Opening Address by Acting Minister of Manpower at Aidha 20th Anniversary Celebration

Jasmin Lau, Acting Minister of Manpower , Aidha @ Catapult

Good afternoon, everyone. It is my pleasure to join you today as we celebrate Aidha's 20th anniversary. As you would know, I have recently joined the Ministry of Manpower and one of the things I have been looking forward to is meeting with the partners who have made a difference to the lives of our migrant community. Aidha is certainly one of them.

2 Twenty years is a significant milestone. Aidha's story began in 2006 with a simple belief — that every woman should be equipped with the knowledge to plan and manage her finances. From its first class of just 35 students in a condominium function room 20 years ago, Aidha has grown into an organisation that has touched the lives of more than 12,000 migrant domestic workers in Singapore, and many more thousands back home.

3 Many of us think of financial literacy as learning how to budget or save. But it goes far beyond that. It is about giving an individual personal confidence, independence, agency and choices to make their own decisions. That is why I am encouraged to see the impact that Aidha has made. On average, migrant domestic workers who have completed Aidha’s programmes have seen their monthly savings rise by 46%. This means that we are seeing thousands of women who
are better able to support their families back home, plan for the future and face life’s uncertainties with greater confidence.

4 Aidha also equips migrant domestic workers with other life skills and knowledge through courses on English language, mental wellness and scam prevention. These courses help to build knowledge and resilience, enabling our migrant domestic workers to better navigate their lives in Singapore and plan for their future.

5 Aidha’s impact has been made possible through strong partnerships in the ecosystem. The many partners that we see here today – I would like to extend my thanks to all of you who have partnered Aidha through the years in support of our migrant domestic workers in Singapore.

6 To mark their 20th anniversary, Aidha is launching its financial literacy ACCESS campaign – Advancing Capability through Community, Education and Sustainable Savings. The three-year multi-stakeholder effort will help more migrant domestic workers gain access to financial education. As part of this, Aidha will be formalising a new partnership with the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS), reaching workers early in their employment journey, including those who have newly arrived.

7 This partnership reflects an important principle: empowering our workers is not the responsibility of any one
organisation alone. It is a shared responsibility. It calls on employers to treat their helpers with dignity and respect in their homes. It also calls for employment agencies to lay the right foundation from the very first interaction; and partners like Aidha to walk alongside workers in their journey here. Together, these efforts have transformed lives and created lasting impact for workers, their families and the wider community.

8 The Ministry of Manpower remains committed to working closely with Aidha to strengthen this ecosystem and ensure that our migrant domestic workers in Singapore continue to receive the support they need.

9 To the employers and employment agencies here today, I hope you will continue to support your helpers in learning new skills. A little time and encouragement can go a very long way. It helps them grow in confidence and builds stronger, more trusting relationships at home.

10 On behalf of families across Singapore, including my own, I want to thank Aidha and every migrant domestic worker for the steadfast role you play in keeping our households running and our families well cared for, and keeping our hearts safe and secure as we go out to work. Congratulations to Aidha on 20 years of extraordinary achievement.

11 We look forward to continuing this strong and fruitful partnership in the years ahead.

12 Thank you all, and have a wonderful afternoon.