PM Lee Hsien Loong's speech at the Closing Session of the Conversations on Singapore Women's Development

Ms Junie Foo, President of the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations,
partners, participants and colleagues.
Introduction
1. I am very happy to join you for this closing session of the Conversations
on Singapore Women's Development. It wraps up a significant series of
engagements. These conversations are part of a broader Government effort to
engage Singaporeans on important issues, to listen to views and consider them
carefully when crafting and adjusting our policies. We are grateful to our
partners on this year-long journey, including the Singapore Council of
Women's Organisations (SCWO) and many of their member organisations,
NTUC Women and Family Unit, PA Women's Integration Network Council and
MOSs Xueling and Yen Ling, and Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu who led the
effort. A big thank you also to our participants and everyone who has played a
part.
Our Context
2. Singapore women have made tremendous progress over three
generations today. Young girls today grow up in an environment that their
grandmothers could not have imagined when they themselves were children.
3. Like in many other societies of the time, women were not highly regarded
in Pre-independence Singapore. Many parents did not send their daughters to
school. They expected female children to be filial daughters, dutiful wives, and
nurturing mothers. There is an old Chinese saying: 嫁出去的女儿就像泼出去
的水 - 'Marrying out your daughter is like throwing water out of the house'.
She leaves home and she is lost to you, so there is no point wasting resources
on her. Thus most women worked in informal jobs or not at all. At the same
time, men were allowed to take multiple wives, underscoring women's
subordinate position in a marriage. My mother, Madam Kwa Geok Choo, felt
strongly about the unequal treatment of women. In 1959 she made the first
and only political speech in her life and it was on raising the status of women. I
quote her:

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'Women and their families must be protected against unscrupulous husbands
who treat their wives as chattels …' Chattels means personal property which
they owned.
4. From the very start, the PAP believed women were the equal half of our
society. There is another well-known Chinese saying, which Junie said just now,
sometimes attributed to Mao Zedong 妇女能顶半边天 - 'Women hold up half
of the sky'. Indeed, my father valued the opinions and advice of his life partner
in every aspect of his life - bringing up the children, taking care of the family's
needs, sizing up people, discussing issues of the day. He loved and respected
my mother. She was always his wise confidante, his equal. As he said in his
eulogy to her: 'Without her, I would be a different man, with a different life.'
5. Because Mr Lee and our founding leaders were determined to build a
fairer and more equal society, they moved swiftly to protect women's basic
rights and interests. In 1961, the PAP government passed the Women's
Charter. The Charter institutionalised the equal standing of men and women in
marriage and provided for the welfare and protection of women in Singapore.
Year after year, the progress continued. Healthcare services for women
improved. Family Service Centres (FSCs) and crisis shelters were set up to
support vulnerable women and families in need. The Women's Charter was
periodically updated, to keep the institution of the family a strong pillar of our
society. Most importantly, we implemented universal education, so that both
boys and girls could attend school. 60 years ago, only three in ten women were
literate, compared to seven in ten men. Today, everybody goes to school, and
nine in ten young women have post-secondary or higher education - on par
with their male counterparts. Compulsory schooling not only educated our
women, but also levelled the playing field for them. As the economy
developed, more women were able to enter the workforce and work full time.
They contributed to the economy and gained autonomy and opportunities in
their lives that had been denied them before.
6. Educating women has had far reaching social consequences. Relationships
between spouses have become more equal. More men are taking on domestic
responsibilities. Fathers have become more involved in raising their children.
Helping them with homework. Bringing them to the doctor when they are ill or
changing their diapers! Through their example to their children, fathers and

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mothers are bringing about a generational change towards sharing
responsibility in the household and raising a family.
Impetus for Conversation
7. But the journey continues. While women's standing in Singapore has
improved greatly, societal attitudes towards women have not fully
modernised. Expectations are still often not quite equal. At home, women tend
to shoulder a heavier share of domestic responsibilities, even if men are
starting to do more. At workplaces, women still encounter pre-conceived
notions, role and gender stereotypes. If they are too gentle, they get
bulldozed over by male colleagues. Too firm, and they are resented for being
too bossy, sometimes even by female subordinates and while the incidence of
crimes against females is low in Singapore, it is not zero. All these remind us
that we still need to make more progress in the way men and women treat
each other, and the sort of society we want to be.
8. That was why we launched the Conversations on Singapore Women's
Development to bring together different groups of Singaporeans, to tap their
diverse experiences, delve deeper into these important issues and discuss
systematically how we can help Singapore women make further progress and
take their rightful place in society.
9. I am glad that nearly 6,000 people from all walks of life participated. Both
men and women across 160 conversations. Many more gave feedback online.
Several organisations, including the PAP Women's Wing, Young PAP and the
SCWO, submitted well-researched and thoughtful recommendations. The
strong response despite the pandemic shows that these issues matter to
Singaporeans.
Priority Areas
10. One point emerged clearly from the Conversations - that as our society
advances, so must our mindsets. It is not something easily done overnight, but
we must keep on pushing. Our policies and programmes will nudge behaviour,
gradually change attitudes, and enable us to make lasting progress.
11. In particular, we must continue to stress and strengthen the ethos of
fairness and justice in our society where men and women partner each other

