Mr Speaker, it is with great honour that I speak in support of the Motion to advance the progress of Singapore women.
Since Independence, Singapore women have made tremendous progress. Minister Josephine shared about the many remarkable Singaporean women who have laid the foundations of our society. Allow me to share about one woman who has made great impact to social work development.
Across the island, MSF provides a key line of social support in our local communities. Enabling families to bounce back – achieving stability, self-reliance and social mobility. This is through a network of 48 Family Service Centres (FSCs). This all started with Ms Thung Syn Neo. She was a pioneering social worker, a giant in the profession. Syn Neo spearheaded the formation of the very first FSC in 1978 in the then-Ministry of Social Affairs. We owe Syn Neo our gratitude for laying the foundations of our FSCs, which have uplifted and strengthened thousands of Singaporean families to this day.
Mr Speaker, the tremendous progress made by our women that we see today did not occur by chance. This was the outcome of the Government’s intentional efforts to steward the progress of Singapore women, decade after decade, because we believe in a fairer and more inclusive society, where men and women are equal, valued members of our society.
My Ministry and the many Ministers that came before me, have been at the forefront of this endeavour. We have led the charge, legislatively, and through our policies and programmes; nudging at times, and earth shaking at times.
I was proud to share how far we have come at the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment in Italy last year. Developing countries had problems providing access to education for their girls and developed countries complained how their girls were still stereotyped to be educated for roles like teaching and nursing, and few were in STEM. When I shared that in Singapore, less than 1% of our children did not complete 10 years of education, and that our girls were free to choose their own education pathways, including STEM, the room fell silent – I think in disbelief – that we have achieved both this.
But we should now move from quantitative achievements to one where the quality of development is our focus, which is why we launched the year-long nationwide Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development. We pressed ahead, even amid the pandemic, and organised 160 Conversations. Nearly 6,000 participants, representing wide segments of society, responded to the call and joined us, sharing with us their hopes and aspirations of our women. I was also glad to see many men participating in the Conversations – some of whom are in the Gallery today – because in the next lap, we can only achieve this goal if we work together, men and women, a whole-of-society approach.
One of whom said, and I quote, “Men and women both play a part in shaping the society. If we all start to do the right things, the future generation will not have to go through what we went through. We should start now while we still can.” Unquote. This is one of the big conclusions of the Conversations: the collective responsibility that we, as a society, including we, men, must play, if we want to advance our women’s progress.
We must begin with challenging mindsets. This means forging new societal norms. One that is based on respect and partnership. Because only then can we progress further, to truly empower both men and women to pursue their aspirations freely and fully. This requires collective commitment – individuals and families, people, private and public sectors, all segments of society, to step up and walk the talk. In this respect, I believe that we men can make a difference for our women and, in the process, for ourselves. Thus, my appeal to all men. We can step up, we can do more and we should. Be role models, not only in words, but also in deeds.
Because we must believe in equal partnership between men and women, with respect as its cornerstone. I want to state very clearly that this is not a zero-sum game. From time to time, such beliefs or misperceptions come up, whenever we talk about advancing women’s progress. This is simply not our way. Our approach is not about asserting the rights of one over another.
As men, we have a big part to play to encourage equal partnership. In our homes, as fathers, it is our responsibility to teach our sons what it means to respect all women, starting from a young age; instill in them the right values and be role models ourselves through our actions, for them to grow to be gentlemen.
Our children are social learners of the world. Watching our every attitude, word and action. They model after us and assimilate perceived social roles. More tangibly, we can play a much bigger role in sharing the weight of caregiving. We need to pitch in more. Some have and many more can. Because in a partnership, we can build on each other’s strengths and be better together, for our children and generations to come. I echo what Bryan Tan, who leads the Centre for Fathering, wrote in a recent commentary that says, and I quote, "Fathers are not 'substitute mothers'" and that "marriage is an equal partnership", unquote.
Allow me to share Saiful’s story. We have cited it in our White Paper, but I thought it is worth reiterating. Seven years ago, Saiful left his job in the creative industry to be a stay-home dad and the need arose because they had a young child in the family. While Saiful’s wife continues to work, she is always there supporting him. Her presence enables him to overcome the challenges that he faces. Saiful’s story is inspiring for two reasons. First of all, not only did he challenge the traditional gender expectations and norms; second, it shows us that when men and women partner together, we become better as one.
We honour and respect our women because it is the right and moral thing to do, and this is not something new or just a feature of modern society. Respecting our fellow women is a natural evolution from our values, because we have been nurtured to honour, love and respect the most important woman of our lives – our mothers. We can identify this in an Asian society like ours, culturally or religiously.
The Chinese know the devotion of Mencius’ Mother, how she single-handedly raised Mencius after her husband passed away, and Mencius’ deep honour and respect that he carried for his mother. One account described the great length and extent that he went to bury his mother and to mourn for her when she passed away. When asked, he said "that the devotion that one owes one’s mother should be expressed fittingly at all times, and certainly through her funeral and mourning rites".
From the Ramayana, the Indians cherish Rama who was banished for 14 years to live in the forest by his mother Kaikeyi to make way for his half-brother, Baratha, to become the King. And he dutifully left the city in obedience to his mother.
