I thank Professor Razwana for moving a motion on this important topic. Almost exactly two years ago, we had a nine-and-a-half-hour debate on the Motion on the White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development. The White Paper, with its 25 action plans, was unanimously endorsed. Members shared their views and hopes for moving Singapore towards a fairer and more inclusive society.
2. I was very encouraged by what MP Louis Ng said then, and I quote, “that the action plans in the White Paper are good not only for women, but also for men, as they steer our society towards a healthier, fairer set of norms, cultures and practices”.
Singapore’s Efforts on Women’s Development – Our philosophy and practice
4. Since then, our policies on education, housing, employment, healthcare, and access to justice have been and continue to be gender-neutral. Both men and women have equal access to opportunities and social support. Our laws on issues such as protection from violence and harm, and the upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation, apply to both men and women. The government believes in the fundamental equality between persons and strives to create a society where all can pursue their aspirations freely and fully.
5. Our efforts are reflected in the tremendous progress for Singapore women over the years:
a. We have achieved very high literacy rates of over 95%;
b. Three out of four women between the ages of 25-64 are employed;
c. In Parliament, we have 30% women’s participation, above the international average of about 26%.
6. We are doing well by international standards. Singapore was ranked for the first time last year as among the top 10 worldwide and first in Asia-Pacific for gender equality in the United Nations Human Development Report’s Gender Inequality Index. Singapore was ranked amongst the top 10 again this year. We are very proud of this recognition as the Gender Inequality Index is a composite measure of gender inequality along three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment (in terms of education and participation in politics), and the labour market.
7. However, we recognise that there is still work to be done. We embarked on the nationwide “Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development” in 2020 to hear Singaporeans’ views on the challenges and aspirations of Singapore women.
8. Importantly, through the process, the government made it clear that women’s development and progress is not at the expense of men - but in partnership with men. Out of the nearly 6,000 Singaporeans who participated in these Conversations, one-fifth were men. I agree with Professor Razwana on the need to listen to men, and engage and support them to be part of this journey. Men are equally constrained by societal expectations of how they should behave or perform at home, or at work. We should recognise everyone’s individuality and intrinsic worth, so that more men and women can be empowered to realise their aspirations.
9. Last month, I delivered the opening remarks at the Singapore side-event on Singapore’s whole-of-society partnership to transform mindsets at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. This is a key inter-governmental platform for UN member states and NGOs to come together to discuss important issues on women’s development. Mr Xander Ong, CEO of Centre for Fathering, was one of the panelists at the side-event.
10. Xander’s participation at a Commission on the Status of Women exemplifies the fact that in Singapore, we believe that changing mindsets on gender roles matters too and requires the partnership of both men and women. Xander spoke passionately about equal partnerships in parenting and sharing caregiving responsibilities in the family.
11. There are clear signs that men in Singapore are stepping up to play a role to make our society a fairer and more inclusive one.
Starting with the family
13. The journey to shift mindsets towards gender stereotypes and roles starts from the family. Parents are our first role models and examples of partnership and respect between men and women. As parents, it is our responsibility to pass down and instil in our children the right values of respect between men and women, and be role models ourselves through our actions.
14. I am heartened that we are seeing positive mindset shifts towards active fathering. In the 2021 Marriage and Parenthood Survey, almost all married respondents, men and women, agreed that fathers and mothers are equally important as caregivers for children. Many studies, internationally and in Singapore, have also shown that children with more involved fathers have better developmental outcomes.
15. The Government is committed to helping fathers achieve their family aspirations.
a. Earlier this year, we doubled paternity leave from two to four weeks, with a clear message that we want paternal involvement and that, that should be the norm. I hope we can work towards a society where it is just as natural for fathers to take paternity leave and shared parental leave, so that both fathers and mothers can support their children in their early years.
16. With men taking a more active role in caregiving within the family, we hope that, over time, this will help to shift gender roles within the family. This would also encourage more equal sharing of caregiving responsibilities, towards elderly family members. We recognise that women are currently taking up a larger proportion of the caregiving burden. The Government is providing additional support to relieve burden on caregivers of seniors, both men and women, through measures such as the doubling of the Home Caregiving Grant (from $200 to $400 a month from 1 Mar 2023). The recently announced enhancement to the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme will also help boost the retirement savings of older Singapore Citizens, including caregivers, who have yet to accumulate the current Basic Retirement Sum in their CPF.
Whole of Society Effort
17. The journey of changing mindsets starts with the family, but does not end there.
18. In schools, the Government has enhanced our Character and Citizenship Education curriculum to address gender stereotypes and teach our children and youth the values of respect and appropriate behaviours in schools to shape healthy social norms from young.
20. Professor Razwana spoke about empowering men to join the “HEAL” (Health, Education, Administration, and Literacy) professions. We are seeing a higher proportion of men in the nursing profession. The proportion of male nurses registered with the Singapore Nursing Board (SNB) has increased, from 8.5% in 2011 to 12% in 2022. At the same time, the number of male preschool educators has increased by about 30% from 185 in 2021, to about 245 persons today. However, male preschool educators still make up less than 1% of the sector. We will continue our efforts to attract talents, both men and women, into growing sectors such as healthcare and education. To quote Professor Razwana, it is a good thing for men, it is a good thing for women and it is a good thing for Singapore.
21. In the workplace, we must do more to facilitate equal opportunities for both men and women.
a. We will strengthen workplace fairness through the upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation.
b. We are also encouraging flexible workplace arrangements as a workplace norm. This will make it easier for employees, both men and women, to request for FWAs.
c. To empower both women and men to better manage their family and work commitments, we have doubled the number of childcare places and we recently announced the pilot infant childminding scheme, to provide parents with more options to care for their infants.
22. Beyond legislation and policies, each of us can do our part to foster fair, inclusive, and progressive workplaces.
a. Employers can implement corporate initiatives to empower women at the workplace, and nurture qualified women to undertake leadership roles.
b. It is heartening to see more corporate initiatives to nurture women talent, many of which are championed by men.
c. Managers and colleagues can support and help facilitate the re-entry of mothers back to the workforce after taking a break in their career. We must be equally supportive of fathers who need to take leave to care for their children.
23. In the community, we work with our partners and stakeholders to make Singapore a safe and empowering place for all. We note Professor Razwana’s point that harmful gender norms can have a profound impact on violent and abusive behaviour by men.
a. A Singapore civil society organisation, United Women Singapore, runs a “Boys Empowered” programme that creates a safe space for males to have conversations on healthy masculinity, male allyship, personal boundaries, and the concept of gender stereotypes. It also equips them with skills to de-escalate and prevent situations of violence.
Conclusion
24. Next month, I will be leading an Inter-Ministerial Committee to present our 6th Periodic Report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, or CEDAW in short. We will present the progress that Singapore has made since our last review in 2017. The CEDAW Committee, comprising 23 experts will assess Singapore’s compliance with the CEDAW Convention to protect and empower women. We will put our best foot forward and present Singapore’s efforts, developments, and achievements. We will not rest on our laurels and will continue to strengthen efforts towards gender equality.