Female and Fearless 2025

Launched in 2018, YWLC’s flagship youth empowerment programme, Female & Fearless (F&F), aims to cultivate confidence, digital literacy, and leadership skills in young women aged 14 to 17. Running strong in its seventh year, the 2025 edition continued to nurture and inspire future female leaders through engaging, hands-on learning experiences and meaningful conversations on self-discovery and confidence.

This year, YWLC’s Social Impact Subcommittee proudly partnered with Broadrick Secondary School, Woodgrove Secondary School, Sengkang Secondary School, and Queensway Secondary School to deliver two empowering workshops:

• A Digital Workshop, in partnership with Goldman Sachs, and

• A Confidence Workshop, in partnership with Lendlease REIT

Partners, Volunteers and Participants at the F&F Digital Workshop

Building Digital Confidence with Goldman Sachs on 18 October

The F&F 2025 Digital Workshop was designed to spark curiosity about technology among secondary school students and inspire them to explore how digital tools can be harnessed for creation, innovation and leadership. This digital workshop was planned and hosted by Goldman Sachs at their office.

Digital Workshop Introduction by Goldman Sachs

Kim Cheah, Head of Asia Enterprise Technology Operation at Goldman Sachs, kicked off the workshop by encouraging participants to explore their passions early on. She emphasised the importance of continuous learning and advancement of oneself and evolving with the times, even after identifying personal interests. To stay relevant, Goldman Sachs updates the digital workshop courseware each year as part of its commitment to quality. Celebrating the seventh year of collaboration between Goldman Sachs and YWLC, Kim concluded her speech by highlighting the responsibility of companies and professionals to pay-it-forward through mentoring the next generation.

Students participating at the Digital Workshop

Goldman Sachs engineers and YWLC volunteers guided participants through a day of AI exploration and Python programming. Students interacted with the “Save the Turtle” game, which required Python coding and were introduced to prompt engineering and effective communication with AI tools. Through these interactive sessions, participants discovered that AI and coding are not abstract or intimidating concepts, but rather creative tools for problem-solving and innovation.

The day concluded with meaningful conversations between students and Goldman Sachs professionals, who shared personal career stories, offered advice on resilience, and provided insights on staying curious in an ever-evolving digital world.

Confidence Workshop with Lendlease REIT on 25 October

Confidence Workshop

The following week, the F&F team returned to host the YWLC Confidence Workshop themed “Unapologetically Me: Own Your Voice” in partnership with Lendlease REIT. This session explored the intersection of self-image, communication, and confidence, inviting young women to reflect on their individuality and embrace their bodies. The workshop covered the following key topics:

Navigating Body Positivity and Self-Confidence

Through a lively “Reel or Real” exercise with Jane Sea, participants the evolution of beauty standards. Participants were encouraged to adopt affirmations centred on “Self-Love”, reinforcing the idea that confidence grows not from perfection, but from self-acceptance.

Finding Your Voice and Identity

Panel Discussion on Owning Your Voice

Part two of the workshop featured a panel discussion hosted by Denise Chong (YWLC member) with two inspiring female role models - Priyanka Annuncia and Rae Fung, who exemplify courage and authenticity in their respective fields. Through stories of advocating for social justice and creating purpose-driven communities, they reminded participants that confidence is built through action, not validation.

Some key quotes from the panellists include:

• “You are born to be real, not perfect.” – Priyanka Annuncia, Former Miss Singapore Universe 2023, Model, Entrepreneur, and Justice Advocate

• “Change ‘What if you fail?’ to ‘What if you don’t?’” – Rae Fung, Founder of Own Your Voice

Both speakers encouraged participants to find their tribe, trust their values, and nurture relationships that uplift and empower others.

Workshop: “Own Your Voice”

For the final segment, YWLC member & Founder of Designing Trust, Audrey Low, conducted a masterclass on effective communication, reminding participants that authenticity starts with trust in one’s words and actions. Audrey reminded participants that building trust in one’s words leads to action, which creates habits and character, eventually shaping one’s destiny. Through making promises that one can keep, one will start to build trust and shape their future over time. Participants were encouraged to reflect on values they hold dear and what the promises they hope to keep to themselves and others.

A Journey That Continues

Participants at the Confidence Workshop

The F&F Confidence workshop concluded with a reflection exercise, where each participant envisioned where she sees herself in ten years, equipped with the tools and stories from the day.

With each iteration, YWLC continues to refine the F&F programme, preparing the next generation of female leaders to combine digital skills with emotional resilience and own their voices, unapologetically.

Special thanks to:

Official Partners - Goldman Sachs and Lendlease REIT

Community Partners -  Broadrick Secondary School, Woodgrove Secondary School, Sengkang Secondary School, and Queensway Secondary School

F&F 2025 Organising Committee: Pang Seok Mun, Chiam Jia-an, Ong Chin Hwee, Jane Sea, Denise Chong, Hilarie Foo , Nyx Chong (Director of Social Impact Subcommittee) F&F 2025 Facilitators and Volunteers: Blanche Lim, Chen Mingjun, Azeena Badarudeen, Tan Cheau Kim, Yining Ong, Abigail Sy, Tay Shi Pei, Sheryl Yue, Christabel Leong, Srika Nambiar, Lim Seok Hui, Nurul Ashiqin, Kate Ng, Joelene Wong, Xiu Ling Tay, Maria Lanovia, Natasha Tan