On 2 March 2025, some 250 people gathered at the Punggol Soka Centre in Singapore for the annual Soka Women Lecture, held this year under the theme “Women in Sustainability: Accelerate Action for Peace.”

Now in its sixth iteration since its launch in 2019, the Soka Women Lecture series—an initiative by Soka Gakkai Singapore (SGS)—commemorates International Women’s Day. Each year, the series aims to inspire collective action by highlighting the leadership, innovation and contributions of women across various fields. It underscores the essential role women play in developing and implementing solutions to global issues, from climate change to social equity. Past topics have included mental health, family resilience, sustainability and women’s empowerment in the digital age. 

Taking inspiration for the lecture theme from the 2025 International Women’s Day campaign theme, “Accelerate Action” for gender equality, this year’s lecture was held in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS), PPIS (Singapore Muslim Women’s Association) and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Speakers were Dr. Neo Mei Lin, Senior Research Fellow at the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute; Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim, PPIS President and Associate Professor and Head of the Public Safety and Security Programme of Singapore University of Social Sciences; Euddie Png, Newton Ward Relief Society President, Singapore Stake, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; and Delisa Jiang, Senior Programme Manager for Sustainable Development Management Framework who also serves as a regional young women’s leader for SGS. Each speaker shared their sustainability initiatives, offering personal stories and insights that fostered mutual learning and inspiration. 

In her closing address, SGS women’s leader Sek Soon Heng emphasized the spirit of solidarity and shared purpose: “Today, let us reaffirm our commitment to be leaders of sustainability, to champion peace through action and to support one another in this shared mission. May we continue to inspire and empower one another to create a future that is not only sustainable but also filled with hope and harmony.”

Listen to the full lecture here.