Our story
IWG coffee 1996
It all started in the 70s…
Italian Women's Group is an association that has been present in Singapore since the 70s. It was initially born as a small organization to help Italian women who had moved to settle into their new city-state and meet new friends.
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Over the years, in addition to maintaining its main purpose, IWG has evolved into a non-profit entity, legally recognized, and open to women of all nationalities; some of the members, not Italian citizens, participate in the activities of the association to satisfy their desire to deepen their knowledge of Italian culture and language.​
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Singapore was waiting for us
The history of IWG in the very personal story of our member Giuseppina Pravato, who illustrates how over the years, the spirit of the organization has not changed despite the fact that the city and the international panorama are in continuous evolution. Above all, it shows us how the group helps new arrivals to feel a little more at home and to create lasting bonds.​
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A partnership that has lasted for 22 years
When I left Italy in 1981 to follow my Prince Charming to London, I took with me my favourite novel by Cesare Pavese, “La Luna e i falò”, where I had carefully underlined what Italy represented for me:​
“A COUNTRY IS NECESSARY, EVEN FOR THE SAKE OF LEAVING IT. A COUNTRY MEANS NOT BEING ALONE, KNOWING THAT IN THE PEOPLE, IN THE PLANTS, IN THE LAND THERE IS SOMETHING OF YOURS, THAT EVEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT THERE IT STILL STAYS WAITING FOR YOU”.
London 1993
Before closing the door and handing the keys to our future tenants, I revisited all the rooms of our little house at 316 Stag Lane in London; how many joyful and unforgettable memories, how many parties were held within these 4 walls, how many friends and relatives passed through here and that English garden, truly English with the fragrant smell of the grass that reminded me of my beloved Polesana countryside. What would I have done without our garden and the beautiful scented roses that lay there reigning for most of the year. Oh, my home sweet home I will never see you again!!! and tears wet that suffering and at the same time hopeful face of mine. SINGAPORE WAS WAITING FOR US!
Singapore 1993
When I arrived in Singapore in 1993, the Takashimaya building had not yet opened to the public, Wisma Atria was the only shopping centre in Orchard Road that sold Italian shoes of a certain brand such as Valentino, Gucci, Prada etc. Wheelock Place was still under construction, there were only 18 Italian restaurants, there were no Italian pastry shops or ice cream shops, it was difficult to find a good Lavazza coffee, and the first industrial panettone was distributed only in the Cold Storage supermarket in Tanglin Mall. Culina was starting to establish itself on the Singaporean market and had hired an Italian lady, who kindly promoted fresh Italian products among the IWG members and the families of the Italian Supplementary School. Every Saturday morning, we met at 8.30 with the Italian lady, to order fresh vegetables from Italy that would then arrive the following week. It was impossible to find artichokes, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, basil, rosemary, buffalo mozzarella, pesto, Italian hams and salami. There were no boutiques like Ermenegildo Zegna, Gucci, Ferragamo, Prada, Miu Miu, Missoni. It was impossible to find Italian perfumes and the first boutique of L'Erbolario opened in 2001. There were only 5 international schools and the cost of living was very high. You couldn't find a luxury apartment for less than $20,000 a month.
First meeting with the Italian Women's Group
My first encounter with a group of Italian ladies took place in the centre of the United Square Building (the seat of the Italian Embassy in Singapore), where I accompanied my children to play and relax after a busy day of school at the Tanglin Trust School. In the 13 years I lived in London I did not spend much time with Italian families or friends so finding myself in front of a group of 5 Italian ladies was a miracle for me. Eranee, (who is still a very dear and gracious friend of mine) invited me to participate in the group of Italian women, also known as the Italian Women's Group and in the Caffè del Mese which at that time was held regularly at the Ambassador's residence in Mount Pleasant.
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I was unable to attend the Caffè del Mese but I showed up at the group's last lunch before the summer holidays. As soon as I arrived at the Mandarin Hotel, I was amazed: the group of Italian ladies was not only large but very interesting. The General Secretary introduced me to all of them and kindly offered me a place at the table. I still carry the essence of this gesture with me today: the welcome and smiles that all these ladies gave me a boost of vitality that allowed me not only to face the months to come but also to want to become part of this beautiful group. Each lady had an important role, starting from the General Secretary to the last one to arrive. At that time, the Ambassador's wife was also the Honorary President of the Group and therefore could participate in all the Committee meetings. The Italian Women's Committee was made up of 10 ladies who in turn formed a subgroup. The General Secretary had to promote the Group and its activities among local and expatriate associations. In 1993, there were the English group, the Spanish group, the German group, the Muslim group, the Singaporean Chinese and non-Chinese group, and the Japanese group. Every 3 months in rotation we were invited by these groups to meet, have a coffee together and do some networking.
