SPEECH BY 2M INDRANEE RAJAH AT ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION, SINGAPORE AWARDS AND GALA DINNER

It is really a pleasure to join all of you at today’s inaugural Association of Women in Construction Singapore (AWiCS) Awards & Gala Dinner. Today, we celebrate not only individual achievements, but the transformative power of women in Singapore’s Built Environment.

The Foundation

Women have been integral to every aspect of our Built Environment. From the earliest stages of planning to the final touches on our buildings, women have contributed their expertise, creativity, and leadership to create the Singapore that we know and love today.

The Power of Partnership

Tonight's event, conceived in partnership with five professional bodies, demonstrates the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change. The Singapore Institute of Architects, Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore, Society of Project Managers Singapore, Singapore Institute of Quantity Surveyors & Valuers, and Society of Interior Designers Singapore have come together with AWiCS to recognise exemplary women, and more importantly, the contribution of all women across various disciplines in our Built Environment sector.

This platform reminds us that diversity is not just a social good, but a business imperative that drives innovation, creativity, and exceptional outcomes. In fact, I recall when I attended the Singapore Institute of Architects’ Design Awards in July, there were several award winners were either women or all-women teams, and they demonstrated the impact that women can make to the built environment sector.

Celebrating Transformative Leadership

The remarkable contributions that you will hear about tonight represent the breadth and depth of talent, expertise and leadership that women bring to the table, from visionary architects and structural engineers to project managers and interior designers, who transform spaces into experiences.

Take Architect Ivy Koh, Director at Surbana Jurong Consultants, whose leadership and architectural expertise has shaped meaningful spaces for generations to come. Among her notable accomplishments, she recently spearheaded the successful completion of the Surbana Jurong Campus in collaboration with Safdie Architects, which won the prestigious President's Design Award 2025 for Design of the Year.

She was also the lead architect for Temasek Shophouse, which involved the adaptive reuse of a row of conserved shophouses alongside the rejuvenation of the Stamford Canal and bringing to fruition a space for social impact.

Similarly, Quantity Surveyor Jacqueline Huan exemplifies exceptional dedication, thought leadership, and commitment to paving the way for future generations. As an Assistant Director at Turner & Townsend with 13 years’ experience in the built environment sector, she has established herself as a subject matter expert in prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC), pioneering work on projects like The Woodleigh developments.

Beyond her professional achievements, Jacqueline is dedicated to nurturing the next generation as an Adjunct Professor at NUS, and through her "I am QS" LinkedIn series, where she shares insights into the life of a quantity surveyor and the joy of the profession to attract young talent. Through her stories, such as her involvement in the Jurong Lake District Feasibility study and guiding her interns from NUS, she shows the Quantity Surveying world to be dynamic, collaborative and impactful.

These women, and many others like them, have not simply succeeded—they have transformed their workplaces, mentored the next generation, and created pathways for others to follow.

Building Inclusive Workplaces

Going forward, we must continue to focus on building inclusive workplaces in the built environment sector that recognise diversity and empower people, regardless of their race, gender or social status.

This means creating environments where different perspectives are valued, where flexible working arrangements support work-life integration, and where career advancement is based on merit rather than traditional networks.

The Government is committed to supporting this transformation. The Government has introduced a Workplace Fairness Act, which will prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of characteristics such as sex, marital status, pregnancy and caregiving responsibilities. It will be implemented by 2027.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) launched its revised Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment in April this year, a significant step towards creating a more inclusive Singapore. The revised code enhances the requirements of lactation rooms in new buildings, with more rooms in proportion to the building's size. These rooms will provide private and comfortable spaces for nursing mothers at workplaces.

Another key initiative is the Taskforce for Architectural and Engineering Consultants; I co-chair the Taskforce with Mr Chaly Mah. We recently released our recommendations in September, and this will strengthen HR and career development support for in-service professionals and better retain talent. This includes having clinic sessions to help firms identify areas of improvements in their existing HR practices.

Another recommendation is expanding and refreshing talent outreach efforts such as talent outreach activities for students prior to tertiary education to encourage them to consider BE courses and careers.

We can do with more women in the built environment sector. Beyond the recommendations of the Taskforce, we must do more to make our sector more appealing to women, and prioritise putting in place initiatives to attract, develop and retain women in built environment careers. This means fostering cultures where women feel empowered to speak up, take on challenging projects, and aspire to leadership roles.

We can continue making efforts such as establishing mentorship programmes that connect experienced professionals with emerging talent, implementing policies that address unconscious bias, and ensuring that leadership development opportunities are accessible to all.

The work of AWiCS is a great example of this. Since its establishment in 2019, AWiCS has created a comprehensive ecosystem of support, through initiatives, such as their 6- to 12-month mentorship programme and education outreach programmes to actively engage with schools and universities to inspire young women to consider careers in the sector.

A recent example is the AWiCS professional development trip to Osaka World Expo 2025. The meaningful study trip allowed members not only to explore projects but be a part of cultural exchange, whilst building connections and inspiration for the future of women in the built environment.

Most importantly, AWiCS has created safe spaces for dialogue through initiatives such as fireside chats featuring young female entrepreneurs and networking dinners, where women can share experiences, seek advice, and find solidarity in their professional journeys. These are progressive moves and are great strides forward.

I believe that we can go even further. Under Forward SG, we envisage a society with strong families where women and men share equal responsibilities in marriage, parenting and care-giving. If we are to achieve that vision, the built environment sector needs to undergo transformation not only on the technological, digital and innovation front, but also in human resource management and workplace culture and attitudes.

Currently, in many sectors, including the built environment sector, we often try to carve out family and personal time from what is overwhelmingly work time. It is structured around work, and you try to fit in your personal and family time into that structure. But this should not be the case. We need to rebalance this and find a new equilibrium that allows employees – both male and female – to be productive at work and yet have sufficient family and personal time. This includes proper implementation of recent policy initiatives such as Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) and the 10-week Shared Parental Leave Scheme.

We need to reorientate workplace cultures and work design so that working professionals like yourselves can realise your career and work ambitions while meeting your family commitments with peace of mind. This, I know, is easier said than done.

However, these are conversations that women professionals should be having with your bosses and your HR departments. And if you happen to be the boss, then I urge you to lead the way, and transform your companies and HR practices to become exemplars of productive and profitable yet family-centric organisations.

Inspiring Future Generations

Let me end by thanking each one of you – winners and nominees alike – for being here tonight. You have chosen to contribute, to stand up and be counted upon. Your presence is a powerful statement showing the next generation that women belong in every corner of our industry.

We must continue to work towards an industry where gender is not a barrier to advancement, where talent is recognised and nurtured regardless of background, and where the next generation will embrace diversity. We also want to be an industry that recognises the importance of family at both the individual and societal levels, and walks the talk by putting in family-friendly practices.

Tonight's event is a significant step towards that vision, and it is just the beginning. Let us, both men and women, pledge to mentor the next generation, to advocate for inclusive practices, to challenge unconscious biases, and to ensure that the built environment sector becomes a beacon of opportunity for all.

Congratulations to all our winners, nominees, and everyone who has contributed to making tonight possible. Thank you.