Bengawan Solo’s Anastasia Tjendri-Liew and Pro Bono SG’s Sadhana Rai named Her World Women of the Year 2025

The spirit of Singaporean excellence shone brightly at the Her World Women of the Year 2025 gala dinner, celebrating the achievements of two remarkable leaders who have made indelible marks on the nation.

Ms. Anastasia Tjendri-Liew, the visionary Founder and Managing Director of Bengawan Solo, was named the Her World Woman of the Year 2025, while Ms. Sadhana Rai, Chief Representation Officer of Pro Bono SG, clinched the title of Her World Young Woman Achiever 2025.

The ceremony, organized by SPH Media and graced by Guest-of-Honour Mdm Halimah Yacob, recognized their outstanding contributions that impact their professional fields and inspire the community.

Honoring two extraordinary leaders

Ms. Tjendri-Liew’s story is one of transforming a humble home-based baking business, started in 1975, into the iconic Bengawan Solo, now a household name with more than 40 outlets across Singapore. A pioneer in preserving heritage through food, the 78-year-old entrepreneur established the brand — known for its signature pandan chiffon cake and traditional kueh — as a cultural landmark with a loyal international following.

Beyond her culinary legacy, she is a strong advocate for education and entrepreneurship, supporting students through initiatives like the Anastasia Liew Study Award at SMU and substantial donations to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

The Young Woman Achiever, Ms. Sadhana Rai, is a prominent 38-year-old Singaporean lawyer celebrated for her unwavering commitment to social justice and equitable access to legal support.

As Chief Representation Officer at Pro Bono SG, Ms. Rai leads the organization’s legal practice and crucial initiatives like the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS). She actively works to close systemic gaps by extending legal aid to overlooked communities, ensuring that justice serves everyone. Her dedication has earned her historic recognition, including being the first full-time pro bono lawyer and the first woman to receive the Joseph Grimberg Outstanding Young Advocate Award in 2023.

In conjunction with the awards ceremony, the event marked a special milestone: Her World’s 65th anniversary. A retrospective exhibition titled “Defining Eras, Inspiring Change” was held at the gala dinner. The exhibition offered a look back at past iconic Her World covers.

More significantly, it showcased how the magazine, through its editorial stories and initiatives over the years, has successfully captured the evolving role of women in Singapore. This historical showcase provided a powerful context for the awards, linking the past pioneers featured in the magazine to the current extraordinary winners.

The rigorous selection process

The Her World awards are among Singapore’s most established, having celebrated outstanding women since 1991. The winners are selected through a meticulous and multi-stage process.

The journey begins with a period of public nominations, which ran from December 2024 to February 2025 for this year’s awards. Following this, the candidates undergo a rigorous selection process before the ultimate decisions are made by a distinguished judging panel.

The 2025 Judging Panel was chaired by Ms. Jennie Chua, an entrepreneur and Chairman of Temasek Foundation, who is also a Her World Woman of the Year 1999 winner.

The panel also included other prominent figures like Ms. Khor Siew Kim (SPH Media), Ms. Caecilia Chu (YouTrip), Mr. Jerold Ng (Sea), Ms. Junie Foo (Singapore Kindness Movement), Mr. Ng Boon Heong (Temasek Foundation), Ms. Pat Law (Goodstuph), Mr. Tony Soh (National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre), and Ms. Yvonne Mak (Young Women’s Leadership Connection).

This comprehensive approach ensures the winners truly embody the spirit of perseverance, purpose, and compassion, as noted by Ms. Elizabeth Lee, Editor-in-Chief of Her World.