The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has appointed Ms Junie Foo as the Singapore Government’s new Representative for Women’s Rights on the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection
of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC). Her term of appointment will be for three years with effect from 7 October 2023.
2 As President of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO), Ms Foo has an excellent standing as a women’s leader. She has had diverse career experiences, which includes senior leadership roles in the private sector, as well as in the social service sector.
3 Under her leadership, SCWO played a key role in partnering MSF in the Conversations and White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development. Ms Foo also has experience engaging international stakeholders, including the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Committee members.
4 Ms Foo will succeed Mrs Laura Hwang as the Singapore Government’s current Representative for Women’s Rights. Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Health Masagos Zulkifli thanked Mrs Hwang for her contributions during her tenure, “Mrs Hwang has served with distinction as the Singapore Government’s Representative for Women’s Rights for three terms, since 2014. She has been instrumental to the growth of the Commission, with her appointments as its Vice-Chair in 2019 and Chair in 2020.”
5 Minister Masagos also extended his welcome to Ms Foo, “Ms Foo’s experience in the women’s development sector and her leadership in advancing the development of Singapore women puts her in a strong position to represent Singapore on issues related to the well-being, development and participation of women in ASEAN on the ACWC.”
About the ACWC
The ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) was inaugurated in April 2010 in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, on the occasion of the 16th ASEAN Summit. The establishment of the ACWC is aimed at, among others, promoting the well-being, development and participation of women and children in ASEAN. One of the mandates of the Commission is to develop policies, programmes, and innovative strategies to promote and protect the rights of women and children to complement the building of the ASEAN Community.
Twenty Representatives (one for women’s rights and one for children’s rights) have been appointed by the ASEAN Member States to the Commission. The Singapore Government’s current representatives are Mrs Laura Hwang (for women’s rights) and Dr Kenneth Poon (for children’s rights).