What is IWA?
Indian Women’s Association is a Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) working seamlessly for over two decades for the integration of the expat Indian women and their families into Singapore. With the IWA vision of Care, Connect and Celebrate at the forefront, we aim to serve various I-Care projects with active volunteers for the elderly, women, children and migrant workers.
Our signature Bazaars, held twice a year, help IWA to raise funds for financial contributions to social welfare organisation as well as for its regular activities. The Bazaars also provide a platform for women entrepreneurs in Singapore to showcase their products and grow their business. With 300 plus members, the organisation is committed to working for the good of the members themselves, society and the country.
Why Become a Member?
IWA provides a great platform to make new friends when you arrive in Singapore and nurture relationships if Singapore has been your home for years. It is also a platform for women to integrate with the community of expats and locals in Singapore. The association provides social, networking, community, cultural, business skill development and other services to all its members. If you are living in Singapore and are looking for interesting activities or want to volunteer with IWA, join us! We also have many events that we run and offer only for our members.
Benefits of becoming a member
● As a member you can attend the regular events organized by our various clubs open exclusively to members viz. Acts of Kindness Club, Adda Club, Book Club, Creative Hands Club, Games Club, Gourmet Goddess Club, Health and Fitness Club, Movie Club, Music Club, Performing Arts Club, Privileges and Entrepreneur Club, Textile Club, Travel Club, Writing Enthusiasts’ Club and IWA's I-CARE Community Services.
● IWA hosts two Bazaars annually – Summer and Festive and members get special rates as vendors.
● IWA hosts IWApreneurs annually, members get special rates as vendors.
● Most of the IWA events are free for the members. In case of ticketed events, members get a discounted rate.
● IWA offers various platforms for advertising to member and non-member database, such as weekly IWA e-newsletter, IWA Facebook page and Instagram. Members are eligible for discounted rates for the same.
● All events and promotions for our members are announced through our e-newsletter which releases every Wednesday.
● Our Ordinary members are eligible to participate in our AGM, vote for committee positions and also hold such positions as per the rules in the IWA Constitution.
● We have a welcome lunch for all members of IWA in March every year, where we introduce the members to IWA and its clubs and events.
● IWA enters into Privilege partnerships with various partners to provide discounted rates and benefits to the members for products and services provided by these partners.
Who can be a member?
Women residing in Singapore, over 18 years of age, can take Ordinary Membership if they are of Indian origin or married to men of Indian origin.
Women who do not fulfil the above criteria can apply for Associate membership.
IWA does not offer corporate membership.
How to become a member?
To become a member or renew your membership, you need to fill in a Membership Form on our website.
Types of Membership
● Ordinary Membership
● Associate Membership
How is Associate Membership different from Full Membership?
Associate Membership is open to women residing in Singapore, who are neither of Indian origin nor are married to men of Indian origin. Associate Members can avail all member privileges, other than holding office and voting rights.
Membership Fees
Annual membership fees is SGD 120 per year for both Ordinary and Associate members. Membership is from January to December of the current year. Membership benefits start from the day your membership is activated till the end of the membership year. Membership is activated within a week after receipt of full payment - for online payments & upon encashing of cheque payments for offline payments. The membership benefits extend to the spouse and children of the member below 21.
What are the payment options for paying membership fees?
● Online via PayPal or credit card
● Post a cheque to Indian Women's Association, P.O. Box 472, Orchard Post Office, Singapore 912316. Please write your name, email, phone no & membership type behind the cheque.
Can I make cash payments for Membership?
No. But you can pay online or send a cheque to the above-mentioned address.
Is the membership fee refundable or transferable?
Membership fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Which are the months in which IWA accepts Membership Applications?
We accept membership applications through the year. However, the membership fee remains the same irrespective of the month in which you apply for membership. For member applications from October 1st in any year, the membership is valid for the rest of that year (Oct-Dec) and the next year from January to December.
Do I need to fill the application form again if I am renewing my membership?
