Julie Tan Eng Poh (1930 – June 17, 1995) was a women's rights activist in Singapore who served as the founding president of the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations.

Biography

Julie Tan was born in 1930 ^[1] and was trained as a lawyer. ^[2] She is known for her role as a leading women's rights activist in Singapore. ^[3]

Tan began her activism by volunteering with the Young Women's Christian Association in Singapore. ^{[4] [5] [6]} She then was elected to serve as president of the organization from 1972 to 1976 and subsequently from 1978 to 1982, the longest-serving leader in its history. ^{[1] [4]} As president, her work included efforts to support working mothers, such as through the foundation of the first YWCA day care in Singapore in 1977. ^{[1] [4]} She went on to serve on the executive council of the World YWCA. ^[4]

In 1980, she co-founded the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations, serving as its first president from 1980 to 1982. ^{[3] [5] [7]} The organization aimed to represent the breadth of women's groups in the country and jointly support women's economic independence. ^[8] She also spearheaded the foundation of the D.E.W. Credit Cooperative, Singapore's first and only credit union specifically aimed at empowering women, in 1981. ^{[1] [6]} She served as president of the credit union until her death. ^[6]

Tan was appointed a justice of the peace in 1989. ^[1] Her other volunteer work included serving on the National Advisory Board for the Disabled and advocating for the rights of elderly women. ^{[1] [4]}

She died of lung cancer in 1995 at age 65. ^{[3] [9]} In 2014, she was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame "because of her tireless work to see to it that women in Singapore receive the same opportunities as the men." ^{[1] [6]}

References