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The Treasurer was in charge of the financial accounts, the Secretary was in charge of the annual memberships, and then there was the Director of the School who was in charge of the Italian School. Two ladies were responsible for the Gala Dinner that took place during the month of November or December, two ladies were responsible for the Annual Bazaar, two ladies were responsible for the tours throughout the territory, and two people were responsible for the bimonthly newspaper “Il Caffè”.
Each of us felt an integral part of the group, no one was excluded and each contributed in a personal and elegant way to all the activities she was involved in. Already in 1995, the group reached the target of 120 members (at that time the number of Italians in Singapore had reached 800 people).
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Before the Christmas and summer holidays, two lunches and two trips were organized. The group was very popular among the expatriates, so many acquaintances showed up at the monthly coffees and dinners.​
The main goal for the Italian ladies has always been the same: to do charity work and keep the Italian language and culture alive in Singapore. Sometimes even among the Italian families, there were requests for financial help and so the ladies organized extra activities to offer help to these families.​
Meeting among women, whether just for a coffee or lunch had become a ritual: we talked about the BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, the kids' school, ITALIAN FASHION, ITALIAN BOOKS AND NOVELS, the GALA DINNER and many other things. We had no secrets and we shared all the news possible among ourselves: the best supermarket, the least expensive, the boys' school, baby shoes, hospitals for pregnant women, how to invest your savings, how to spend less, how to spend a lot, where to find the best apartments at the lowest possible price and what to wear to the GALA DINNER.
The Gran Gala
THE GRAND GALA was the most important annual event in the IWG calendar. Not only did it take place during the Christmas period at the beginning of December, but it represented the pinnacle of fundraising for the charity that Italian ladies cared so much about. The IWG Committee appointed about 6 ladies as organizers of the GRAND GALA. Two were in charge of finding the most beautiful, welcoming, famous hotel, with an Italian chef, where the dinner would be held. Two were in charge of preparing the guest list, two were in charge of finding sponsors who would offer beautiful gifts for the Lucky Draw. Usually, this evening began to be organized in February and by May the hotel had been chosen, the list of sponsors was ready, and the guest list was prepared. From August onwards, we started receiving fabulous gifts (Rolex watches, Bulgari bags, Ermenegildo Zegna fabrics, Perlini silver bracelets, fabulous trips to the Maldives or Bali, return tickets to Italy, Chopard and Missoni scarves, Bulgari jewellery, etc.). Receiving gifts was very important, but selling tables that cost $3,000 or $4,000 per night was even more difficult. Each member of the Group had to contribute by purchasing two tickets and the Committee representatives each purchased a table. The minimum number per night had to be 250 people and I must say that the IWG Committee regularly managed to reach this number without any problems.
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Every lady felt obliged to participate in this GRAND GALA if it were not to create the special EVENT, to feel part of the group, to be able to contribute to something fabulous.
All together in October, we organized a trip to Arab Street, we bought the most elegant and sophisticated fabrics at a very low price, we chose the same dressmaker and all together we met to talk about this evening. During the evening, we invited Italian and Singaporean artists, or personalities from the Singapore Showbiz. During the evening the ladies of the Committee sold lottery tickets until they reached the sum of $10,000 – after which the tickets for the Lucky Draw were drawn and gifts from the sponsors were offered to the winners. During an evening like this, about $20,000 – $25,000 were raised which would then go to charities recognized by the Government of Singapore. For many years, the IWG Committee has raised and continues to raise a lot of money which has contributed to the well-being of many local associations, in need of so much help. And the IWG and its members should be proud of this.
Grand Bazaar
The second most important event was the GRAND BAZAAR. This was usually held in February, March or September. Also for this event, the IWG Committee appointed about 6 ladies who would specifically take care of the whole organization.
The main objective of the Italian Bazaar was to promote MADE IN ITALY among Singaporeans and the expat ladies group. All proceeds would once again go to charity.
Each lady was responsible for one area of ​​products: selling basil seedlings (some planted basil as early as March, and offered the Bazaar Committee about 50 basil seedlings which were sold for $7 each (note that in the 1990s in Singapore, Singaporeans did not know what basil was).