Any member who filled an application form the previous year, does not need to fill in another online form again. You only need to log in with your email address on our website, click on renewal, verify your details for change if any, and proceed to pay for the current year. All new members have to fill an online application form. If you do not renew within 15 days, your membership lapses. You can revive your lapsed membership anytime during the year.
I became a member of IWA mid-year. Can I get a refund of the difference of fees for the events that I attended earlier this year as non-Member?
No. If you register for a paid event as non-member, you pay the non-member charges. If you take up membership later, you cannot be refunded the difference even if the membership is for the entire year. We thus encourage you and send you multiple reminders to renew your membership as early in the year as you can to avail all member benefits.
If I need to edit my details after submitting online applications, how do I do it?
You can login to our website, go to ‘my profile’ and update your details using the id-password provided to you by our website.
I want to change my payment option after submitting the application form. How do I do it?
As soon as you initiate your membership application, an invoice is generated for you to pay. You can login to www.iwasingapore.org with your user id-password and retrieve that invoice at any time. There is always an option to pay online. Alternatively, you can write to membership@iwasingapore.org and ask for assistance.
What is the turnaround time for application and payment processing?
If you pay online via PayPal or credit card, your membership will be activated within a week. If you send in a cheque, our turnaround time depends on receipt and encashing of the cheque (usually four weeks).
Can I attend IWA events while my application is being processed?
You can attend all our open-to-everyone events while your membership is being processed. All our members-only events are published on our website and need you to have an activated membership status. If you wish to attend any member-only event, we recommend you to pay online, which activates your membership instantly.
Am I issued a receipt and membership card after making payment?
In our effort to go green, we do not print membership cards. You will have an ecard on your membership login as your membership identifier. You will receive an online receipt once your membership payment is processed. For accessing your privileges with our Privilege partners, you can take a screenshot of your membership card on your smartphone.
How do I get updates on IWA events?
Members are contacted only via emails, so ensure that your email address is updated and correct. We send the IWA e-Newsletter to all our members and non-members who opt in for them. Subscribing to the e-Newsletter is the best way to keep yourself informed about events happening at IWA. If you are not receiving emails, you can contact the IWA Membership team at membership@iwasingapore.org, or you can subscribe to the e-Newsletter on the IWA Homepage. You can be a participant of the ‘IWA Members Announcements’ WhatsApp group to receive all the updates of IWA events and our privilege partner benefits for the members. You can also keep yourself updated by visiting our website www.iwasingapore.org or our facebook page www.facebook.com/iwasingapore.
How do I attend IWA events?
Members have to register when the events are announced on the website and e-newsletter and link is shared through the e-newsletter every Wednesday. As there are limited spots, for some popular events, the spots are reserved within a very short span of time. We encourage you to join the waitlist your name and the Club Chairs will contact you in case spots open up.
How do I cancel in case I register and cannot attend?
Please check on the registration page and you will find a cancellation button to cancel your registration. In case it is a paid event or your cancellation is too close to the event day, please contact the Club Chair whose details are given on the poster.
How do I register if I am a non-member?
IWA welcomes non-members to attend a maximum of two events per year at a minimal charge of SGD 10 per event. The pricing may change depending on the event pricing and will be mentioned on the event registration details and poster.
Do I pay any cancellation charges?
IWA club chairs and hosts put in a lot of effort in planning the events and we do have cancellation charges.
If any cancellation is made within 48 hours to the event, the event charges are non-refundable.
For cancellation prior to 48 hours for paid events, the members are charged SGD 5 and Non-members are charged SGD15.
For events free for members, if they cancel prior to 48 hours, they are charged NIL, Non-members are charged SGD10.
As our events have a waitlist, we advise members to check their calendars while registering for an event and in case they are not able to attend, please inform the club chairs well in advance.
If I want to extend privileges as a vendor to IWA members whom do I contact?
Please email the IWA Privileges & Entrepreneur Chair at privilege@iwasingapore.org
Who should I contact if I have any queries regarding membership?
Please email your queries to membership@iwasingapore.org
