'I was an accidental ambassador': Chan Heng Chee on being a female icon, the sacrifices she made and Singapore’s changing politics
SINGAPORE: She was the offset woman to graduate with showtime-class honours degree in political science from the and then University of Singapore and Singapore's first full-fledged female ambassador only Professor Chan Heng Chee says her achievements were unplanned and they came at a personal cost.
"If I tell people that I really didn't plan on and worked for information technology in that way, y'all wouldn't believe it. But information technology'due south truthful. I keep proverb I'g the accidental ambassador," said Prof Chan who was speaking on CNA'southward The Heart of the Thing podcast recorded on Wed (Mar 17).
She was responding to a question from CNA's Executive Editor Lin Suling, who asked her about her views on women in leadership and whether she had to brand sacrifices to get to where she is today.
"I think later on, did I pay a price? You know, I was ambassador to the United Nations. And it affected my marriage. And I got divorced. I think if you say, do women pay a cost? I suppose I did.
"Frankly, it happens to a lot of women ambassadors. And it happens to male ambassadors now, too, I'chiliad told, because sometimes in that location'south a separation and distance," said Prof Chan who was formerly married to architect Tay Kheng Before long.
READ: Commentary: What'southward wrong with being a unmarried woman?
Drawing lessons from her own journey and expanding on personal trade-offs, Prof Chan said both men and women negotiating careers and family have to "decide how much of an appetite and goal yous want to pursue, and how much yous are prepared to go for it, and not have other things".
She put off having children on account of her piece of work. "I always said, after the adjacent book … If I had children, I would have paused and I would have brought up my children. I may not take become what I am today."
Every bit the Regime embarks on a review of women'due south issues to engender a mindset shift on gender equality, Prof Chan says at that place'southward nevertheless quite a lot of piece of work to exist done. Some men may non sympathize that their wives want a career and shared responsibilities at habitation.
Some women may non be supportive of their husbands' careers either.
READ: Commentary: Good day to those days, when women were 'pieces of meat for men to slice'
"It is a conversation two people must have, ii people in dearest. And two people who desire to share a good life. Information technology is not easy. I'm not sure there's a formula," said the 78-year-erstwhile.
Listen to the Chan Heng Chee'south total conversation on CNA's Heart of the Matter podcast:
RISING TO THE TOP
Prof Chan was inducted into Singapore Women'south Hall Of Fame in 2022 and was Her World's first Adult female of the Twelvemonth in 1991.
What made it possible for her to rise to the height the way she did, in a time when it was not usual for women to do so?
She puts her success down to having the freedom to practise what she wanted considering her parents were open to their daughter trying new things and then long as she was a "good girl and got skilful grades at school".
"I grew up at a fourth dimension when there were far fewer constraints. I didn't take a Tiger Mum, I didn't have a helicopter mum or parents," said Prof Chan.
She went on to take on a variety of vacation jobs – writing for newspapers, working in an ad bureau and giving private tuition. Ane matter led to another and she constitute herself working in diplomacy where she says all her previous skills were put to fantabulous utilize.
Prof Chan was Singapore'southward longest serving Administrator to the U.s., a position she helmed for 16 years, and before that, Singapore'southward Permanent Representative to the United nations.
A highly decorated and illustrious career saw her receiving the countdown Asia Society Outstanding Diplomatic Accomplishment Laurels, the countdown Foreign Policy Outstanding Diplomatic Achievement Award 2022 and the United States Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, after leaving her appointment in Washington.
Today, she serves as Ambassador-at-Big with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and chairs the Lee Kuan Yew Heart for Innovative Cities in the Singapore University of Applied science and Design.
READ: Review on women's bug goes beyond the police, aims to 'deeply ingrain' gender equality in society: Shanmugam
Asked about how women are seen in the workplace and whether negative stereotypes still exist, Prof Chan agreed in that location are different attitudes to women who are ambitious and want to practice well.
"If men strive, it is skilful, he works very difficult. And if a adult female does the same affair, my goodness, she'southward clawing … Unfortunately, that'southward what women have to fight with. If she works and strives, some people say she's too ambitious. If you don't work and strive, your family members may say, hey, yous've got a practiced degree, why aren't y'all going out (to work)," she said.
2021 has been declared the Year of Celebrating SG Women and Prof Chan says her wish is that women help other women – for those at the top of the ladder to help others work their way up.
Changing Social club AND POLITICS
In her book, Prof Chan talked at length about how Singapore order is changing and expanded on her idea of what she chosen "the youth bulge" in the 2022 General Elections.
The elections came at a fourth dimension where Singapore is at its youth elevation, with a sizable population bulge of immature voters aged 25 to 44, her books highlights.
She describes this grouping every bit tech-savvy, socially conscious voters who have a potent sense of off-white play and justice.
On how this will affect governance, Prof Chan says information technology will make it harder considering this generation are impacted by information they consume through the porous and borderless internet world.
"They volition argue, and yes, they sound heated and intolerant … They desire fairness, but you know, fairness for me, but I'm intolerant almost your situation. It is not contradictory. This is man beings. And that's why the chore of governing is and then hard," she said.
This intensity of diverse views will mean that the 4G leadership has to find a way to reach out and find a consensus fifty-fifty if it is a large task.
READ: Social network sites, instant messaging most popular modes of political engagement in GE2020: IPS survey
"Creating consensus is much more than difficult today, because everybody's reading something else. They take and then many channels and sources of data."
Yet, the leader who stands out, says Prof Chan, is the one who is able to connect with people – someone with a human touch and who makes people feel that they are listened to and cared for, peculiarly segments of the population who struggle because of the structural shifts from globalisation.
Despite the render of what she calls a "re-politicised" electorate where interests in diverse politics returns, Prof Chan's assessment is that Singapore'southward is nevertheless "gentle politics" compared to other parts of the earth.
She believes the Singapore Government is doing a "proficient task of beingness inclusive" and has made a concerted effort to "put a floor to the bottom" so that people don't "fall below a certain level".
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