Distinguished judge Justice Judith Prakash and top athlete Ms Shanti Pereira awarded Her World Women of the Year 2024

Singapore, 14 October 2024 – Every year, Her World recognises women in Singapore for their excellence, and this year, Justice Judith Prakash, a distinguished judge who has made a lasting impact on the legal community with influence reaching beyond Singapore, was named Her World Woman of the Year 2024. Ms Shanti Pereira, one of Singapore's top athletes who has broken numerous records and achieved significant milestones in her sporting career, was named Her World Young Woman Achiever 2024. 

As Singapore’s first female Judge of Appeal and one of the pioneering women appointed to the Supreme Court Bench in 1992, Justice Prakash has paved the way for aspiring female lawyers to build their careers in the Judiciary. A renowned expert in commercial law, the 72-year-old has also played a key role in establishing Singapore as a global arbitration hub.

Recognised as one of Singapore’s top athletes, 28-year-old Ms Shanti Pereira embodies resilience, grit and perseverance, and is a role model for many young women and athletes. Ms Pereira’s determination to rewrite the trajectory of her career has led the national sprinter to break multiple national records. Details of the winners can be found in Annex A.

Her World recognised the outstanding contributions of the winners at a gala dinner today which was graced by Ms Jane Ittogi. 

The annual Her World Woman of the Year and Young Woman Achiever Awards celebrate outstanding women in Singapore whose achievements and influence impact their immediate professional space and inspire the community. After months of public nominations and a rigorous selection process, the winners were selected by a judging panel chaired by Ms Jennie Chua, entrepreneur and Her World Woman of the Year 1999. More information on the awards and judging panel can be found in Annex B. 

Ms Elizabeth Lee, Editor-in-Chief of Her World, said, “Every year, it is a momentous task deciding who our Women of the Year should be, but when it came to choosing these two outstanding women, all our judges were unanimous in their decisions. As someone who has broken glass ceilings, Justice Judith Prakash is an inspiration, not just for those in the legal field, but also to all Singapore women. Our top athlete, Ms Shanti Pereira has achieved record-breaking feats at home and overseas. We celebrate them for their resilience, tenacity and the successes they have achieved through hard work and grit.”

On being awarded Her World Woman of the Year 2024, Justice Judith Prakash said, “It is a great honour to receive this prestigious award for a career that has given me so much in my life – not just intellectual challenge but also an opportunity to help solve people’s problems and along the way, contribute to the development of Singapore law as well.”

Her World Young Woman Achiever 2024 Ms Shanti Pereira said, “It is such an honour to receive the Her World Young Woman Achiever award – sometimes I cannot believe I am where I am now, and I truly have the people around me to thank for that – my friends and family, my partner, my coach, my managers, I hope I have made them proud. I would of course like to thank Her World, for recognising my efforts in putting Singapore track and field on the map. I hope to continue inspiring young girls and women to never let anyone else determine their paths in life or stop them from chasing their dreams.”

Both award winners are featured in the October 2024 issue of Her World, which is available on newsstands and herworld.com. 

The Her World Women of the Year 2024 awards ceremony is organised by SPH Media, with support from official partners Cle de Peau Beaute, ORA, Singtel, and The Hour Glass. 

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ANNEX A

Profile of Winner – Her World Woman of the Year 2024

Photo credit: Shawn Paul Tan

Her World Woman of the Year 2024 – Justice Judith Prakash, Senior Judge

Justice Judith Prakash is Singapore’s first female Judge of Appeal and one of the pioneering women appointed to the Supreme Court Bench in 1992, paving the way for aspiring female lawyers to build their careers in the Judiciary. A renowned expert in commercial law, the 72-year-old has also played a key role in establishing Singapore as a friendly jurisdiction for global arbitration.

During her 31 years on the Bench serving as Judicial Commissioner, High Court Judge, and Justice of Appeal, Justice Prakash authored approximately 645 judgements. Over 50 per cent of these judgements have been formally reported, meaning that they were selected by a panel for inclusion in law reports due to their significance and valuable legal propositions.

In 1991, she was part of the sub-committee that reviewed arbitration laws and made recommendations that ultimately led to the enactment of the International Arbitration Act 1994. International arbitration offers a neutral platform for resolving cross-border disputes, helping parties avoid home court advantage or navigating unfamiliar, complex judicial systems. The International Arbitration Act 1994 is a landmark piece of legislation that established Singapore as an arbitration-friendly centre.

