Anti-bullying activist Esther Ng wins Singapore Woman
Award 2009
SINGAPORE : Anti-bullying activist Esther Ng is the
recipient of the Singapore Woman Award 2009. The award, given out
by Channel NewsAsia, honours ordinary women with extraordinary
achievements.
Ng started one of the first after-school care centres for latchkey
children in Singapore. She was also one of the first voices
championing anti-bullying.
The 47-year-old research consultant founded the non-profit
organisation "Coalition Against Bullying for Children and Youth" in
2005, and has since provided support to hundreds of students and
parents in trying times; all this over and above managing 16
student care centres in Singapore, Indonesia and China since
1990.
"Sometimes it is hard... when you have to make a decision to push
further or not, especially when you know that there will be
obstacles ahead of you. But when you know that what you do is the
right thing to do, you don't care about the rest, you just go
forward," said Ng.
The judges were impressed by her efforts in addressing various
children's issues, including bullying.
"The fact that she got a group together to do something positively
about a very real situation that hadn't really been diagnosed, or
emerged before... this was something that gave her the extra edge,"
said Laura Hwang, one of the judges for the Singapore Woman Award
2009. Hwang is also the president of the International Women's
Forum, Singapore.
But judges said picking one winner was a tough task since there
were so many deserving women.
Over 140 nominations were received for the Singapore Woman Award
this year. That is double the number of nominations received for
the inaugural Woman Award last year.
"In a society driven by economic pursuits, it is very easy to
overlook the social issues that exist in our midst. These women -
through their passion and sheer conviction - find time to give of
themselves, and often times, without expecting anything in return,"
said MediaCorp's CEO, Lucas Chow.
This award honours the silent heroes in our midst - the women whose
achievements provide inspiration to many others.
- CNA /ls