Speech by Minister Masagos Zulkifli at the SCWO Summit on Action for Gender Equality (SAGE) 2025

Dr Seow Yian San, President of SCWO,

Ms Bandana Rana, Expert Member of the UN CEDAW Committee,

Your Excellencies,

SCWO Partners, 

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. Good morning. I am pleased to be here today at the second edition of SCWO’s Summit for Action on Gender Equality (SAGE). 

2. In 1961, before our Independence, the Government passed the Women’s Charter which institutionalised the equal standing of men and women in marriage and ensured the protection and welfare of women in Singapore. Indeed, this was a turning point as it elevated the status of women and changed the perception of how women were treated in society and at home.  

3. In this year of SG60, we celebrate the progress that we have made as a nation, including on women’s development. This has been the result of the partnership between the Government, the private sector and community, towards a society where all Singaporeans have full and equal opportunities to flourish and achieve their aspirations. 

4. In the last 60 years, we have made significant progress. Men and women have comparable educational outcomes and achievements. 

a. More women have entered the workforce and assumed leadership positions. Women are increasingly represented in traditionally male-dominated occupations such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). They have the opportunity to participate fully and equally in all spheres of life. Their invaluable contributions have propelled Singapore to greater heights.

b. The latest Human Development Report’s Gender Inequality Index has ranked Singapore amongst the top 10 countries globally for gender equality and the first in Asia Pacific. 

5. As part of the Government’s continued commitment to advance the progress of women, a year-long nationwide Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development was held in 2020, five years ago, where we consulted and gathered views from 6,000 Singaporeans from various walks of life, both women and men.

a. The valuable insights helped shape and inform the White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development, a ten-year roadmap published in 2022 and unanimously endorsed in Parliament. It sets out 25 concrete action plans in areas most salient to women. These include Equal Opportunities in the Workplace, Protection from Violence, Support for Caregivers and Vulnerable Women, and Mindset Shifts. These action plans reflect the whole-of-society effort needed to advance Singapore women’s development. They aim to support the diverse aspirations of, and challenges faced by Singapore women at different life-stages, centring around our shared values of fairness, equality, respect anddignity. 

b. We are now working to implement the action plans in partnership with community partners and will conduct a mid-point review in 2027. 

6. We must persist in our efforts to change mindsets and address gender stereotypes. Looking ahead, more can be done to continue the progress amidst new challenges and collectively drive the whole-of-nation commitment to advance women’s development in Singapore. 

a. An ageing population and shrinking household sizes means that families will face increasing caregiving demands, with fewer members available to share these responsibilities. 

b. The increase in use of technology and AI in the workplace also means that we will have to restructure the way we work. 

7. This underscores the need for us to do two key things. 

a. First, we must encourage equal partnership between men and women in the home, community, and workplace; and

b. Second, we must ensure that in our pursuit of technology and AI in the workplace, women are supported in leveraging these tools. 

8. First, we begin within the home by normalising shared parental and caregiving responsibilities. While there have been shifts over time, gender stereotypes endure and can prevent men and women from achieving their full potential.  The 2023 MSF survey on families found that in families with one primary caregiver, wives were 4 to 5 times more likely than husbands to be the one managing daily household tasks and handling urgent childcare needs. This can place an unfair burden on our women as they manage responsibilities both within and outside the home. 

9. I therefore encourage our men to step up and share the caregiving load.

a. To encourage more active fathering, the Government has strengthened existing policies, such as increasing Government-Paid Paternity Leave and expanding Shared Parental Leave, so that fathers have more time and support to be present in their children’s lives.

b. But as parents, we must model the right behaviour for our children. Parents are our first role models, and first examples of partnership and respect between men and women. Active fathers instil the right values by demonstrating healthy forms of masculinity, leading by example through their actions to be equal partners.  It is our responsibility to teach our sons what it means to respect all women. 

10. I thank the fathers amongst us who play an active role in parenting and caregiving. 

a. Mr Xander Ong, CEO of Centre for Fathering, is a strong champion of active fatherhood, showing how fathers can be present and nurturing in caregiving. 

b. Role models like him continue to inspire change within our communities, challenging gender norms and encouraging a culture where men and women are equal partners.

