Ms Indranee Rajah giving a speech at Great Women Of Our Time 2014
Ms Indranee Rajah giving her speech at the Great Women Of Our Time 2014 Awards. (Photo: Nyen)

“Some of the Great Women Of Our Time nominees in the past have faced much adversity. Yet with great courage, they have conquered their fears to achieve excellence,” says Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law & Ministry of Finance.

Ms Rajah was speaking at The Singapore Women’s Weekly‘s Great Women Of Our Time 2014 Awards, where she was our Guest-of-Honour. The Weekly is honoured that Ms Rajah has agreed to grace the occasion as Guest-of-Honour once again for this year’s Great Women Of Our Time 2016 Awards, which takes place today (September 29, 2016).

Indranee Rajah and Loh Yew Seng at Great Women Of Our Time 2014
With Mr Loh Yew Seng, Director & Chief Executive Officer of SPH Magazines, at the Great Women Of Our Time 2014 Awards Gala Dinner. (Photo: Nyen)

“Others have reached the pinnacle of their profession, all while juggling the many demanding roles expected of us today – both professional and familial – and in doing so, have become vital role models for the next generation,” shares Ms Rajah.

Ms Rajah herself is familiar with the demands and struggles which other women face, having experienced it in her own life and gone through difficult times with her mother growing up. “My mother is still a major influence in my life today. Seeing how she had to struggle, having to work and single-handedly raising three children after my father passed on, was, in retrospect, a lifetime’s worth of lessons on how to stay strong in the face of adversity,” she shares.

Indranee Rajah with Great Women Of Our Time 2014 winners
Ms Rajah shares a light-hearted moment with Chia Yong Yong, winner of the 2014 Education & Public Service category. (Photo: Nyen)

Her word of advice for all The Weekly‘s Great Women Of Our Time nominees, both past and present, is this: “You are, without a doubt, trailblazers in your own right. You have dared to dream and in doing so, are an inspiration to us all. The significance of your contributions will, in time, become known as your legacy, and with it comes much responsibility – to inspire, shape and steer the many generations to come.”

Related Story: Meet All 18 Nominees From The Great Women Of Our Time 2016 Awards

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The Great Women Of Our Time 2016 is presented by Skin Inc and co-sponsored by Swarovski.