Cyndi Lauper said it best – girls just want to have fun. 

But for many young women in Singapore, that fun isn't always easy to come by. Between long workdays, packed schedules and general burnout, even that simple idea – a hike, a pottery class or brunch – can remain just that: an idea.

In recent months, more female-led social clubs have appeared, offering activity-based meet-ups for women in their 20s and 30s. 

Unlike networking or singles mixers, these sessions are built around shared activities and small-group interaction, such as fitness sessions, journalling, book discussions, workshops and supper clubs.

When CNA Women spoke to the founders of several such groups, one common theme emerged – these clubs are a way to meet people outside of one's existing social circles.

Friendships in adulthood are often formed through school or work, and it can be harder to meet new people beyond these environments over time.

These clubs offer an alternative, encouraging participants to attend solo and meet others through structured activities.

Here are five such clubs in Singapore.

SOCIAL CLUBS

EVERYDAY GIRL CLUB

As the name suggests, the Everyday Girl Club centres on everyday rituals – slow walks around Singapore Botanic Gardens, acai runs, pilates followed by picnics or coffee, or its monthly Reflections series: introspective dinners and coffee for eight to 10 girls. 

Started by 22-year-old university student Janika van Soestbergen, Everyday Girl Club was a space she needed. A Singaporean-Dutch student at Nanyang Technological University, she found the shift from international school to a local environment rather isolating. “I always thought I'm a bit too international for the locals and too local for the exchange [students]," she said. "I really fell in this grey area, and I didn't like it so much.”

When someone described her as “a little bit different”, she confessed, “that did something to me, so then I gave up making friends”.

She later...