11. Second, as a community, we need to promote a culture where caregiving is valued and supported. In the 2018 National Council of Social Service, Quality of Life survey, caregivers reported a slightly lower overall quality of life in the domains of social relationships and personal beliefs. 

12. The demands of caregiving can take a toll on the mental health of our caregivers, and we must ensure that they are well supported. 

a. Today, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and community service providers have set up the Caregiver Support Network Community Outreach Teams, to help caregivers at risk of depression, anxiety, or burnout. Caregivers are linked to peer support groups and counselling, and empowered to engage in self-care through health and wellness activities, stress management and future planning. 

b. Respite services by service providers and nursing homes also give caregivers temporary relief to rest and care for their own well-being.

13. Building strong community networks are key to supporting our caregivers, especially from fellow caregivers who share similar experiences and can provide practical advice and socio-emotional support. 

a. In order to encourage an equitable sharing of caregiving responsibilities, we must ensure that caregiver services and community support are designed to address the needs of both men and women.

b. Such accessible and comprehensive support will hopefully support both men and women in caring for their loved ones as well as in balancing their own caregiving responsibilities with their personal and career aspirations.

14. Third, workplaces must foster a supportive culture which allow women and men alike to thrive and fulfil their fullest potential at work. 

15. Today, there are existing policies and initiatives in place. 

a. To shape norms and expectations around flexible work arrangements, Tripartite Partners implemented the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests. 

b. We also passed the Workplace Fairness Act earlier this year, prohibiting workplace discrimination on protected characteristics, which includes gender. 

16. However, it goes beyond policies and guidelines to foster supportive workplaces. Policies may go unutilised if employees feel that by making use of parental leave or flexible work arrangements, they will be perceived as less committed to the job, or overlooked for promotions. 

a. All of us, as employers and employees, therefore have a part to play in changing such a mindset. As employers, we must encourage and role model such behaviours. As employees, we must foster workplace cultures that promote and support caregiving. 

b. We also need to continue to encourage more women to take on leadership positions. These are the women who will serve as role models for the next generation, and who will shape workplaces that are truly inclusive. 

17. The rapid advancement of technology and AI is one area that has opened up an exciting new world of possibilities in terms of the way we work. 

a. AI-driven tools can optimise workflows by taking on routine or repetitive tasks, lightening workloads to free up time for more strategic contributions. 

b. Online collaboration platforms further support flexible work arrangements, making it easier to balance professional and caregiving responsibilities. 

18. While we embrace technology and AI in our workplaces, we must ensure that all, including women, are supported in the necessary adjustments and reskilling in order to ensure that no one is left behind, especially women. 

a. Certain roles are likely to be automated, which could result in job displacement. To stay relevant, individuals will need to embrace a proactive mindset of reskilling and upskilling in order to tap into new and emerging opportunities.

b. In addition, AI systems could unintentionally be built off biased historical data, which, if left unchecked, may amplify existing disparities in society. For example, hiring algorithms trained on male-dominated data may unintentionally discriminate against women. 

19. To address this, Singapore has taken proactive steps to ensure AI is developed and used responsibly. 

a. Our Model Governance Frameworks for AI provides practical guidance including ensuring data quality, implementing safety measures such as bias correction techniques, and enhancing transparency. Such guidance will be critical in developing sufficient safeguards for reliable and fair AI systems.

b. In addition, we have and will continue to champion the participation of women in tech and the digital economy at large. Today, women comprise 40 per cent of our technology workforce, slightly higher than the global average of 37 per cent. 

20. But we can go further. 

a. Female students comprise about a quarter of enrolment in AI and machine learning programmes at Singapore’s polytechnics and universities over the past five years. We need to shift mindsets starting from the young, to encourage more girls to eventually join the tech community. The SG Women in Tech initiative is one such programme that seeks to attract, inspire and motivate girls and women to pursue careers in the tech sector. 

b. With more women in tech at all levels, we can reduce gender bias in AI systems and ensure that products and services better serve the needs of all.

21. I would like to conclude by quoting a well-known saying: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” It is in coming together that we have the confidence to face the challenges and harness the opportunities of our future. To all our partners, thank you, for journeying with us over the years.

23. Thank you.