Singapore Armed Forces Merit Scholarship (Women) is a scholarship introduced in 1993 by the Singapore Ministry of Defence to attract Singaporean young women who aspire to become combat officers in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The scholarship is awarded to a selected group of ladies each year who display outstanding ‘A’ level results and leadership qualities. Potential candidates for this scholarship are put through basic military training and officer cadet training for assessment of their suitability for military career. Those awarded the scholarship are groomed for senior command and management positions in the SAF upon their return from overseas undergraduate studies.
The SMS (Women) is one of the most prestigious scholarships that are offered to young women in Singapore. Since its inception, the scholarship has been awarded to more than 40 women. The pioneer group of SMS (Women) recipients includes Gan Siow Huang, Goh Jerica, Adeline Heng and Toh Jiao Ming. Like their male counterparts, they lead men and manage technologically advanced equipment in the SAF.
In 2010, one of the pioneer group SMS (Women) recipients, Gan Siow Huang, was promoted to the rank of Colonel. In 2015, Gan was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, making her the first female General in the SAF. This makes her the 1st female airforce officer to be promoted to the Colonel rank. She is also currently the highest ranking female officer in the Singapore Armed Forces.