Malay/Muslims take lessons from Islam. When the Prophet was asked who a person should honour the most, or give the best treatment to, he replied, "his mother". And when asked again, "then who?", he said again, “his mother”, and again the third time, "his mother". Only at the fourth time did the Prophet say, "his father".
In honouring our mothers, it shows we are also taught to cherish and honour our wives, sisters and daughters. It is why we honour our Singapore women, as families, as a society and as a nation, we are stronger when our women, every woman, can flourish and realise their aspirations and their potential. Thus, we must be part of the solution.
And we will build upon this as a society – in workplaces, at homes and in our community. At workplaces, our women contribute to a diversity of values, perspectives and capabilities. Having more women in leadership roles helps to catalyse robust governance and better stewardship of organisations. I am glad that women’s participation on Singapore boards is almost 20% at Top 100 listed companies and reaching 30% at Statutory Boards and Top 100 IPCs today. MSF will continue a multi-stakeholder approach that empowers stakeholders to collectively address underlying root causes. For instance, the Council for Board Diversity raises public awareness of the importance of women on boards and works with corporates to develop a pipeline of board-ready women. This would be more effective than setting mandatory quotas, which does not address root causes of the issue that have to do with culture and tradition.
Over the years, we have also greatly increased support for our caregivers. In Singapore, strong families form the bedrock of our society. They are a key pillar of strength and our first line of support, providing unconditional love and support, through the ups and downs of life, such as that of our caregivers. Their role is irreplaceable but there will be those who need more support, beyond that from one another. We recognise their contributions to our families and society, and we will support them. Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu will elaborate more, including the enhanced Home Caregiving Grant that would better help with caregiving costs.
Through the enhanced Silver Support Scheme and the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme, we have also boosted the retirement incomes of Singaporeans, including caregivers, who may not have a chance to earn higher incomes during their working years.
We have also made major moves to make quality preschools more accessible and affordable to families to enable working parents, especially mothers, to pursue their career aspirations with peace of mind. By around 2025, eight in 10 Singaporean children can have a place in a government-supported preschool. These are just some of the many government-led initiatives to support caregivers and their families.
But the Government cannot do this alone. The community has an important role to play too. Caregivers can benefit from strong community support, especially fellow caregivers who share similar experiences and can offer practical and socio-emotional support. Allow me to share Richard's story, which is also featured in the White Paper.
Richard left his job 22 years ago to care for his father who had cancer. Things became challenging when his father then developed dementia. His father would sometimes get violent with him and people around him. Fortunately, Richard received support from his neighbour and benefitted from caregiver support programmes by the Caregivers Alliance Limited. Now, Richard gives back and volunteers with them to help other caregivers find strength and solve the issues that they are facing. Richard's story is significant.
Firstly, I am encouraged that we are seeing more men like Richard playing a bigger role in caregiving. Like I said earlier, men must play their part in shaping societal norms towards more equal partnership between men and women.
Secondly, Richard's story shows us the power of community support where caregivers benefit from each other's experiences and supporting one another through practical and socio-emotional support. Minister of State Low Yen Ling will speak more about this.
I would also like to add that even as our society progresses, there are still persons who experience violence. Let me state this categorically that all forms of violence cannot and will not be condoned by our society.
Protecting women from violence and harm requires partnership across all spheres of society between men and women. Minister Shanmugam and Minister of State Sun Xueling will elaborate more on this.
Finally, it is timely and apt to consider a meaningful way to reflect the enduring importance of Singapore women's development in our society.
At the closing session of the Conversations, the Prime Minister had announced that the Government had taken on board a proposal from the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO) and will dedicate a public garden to honour, celebrate and recognise the contributions of Singapore women.
I am pleased to announce that we have identified Dhoby Ghaut Green, which is located at the heart of the city, for the garden. The Government will work with community partners and the wider public to design and develop the garden. [Applause.]
The Prime Minister will also launch a travelling "Celebrating Singapore Women" exhibition on 22 April. The roving exhibition will celebrate our journey on women's development. It also aims to build awareness and ownership of the action plans amongst Singaporeans from various walks of life. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please.
(In Malay): In Singapore, we believe in equal partnership between men and women, with respect as its cornerstone. We honour and respect our women because it is the right and moral thing to do. This is an integral part of our cultural values, because we have been nurtured from young to honour, love, and respect the most important woman of our lives – our mothers. Muslims draw lessons from our religion. Just as we honour our mothers, we are also taught to cherish and honour our wives, sisters, and daughters.
As men, we can and should step up to do more to support our Singapore women. For instance, we can play an active role in caregiving for our children and elderly. We should also support our women as they pursue their aspirations at the workplace and in society. As families, as a society, and as a nation, we become stronger when our women are given the opportunity flourish and realise their full potential.
(In English): To conclude, the White Paper is just the start of a decade of work. There will be many more conversations and action plans to come. It is a decade-long plan of action and commitment by MSF, the Government and key partners, which we will carry to fruition.
We will build a culture of respect and partnership between men and women and across all spheres of society. This is what will take us forward in the next bound. I would like to extend our sincere invitation to all Members, including those from the Opposition, to come join us in our endeavour to advance Singapore women's development towards a fairer and more inclusive society.