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Embroidery Group
A group of members who were very skilled at embroidery, prepared tablecloths, napkins, towels, cushions etc. all embroidered by hand and each piece was sold at a very high price (even $25 per napkin).
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Home Group
Each member who went to Italy for the summer holidays was asked to buy espresso coffee makers, tea towels, placemats, and Italian objects to sell at the Bazaar.
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Food Group
Each member, especially those who had a talent for cooking savoury and sweet dishes, had to prepare lasagna, aubergine parmigiana, savoury pies, sweet pies, sauces, jams, biscuits, and coffee to sell at the Bazaar.​
ITALIAN BAZAAR had become very popular among expat ladies and Singaporean friends. Italian food was known to be delicious but was not well known in the 90s. All proceeds went to charity.
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Monthly Coffee
The meeting at the Caffè Mensile was an important moment for welcoming new arrivals and exchanging ideas and future projects. In addition to this, the IWG Committee organized lectures on the Italian lifestyle every two months that made the cafés more interesting and lively.
Tours
The Committee also organized city tours, which were very popular with new arrivals and for senior members it was a great way to meet new ladies. Unforgettable were the tours to Sengei, McRictchie, Upper Bukit Timah, and Pasir Ris parks. Tours to nearby islands, tours to China Town, and tours to Chinese antique shops. Unforgettable were the tours to National Parks, such as Sengei (listening to the birds chirping) and discovering Asian flora never seen before.
‘IL CAFFÈ’ the magazine
In 1999, the Committee decided to publish a bimonthly magazine, in Italian and English, to be distributed throughout the territory, in restaurants, cafés, bars, bookshops, offices, etc. The magazine was sponsored by many Italian companies with an advertising page and became a vehicle for advertising the IWG group, the Italian School and all the Italian organisations that were starting to operate in the territory. The articles were all very interesting, such as Italian lifestyle, fashion, cuisine, cinema, theatre, children, Italian cities, trips to the East, etc.
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2000-2015
In 1999, the IWG reached a high peak, with a large number of members, with many activities carried out, with many events and with a lot of money raised for charity. For logistical and legal reasons, the Committee decided to legally register the company under the name of: Italian Women's Group, with a statute that could represent and gather all the objectives of the women. Even today the statute is seen as a point of reference for the Committee and the Members and is respected in all its details.
According to the statute, it was decided to appoint a Committee each year with a minimum of 3 people, the President, General Secretary, and Treasurer and to support the Committee in all its monthly and annual activities. The wife of Mr. Ambassador has always been appointed Honorary President and in all these years, there would not have been a successful IWG group without the help of our Honorary Presidents. A warm THANK YOU goes to all of them.
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From 2000 to 2015, many changes have taken place in Singapore, to which the IWG group has had to conform and adapt. The new Italian Chamber of Commerce was established in the early 2000s and as the main event for this Institution, the GALA DINNER was established in December, which came to overshadow the IWG GRAN GALÀ. Unfortunately, the number of participants at our gala decreased and the IWG Committee decided to change and replace the Gran Gala with other events.
In 2001, the International Red Cross decided to organize a Red Cross Bazaar every two years, in which all expatriate groups in Singapore were to participate. The IWG Group started participating in the Red Cross Bazaar and as a result, another important event was missing from our annual calendar.
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The IWG Group has evolved and adapted to all these changes, always trying to bring innovation, energy, creativity and support in all the activities it has carried out.
In all these years, in a city-state that changes faces, every day, the IWG Group has remained the reference group of belonging for all Italian women living in Singapore. The IWG Committees in all these years, have worked voluntarily to give unparalleled support to all of us, to create visibility in a territory where there is a lot of competence and competition.
In these 22 years thanks to the IWG I have met many women who have enriched my cultural life and with whom I have developed deep friendships; some have stayed in Singapore for only 2 years, others for 4/5 years and with others I have had a friendship that has lasted for more than 20 years. I have always been proud to be part of the IWG group and I hope to be able to support the Committee in all future activities and in the years to come.
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2016 will be an important year for all of us because we will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Group during the month of May. I will be sure to contact all my member friends, who still live in Singapore, to participate in all the events that will be organized during the month of May. I still carry with me, in a pocket of my travel bag, Pavese's novel "La luna e i falò".
For us Italians who have been living far from our BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY for many years now, the IWG Group represents the Italy that we have never left and to which we owe the respect and honour it deserves.
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DOTT.SSA PRAVATO GIUSEPPINA (CAV.)
(IWG President 1999/2000)