Her commitment to creating an environment where women and girls can thrive is evident in the roles she takes on outside of her full-time job. She was an early member of the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers, established in 1974, and chaired the Raffles Girls’ School (RGS) Board of Governors for 25 years, from 1996 to 2021. During her time at RGS, she supported the Board and the school’s management in developing programmes to encourage young girls to take up leadership positions in areas like sports and science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and ensuring that they remained relevant to the evolving education landscape.

Justice Prakash is also on the National University of Singapore Board of Trustees, Board of Trustees of SINDA and Board of the Eurasian Association. In June 2024, she was appointed a Distinguished Fellow at Singapore Management University Yong Pung How School of Law. In this role, she mentors students and faculty members while helping to shape the strategic direction of the law school's programmes.

Profile of Winner – Her World Young Woman Achiever 2024

Photo credit: Shawn Paul Tan

Her World Young Woman Achiever 2024 – Ms Shanti Pereira, National Sprinter

28-year-old Ms Shanti Pereira embodies resilience, grit and perseverance, and is a role model for many young women and athletes in Singapore. Ms Pereira’s determination to rewrite the trajectory of her career has led the national sprinter to break multiple national records.

Since 2019, she has earned five bronze medals at the SEA Games, two silver medals at the SEA Games and Asian Games, and seven gold medals across the SEA Games, Asian Games, and Asian Championships.

At the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou in 2023, Ms Pereira claimed silver in the women’s 100m race. She then secured gold in the women’s 200m race, marking Singapore’s first track and field gold medal since 1974.

As part of her preparations for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Ms Pereira set another national record. Competing in a 400m race at the Florida Relays, she finished 5th with a time of 53.67 seconds, surpassing Dipna Lim Prasad's previous record of 54.18 seconds set at the 2017 SEA Games. Ms Pereira now holds the national record in all four sprint categories.

ANNEX B

About Her World Woman of the Year Award

Since 1991, the Her World Woman of the Year Award has recognised and celebrated outstanding women in Singapore, and it has become one of the most established and recognisable awards with a distinguished list of winners. In 1999, the Her World Young Woman Achiever Award was created to honour remarkable women aged 35 and below – women whose influence impacts their immediate professional space and who inspire the community we live in.

Her World Woman of the Year Award

The Her World Woman of the Year Award honours women who have made outstanding contributions to society in their professions or respective fields. 

• The winner must represent and project the best of Singapore, at home and/or abroad. Her accomplishments should leave a lasting impression on others, and she should be an inspiration and a role model to society.
• Her achievements must have had a broad impact on society or benefited a particular industry or field at a high level.
• She should be a Singapore citizen or permanent resident.

Her World Young Woman Achiever Award

The Her World Young Woman Achiever Award celebrates the success of young women who push existing boundaries, inspiring those around them and paving the way for future generations. 

• The winner must be seen as an inspiration and role model to society.
• She should have visible achievements and have demonstrated the potential to attain an even higher level of success in her chosen field. 
• She is 40 years old or below at the point of nomination.
• She should be a Singapore citizen or permanent resident.

Judging Panel

The winners for this year’s awards were selected by a judging panel, after being shortlisted from a public nomination from December 2023 to February 2024. Chaired by entrepreneur and 1999 Woman of the Year winner, Ms Jennie Chua, the judging panel includes:

1. Mr Dominic Nathan, Managing Editor, English/Malay/Tamil Media Group, SPH Media
2. Ms Joanna Lee-Miller, Editorial Director, Lifestyle Media, SPH Media
3. Ms Khor Siew Kim, Head, Secretariat & Legal, SPH Media
4. Mr Raymond Goh, Editorial Director, Lifestyle Media, SPH Media 
5. Ms Caecilia Chu, Co-Founder and CEO, YouTrip; Winner of Her World Young Woman Achiever Award 2023
6. Ms Melissa Ow, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board
7. Mr Ng Boon Heong, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Temasek Foundation
8. Ms Olivia Lee, Principal Designer & Founder, Olivia Lee Studio; Winner of Her World Young Woman Achiever Award 2018
9. Ms Pat Law, Founder, GOODSTUPH
10. Ms Yvonne Mak, Chairperson, Young Women’s Leadership Connection