ENTREPRENEUR Ann Phua grew tired of exchanging name cards, pleasantries and not much else at male-dominated business networking sessions.

She decided to set up a women's only organisation so she and other women could get down to some serious business - immediately.

And that was exactly what the International Women's Federation of Commerce and Industry (Singapore), or IWFCI, did at its official launch two weeks ago.

It kicked off with intensive networking sessions for more than 30 female entrepreneurs from Singapore, Australia, India and Vietnam. This was followed by a class, held the day after, on setting up websites for electronic commerce.

'I have been a member of many business networking organisations over the years, and often I have to spend the first 20 minutes making small talk before I can get the information I want or discuss potential deals,' said Ms Phua.

Miss Sarah Martin, a board member of IWFCI, added: 'At other networking sessions, women sometimes have to overcome hurdles such as having their appearance checked out by the men.'

Indeed, professionals and entrepreneurs in Singapore have been flocking by the hundreds to women's only clubs.

Their reason for going? They can get straight down to business and get support for the issues that matter most to them.

An umbrella body, the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO), currently has 53 associations with an estimated 300,000 women members.

About 16 of these organisations are for business and professional women. Of these, more than half have reported increases in membership over the past three years, of 40 per cent to 120 per cent.

There are no figures available for the total number of association members. Some of the larger or more established ones include the Financial Women's Association of Singapore (FWAS), which has about 400 members, and the Federation of Singapore Business and Professional Women (FSBPWA), whose combined membership is estimated at well over 300.

These bodies typically offer members an online marketplace for advertising their businesses and regular talks like the FWAS' Brown Bag lunch series, where topics range from asset management to health care.

Mentorship programmes are used to address issues such as how to juggle career and family, or set up a home business - issues that men might not be able to empathise with as easily. In such settings, 'women can get straight to the point and don't need to waste time explaining what they mean to the men', said Ms Phua.

In the past, when faced with the powerful old boys' networks, Singapore women might have turned to informal alumni clusters. For instance, notable Raffles Girls alumni include SingTel chief executive Chua Sock Koong and Banyan Tree managing director Claire Chiang.

But now, heavyweight women's organisations boast membership lists that include many of the Who's Who on the business scene.

For instance, the FWAS, arguably one of the most high-powered women's organisations in Singapore, counts financial bigwigs such as DBS chief financial officer Jeanette Wong and Citigroup corporate and investment banking head for Asean Catherine Weir among the members of its advisory board.

'More women now are appreciating the power of business networking, 'said Ms Trina Liang-Lin, the current president of the FWAS and the head of Asia fixed income research at ABN Amro.

The FWAS' membership has almost doubled in the past three years, given the growth in the financial industry, especially in areas such as private banking, asset management and hedge funds. said Ms Liang-Lin.

And not only are more expatriate and younger professional women joining the FWAS, but 'a number of male banking associates are attending our events and asking to be members', she added.

Is this article useful to you?