Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations’ chief executive officer Angel Chan shares with Tatler her thoughts on women in leadership positions and potential solutions to tackle women’s issues in Singapore
Angel Chan could probably do with a vacation right now. Her country of choice for her well-deserved break? It’d probably be somewhere in the United Kingdom.
“This is taken from an actual cafe in London!” she laughs as she points out her virtual Zoom background, which features vibrant wisterias set in the famous Aubaine Selfridges cafe. “Have you visited this cafe before? I wish I could be there, but I’d have to settle for this background image.”
Chan, unfortunately, isn’t in England sipping tea; she’s working from home—as most of us currently are in Singapore—and like many women around the globe, the full-time working professional is balancing the responsibilities that come with being a mother, coupled with pursuing a part-time master's degree in counselling.
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“I will be lying to you if I said that it’s easy,” Chan admits. She took on the mantle as chief executive officer (CEO) of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) from former general manager Selina Gan earlier this year, when the latter retired in June. Besides “leading the management team and running the day-to-day operations”, she also sets the strategic direction for the non-profit organisation.
Established in 1980, SCWO is an umbrella organisation that serves as the national coordinating effort of various women’s groups in Singapore. With more than 50 member organisations that represent over 600,000 women, SCWO helps to unite the different groups to help advocate for women's rights in the country.