Rising Up: Simone Heng, Izyan Mellyna and Jemimah Wei are on Her World’s August cover

“There’s a lot of good things to be said for grit — you have to do things even though you might not want to,” says human connection specialist Simone Heng. “I have a much better capacity to handle things that come my way now.”

Her World’s August cover story spotlights three women — Simone Heng, Izyan Mellyna and Jemimah Wei — who exemplify what it means to rise above life’s challenges. Whether it’s caregiving in the wake of generational trauma, navigating chronic illness while raising a family, or chasing a literary dream in an unsupportive system, each woman has walked a path forged by inner resolve.

Redefining what success looks like, Simone, Izyan and Jemimah remind us that strength is not the absence of struggle, but what grows through it.

Simone Heng

Human connection specialist and award-winning author Simone Heng opens up about complex familial ties, and how being her mother’s caregiver after a stroke has resulted in forgiveness and affection.

Izyan Mellyna

Mother-of-three and actor Izyan Mellyna shares her difficult physical and emotional journey with lupus, and how honesty helped her heal.

Jemimah Wei

Few are able to articulate so well the struggles of her generation in a city that is not engineered for people like her. Lauded novelist Jemimah Wei discusses the opportunities lacking to help fiction writers succeed.

PHOTOGRAPHY: DARREN GABRIEL LEOW, ASSISTED BY: MELVIN WONG
CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING: LENA KAMARUDIN, ASSISTED BY: MANDY TAN & KALINA WOJCICKA
ART DIRECTION: RAY TICSAY
FLORAL STYLING: FAWN WORLD
HAIR: CALVIN GAN/HAIRLOOM (JEMIMAH WEI), ZHOU AIYI (SIMONE)
HIJAB STYLING: SYAZANA HISHAMUDDIN (IZYAN MELLYNA)
MAKEUP: LASALLE LEE, USING DIOR BEAUTY