The SAF Merit Scholarship (Women) is a scholarship introduced in 1993 by the
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
to attract young Singaporean women who aspire to become combat officers in the
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...
(SAF).
The scholarship is awarded to a selected group of women each year who had displayed outstanding
A-Level
The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...
results and leadership qualities. Potential candidates for this scholarship are put through
basic military training
Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...
and
officer cadet
Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Air ...
training for assessment of their suitability for military career. Those awarded the scholarship are groomed for senior command and management positions in the SAF upon their return from overseas undergraduate studies.
The scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships that are offered to young women in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. Since its inception, the scholarship has been awarded to more than 40 women. The pioneer group of recipients includes Gan Siow Huang, Goh Jerica, Adeline Heng and Toh Jiao Ming. Like their male counterparts, they lead men and manage technologically advanced equipment in the SAF.
In 2010, one of the pioneer group recipients,
Gan Siow Huang
Gan Siow Huang ( zh, s=颜晓芳, p=Yán Xiǎofāng; born 1974) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for Manpower concurrently since 2020. A memb ...
, was promoted to the rank of Colonel. In 2015, Gan was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, making her the first female
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
in the SAF. This makes her the first female air force officer to be promoted to the Colonel rank. She was the highest-ranking female officer in the Singapore Armed Forces until March 2020, when she entered politics.
References
External links
Mindef Scholarship Centre
Military of Singapore
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