SCWO’s SAGE 2025 invites you to change mindsets in an ever-changing world

In Singapore, conversations about gender equality are shifting. The language is less about ticking boxes and more about dismantling the unseen frameworks that shape how we work, care, and lead. In boardrooms and conversations over coffee alike, we’re asking harder questions: how can midlife be a season of opportunity rather than erasure for women? How do we keep technology from hardcoding bias into the future? And perhaps most importantly, how do we turn these questions into action?

It is in this climate that the Summit for Action on Gender Equality (SAGE) returns on 29 September. Organised by the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO), the flagship gathering draws policymakers, business leaders, academics, and civil society members into one room to confront, debate, and reimagine what gender equity can look like in a world defined by disruption. This year’s theme, “Changing Mindsets in a Changing World”, is about taking a hard look at the beliefs we hold and the structures we live with, and asking how they stand up in today’s fast-changing cultural, technological, and everyday realities.

This year’s programme opens with Dr Seow Yian San, SCWO’s president, setting the tone for a day of candid and forward-looking dialogue. The keynote address comes from Bandana Rana, a global advocate and elected member of the United Nations CEDAW Committee, who will speak on dismantling the stereotypes that still shape women’s lives in both obvious and invisible ways. UN CEDAW is the UN body that monitors how countries eliminate discrimination against women and uphold their rights under international law.

Her World readers will see a familiar face in Dr June Goh, board member of SCWO and SHE, who will moderate a panel on thriving in midlife – a subject that resonates deeply for many women balancing health, ambition, and shifting family roles. And to close the day, Ms Junie Foo, SCWO’s immediate past president, will sit in conversation with Mr Ho Kwon Ping, founder and chairman of the Banyan Group, in a segment that promises both reflection and a look ahead.

Beyond these sessions, the day will also feature panels and breakout discussions on male allyship, midlife wellbeing, and the promises and pitfalls of AI in bridging the gender gap, among others. At the session on midlife health, SCWO will share preliminary findings from a joint research study with James Cook University, which examines the rising mental health challenges faced by women aged 40 to 60 – an often-overlooked group navigating menopause, career transitions, and caregiving responsibilities. Insights from these discussions will later be compiled into a SAGE White Paper, offering actionable recommendations to accelerate progress towards a more gender-equal Singapore.

More than just a conference, SCWO’s SAGE is a unique opportunity to be in the room where ideas meet action, where policies are unpacked alongside lived experiences, and where the voices shaping Singapore’s future speak directly to those living it. The issues on the table, whether midlife wellbeing, allyship, or the ethics of technology, are not abstract concepts, but questions that touch our workplaces, families, and communities.

Tickets for SCWO’s SAGE 2025 conference are priced at $300 and can be purchased online here.
Her World readers enjoy $100 off by selecting the category “SAGE Partner” and entering the promo code SCWOHW.