 and Digital Assets’, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow! We will explore the possible career paths in the growing arena of Web3 and Digital Asset and hear from our speakers who have been leading in this innovative field about their experiences and how you can close the gaps with the Web3 and digital assets space. *Please note that this event is only open to FWA members. #FWASingapore #Web3Careers #DigitalAssets #CareerInWeb3 #TechCareers

🌟 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 🌟 At FWA Singapore - Financial Women's Association, we are thrilled to welcome Partners Capital as our newest corporate member! We look forward to building a lasting and impactful partnership together. Together, we will drive change, empower women, and shape a more inclusive financial industry. Interested in joining FWA as a Corporate or Individual Member? Visit our website or connect with our Membership Pillar for more details. We can't wait to see you at our upcoming events! #FWASingapore #FWACorporateMembers