How Singapore College of Insurance Made Women's Health at Work a Leadership Priority

You do not need a large budget to make women’s health matter at work. You need leadership willing to decide that it matters.

Singapore College of Insurance (SCI) demonstrates this in its case study in the Menopause Care Playbook for Employers in Singapore, launched by the Cross-sector Menopause Taskforce.

Under the leadership of CEO Shalini Pavithran, SCI made women’s health a strategic workplace priority and introduced practical support around its employees’ needs.

Its experience shows what becomes possible when leadership commitment translates into support people can use.

“How I looked at it was that SCI is a small organisation, so we will not be able to solve this with a large budget. What we chose to do was decide that it mattered; and then build it so that the people using it never have to explain themselves to us.”

Ms Shalini Pavithran, CEO of Singapore College of Insurance

Turning inclusion into practical action

Equity and inclusion are about more than who enters the workplace. They are also about whether people are supported to stay, progress and thrive through every stage of life.

SCI put that principle into practice by giving eligible employees access to:

• Digital resources on midlife health and wellbeing.

• Wellbeing and longevity sessions.

• Gender-specific health screenings.

• Private support, without first having to explain their personal health concerns to their employer.

SCI partnered with HeyVenus Integrated Healthscience, a clinician-led women’s midlife health company combining health science, digital technology and expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion.

Together, they introduced a programme connecting employees to trusted health information, structured support and appropriate care pathways. Participation is voluntary, and employees decide whether and when to engage.

Privacy creates the conditions for support for women's health at work

Making a benefit available is only part of the work. Employees also need to feel comfortable using it.

With HeyVenus, individuals can seek support privately. Their personal health information is not shared with their employer. Where employer reporting is included, it provides aggregated and de-identified insights on thematic health topics to help inform future wellbeing initiatives.

Employees retain their privacy and choice, while employers gain a better foundation for planning meaningful support.

Shalini captured SCI’s approach in a simple reflection: the organisation wanted support designed so that “the people using it never have to explain themselves to us.”

That is a practical expression of trust.

Early engagement, with room to build

More than one-third of eligible women used the programme within its first quarter—an encouraging early indication of demand for private, accessible support.

For SCI, this provides a foundation to build on: continuing to support employees while shaping future wellbeing initiatives around a better understanding of their needs.

It also demonstrates why smaller organisations should not underestimate their ability to act. Decisions can be made quickly, support can be introduced thoughtfully, and learning can inform what comes next.

What other employers can learn

SCI’s experience offers three lessons for employers considering where to begin.

1. Start with leadership commitment. Recognising women’s health as a workplace priority creates the conditions for practical action and sustained attention.

2. Build privacy and choice into the experience. Employees should be able to access trusted support without feeling obliged to disclose personal health concerns at work.

3. Start at a scale you can sustain. A considered programme aligned with the workforce and available resources gives an organisation a foundation to develop over time.

The question is not simply whether an organisation has a large wellbeing budget. It is whether its support reflects the needs of the people it employs.

HeyVenus is proud to support SCI. We thank Shalini and her team for their leadership and for generously sharing their experience so that other employers can learn from it.

About HeyVenus: from individual support to wider change

HeyVenus Integrated Healthscience brings together clinical expertise, digital health technology and diversity, equity and inclusion experience to make women’s midlife health support more accessible.

Our digital health companion and employer programmes connect women to science-backed information, practical guidance and appropriate care pathways. For employers, we translate a commitment to inclusion into support that respects individual privacy and helps inform workforce wellbeing priorities.

Our work also extends across sectors. HeyVenus co-founded and co-chairs the Cross-sector Menopause Taskforce alongside NUS Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (ACRLE), bringing together employers, clinicians, researchers and community organisations to advance menopause support in workplaces and communities. The Taskforce’s Menopause Care Playbook for Employers in Singapore translates that collective expertise into practical guidance for employers. It is available for use at no cost.

HeyVenus is also a member of the UNFPA Equity 2030 Alliance. Our mission aligns with the Alliance’s commitment to advancing gender equity in science, technology and financing: ensuring women’s needs are recognised in the solutions designed to serve them.

From individual support to employer action and cross-sector collaboration, our purpose is consistent: helping women navigate midlife with confidence, and helping workplaces support them to thrive.

Ready to explore what this could look like in your organisation?

Contact HeyVenus to discuss a programme shaped around your workforce, priorities and budget.

Read SCI’s case study in the Menopause Care Playbook for Employers in Singapore for further insights and practical guidance.