WOMEN Stories, life hacks and advice to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman She once struggled with school but is now a recipient of Singapore's highest youth development award She struggled academically and never felt like she belonged. But she kept showing up for others. Meet Solana Maria Mendoza, a passionate volunteer and one of the 2025 National Youth Achievement Award Gold recipients. This is the second instalment of CNA Women’s Gen Z series. Being intimate during your period: What doctors say about the benefits and risks She spent decades alone with a rare genetic condition – now she's building a community for others like her She quit school twice. Her horror art studio nearly closed. Now, its neon art jams book out most weekends Singapore designer Faezah Shaharuddin is taking Malay cultural references to the world through furniture Advertisement Women battling cancer A radiologist who spotted tumours on her own scan now dances competitively after surviving ovarian cancer After 9 years battling a relapsing blood cancer, this educator discovered a sense of gratitude through art I never knew if I wanted to be a mother – then breast cancer made it an urgent decision She lost her womb to cancer at 32 – now she helps younger people with cancer navigate recovery and work Are words like 'supermum' and 'girl boss' doing women more harm than good? I’m in my 50s and I still love boy bands – women like me are filling arenas for the idols we grew up with Advertisement ‘Literally born into it’: Given up for adoption at birth, Anita Fam found her life's purpose in helping others Chronic pain left me housebound and depressed for two years – here’s how I slowly rebuilt my life This single mum returned to school at 40 – sharing polytechnic life with her teenage son Born with hearing loss, she found her voice on the musical theatre stage Study finds younger Singaporeans more divided on gender roles, younger men more accepting of spousal violence A job interview made her question the barriers women face at work so she built a platform to uncover them Her baby survived leukaemia. Five years later, this mother was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer herself PMS making your usual workout feel impossible? 6 gym exercise swaps to try 'I want to fight': At 31, this former SIA stewardess is battling the most aggressive form of brain cancer Pap smears to bone density tests: What your gynaecologist wants you to check in your 20s, 30s and beyond View more Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST