NTUC U Women and Family and SG Her Empowerment roll out initiative to support women returners and caregivers

Women looking to return to work and caregivers wanting better work-caregiving balance now have a new avenue for help.

NTUC U Women and Family (U WAF) has teamed up with SG Her Empowerment (SHE) to introduce SHE Supports on 2 March 2024 to empower and uplift up to 1,000 women with career support resources.

The initiative was launched at the To-Gather: Power of Women Carnival, a U WAF event held over the 2 to 3 March 2024 weekend at Oasis Terraces in conjunction with International Women’s Month in March.

“At NTUC U Women and Family, we aim to empower women workers to achieve their goals. Through our programmes, we have built an ecosystem to support them so that they can return to work while balancing responsibilities at home with peace of mind.

“SHE Supports is a collaboration we are excited about because it brings in more resources to help women achieve their career goals,” said NTUC U WAF Director Yeo Wan Ling.

“We at SHE are thrilled to partner with NTUC on SHE Supports. When women’s organisations work together, we can activate and empower even more people.

“Women have so much to share, and we want to support them in becoming their best selves because that benefits everyone — both women and men,” added SG Her Empowerment Chairperson Stefanie Yuen Thio.

SHE Supports

SHE Supports originated from NTUC's #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations (#EWMC) campaign, which uncovered that women, often shouldering bigger caregiving responsibilities, require more assistance balancing work and caregiving duties.

The #EWMC findings revealed that women workers are five times more likely than men to manage housework and caregiving responsibilities in dual-income households. They are also nearly four times more likely to have left their jobs for caregiving than men.

Mentorship circles, a key feature of SHE Supports, are regular sessions for women to share experiences, discuss topics in their women and caregiving journeys, and encourage and inspire one another. Established women leaders and domain experts will also lend their expertise. Other resources include legal clinics and training.

SHE Supports is an expansion of U WAF’s Women Supporting Women (WSW) Mentorship Programme piloted in 2020 with the Punggol Shore Constituency. The programme has since expanded to over 14 constituencies. Over 180 women have been individually mentored by 200 women leaders from various industries, fostering their professional and personal growth.

“Expanding our WSW Mentorship Programme into mentorship circles is one where other professionals and lawyers join our union and grassroots mentors in supporting, guiding, and mentoring our women returners.

“Through these efforts, we want to empower women to thrive in their diverse roles at home and in the workforce,” Ms Yeo added.

Wendy Chua, who works in a biotech firm, welcomed the mentorship circles as a valuable resource.

"It is important to have a way to communicate with other women through the sharing sessions. It’s good to have these women leaders hear our difficulties and solve our problems. We can also learn something new about, for example, our work environment,” she said.

To-Gather: Power of Women Carnival

The panel discussion on women was another key event highlight. It saw Ms Yeo, Ms Yuen Thio, and Chye Thiam Maintenance Chief Executive Officer Edy Tan discuss the empowerment, solidarity, and strength of womanhood.

The panellists also highlighted the collective efforts to support women returners and caregivers with flexible work arrangements and redesign of work processes and culture. NTUC Women’s Committee Co-Chairperson Noorfarahin Ahmad moderated the session.

Another event highlight was a progressive career fair with seven employers offering over 1,000 flexible and part-time positions across 53 job roles.

The second iteration of Getting To-Gather! to engage Migrant Domestic Workers in various activities was also held on the second day of the carnival. 

Other activities included a pro bono legal clinic providing guidance on workplace or employment concerns, kids’ craft workshops, and booths featuring professional styling and makeover services, and corporate wear donated by SHE.

Click here to find out more about SHE Supports and other U WAF work-life initiatives.