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as equals, progress together and pursue their aspirations freely and to the
fullest and where we take care of the vulnerable amongst us.
12. What priority areas were on people's minds? MOS Xueling has mentioned
several, arising from the Conversations. Let me talk about three of them.
Workplace opportunities
13. First, more equal opportunities at the workplace.
14. In particular, women should have real choices between work and family
commitments. Women's responsibilities at home can spill-over to affect their
career progression. Some women need more flexibility at work, or they get
forced to find workarounds to fulfil their familial responsibilities.
Unfortunately, this can feed perceptions that women are less committed to
their careers. Some employers are still reluctant to hire, promote, or groom
female employees, particularly mothers or those planning to be mothers.
Sometimes these are misunderstandings that can be corrected, but in other
cases they are serious enough to constitute workplace discrimination and this
is unjust. Singapore women are equally capable as the men. They should have
equal opportunities to prove themselves, and reach their fullest potential. We
must not let our prejudices become obstacles to women's progress.
15. We will protect women better against discrimination or unfair treatment
at the workplace, and other groups too, who may experience discrimination at
work. I announced at the recent National Day Rally that the Tripartite
Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices will be elevated and formalised into
law. This is a major to level the playing field for female employees.
16. Besides legislating for fair treatment, we should also find solutions to the
practical problems faced by working women, to make things easier both for
them and their employers. For example, improving childcare arrangements. In
the last few years, the government has invested heavily in pre-school to make
it much more accessible and affordable. We are providing heavy subsidies, and
creating more places for infant- and child-care services. So that parents have a
practical solution for childcare, and can go to work with peace of mind.
Employers, too, need to do their part. For instance, to make it easier for
mothers to come 'back-to-work' after having kids. Or better still, encourage

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them not to leave the workforce in the first place. Offering more flexible work
arrangements will make a difference. Because of COVID-19, many more
employers have been doing so and hopefully this will continue post-COVID-19.
17. Over time, I am confident employers will become more enlightened, and
workplace arrangements will improve. More women will be able to balance
their work and family responsibilities. More will advance into senior leadership
roles and they can be proud that they did so on their own merit, and not
through some special scheme or treatment.
Caregiver support
18. One of the hindrances to women's work and careers is that they often
have additional caregiving responsibilities which brings me to my second point
- how can we better support caregivers? Being a caregiver is both hard work
and 'heart' work. In families, women tend to shoulder more of the caregiving
burden than men, whether caring for children or elderly parents. Caregivers
have to make many significant sacrifices. Their careers are affected. Caregiving
expenses can be substantial. The caregiver finds it harder to build up his or her
own retirement savings. This can leave caregivers, particularly full-time ones,
very vulnerable. Many participants in the Conversations felt strongly that this
was unfair.
19. I agree that caregivers, whether women or men, deserve more support.
One direct avenue is to provide them more financial assistance. No amount of
money will fully compensate for the sacrifices that caregiving demands but we
know that many caregivers would appreciate some extra help. We already
have the Home Caregiving Grant which helps families with the cost of care,
such as hiring a helper and home care services. Since its launch two years ago,
the Grant has benefitted some 34,000 recipients with care needs. MOH is
studying how it can enhance the scheme, to provide more help for targeted
groups. Another important issue is the well-being of the caregivers themselves.
During the Conversations, caregivers shared that they often had no personal
time, and did not know where and how to seek help. Many end up exhausted
and burnt out. This is bad for the caregiver, and not good for the person being
looked after either. MOH is studying how we can expand the options for
respite care to meet the varied needs of caregivers. The Agency for Integrated
Care (AIC) will continue to be a one-stop resource to connect caregivers to the

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support they need. This will provide caregivers more choices to better manage
their load and also look after themselves.
20. Everyone in the family can chip in, to help lighten the burden on
caregivers. If you have a loved one who is a caregiver, I hope you will help to
share his or her load by taking on some of the caregiving duties yourselves and
financially, by topping-up their CPF!
Protection for women
21. The third area I wanted to speak on is protection for women. Singapore is
one of the safest cities in the world. Women can walk alone on the streets at
all hours without fear. This is not the case in many other cities. We cannot take
this physical safety and sense of security for granted. We must keep up our
efforts to maintain high standards of law and order in Singapore. At the same
time, we must do our utmost to protect women and girls from being harassed
or harmed.
22. Recently, Parliament increased the maximum punishments for a number
of sexual offences. As a society, we must cultivate an environment where
people respond with empathy and support when something bad like this
happens. Victims must be able to seek help easily, and without suffering
additional distress. More importantly, victims must not have cause to fear that
they themselves will be blamed or shamed for what has happened to them,
and therefore suffer in silence.
23. We worry about violence against women not just in public places, but also
violence within the family. Unfortunately, family violence is still not as rare as
it should be. Those of you who work with the Family Service Centres and
shelters have seen too many heart-breaking cases. And the pressures caused
by COVID-19 have worsened the situation. . We must do more to prevent
family violence and to support its victims. We have a Taskforce on Family
Violence, which will soon be publishing its report. Recommendations include
improving immediate support for victims, enhancing protection for them,
preventing violence from recurring, and raising awareness of early warning
signs. I look forward to receiving their report, and to implementing effective
measures to combat this problem.

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24. Another threat to the safety of this generation of girls and women comes
from online. With social media, females young and old are exposed and
vulnerable to harassment, bullying, grooming, or unwelcome attention. Many
victims suffer psychological distress, or worse, are driven to self-harm. We
must ensure that the online space remains safe, especially for girls and
women.
25. The most fundamental solution to the problem of violence against women
is to inculcate the right values, so that men and women respect each other's
boundaries, and know that it is wrong and forbidden to take advantage of
women, mistreat them, or worse attack them physically or sexually. Parents
must educate their children about healthy boundaries and respect. In schools,
our students must learn the importance of respecting one another, and how to
protect themselves both in real life and online. Institutions of Higher Learning
should be places where young men and women can feel safe. In our daily lives,
everyone can do our part. Refuse to take part in 'locker room' talk, speak out
against disrespect for women, and objectification of women.
Beyond the Conversations
26. I have covered three issues: workplace opportunities, caregiver support,
and protection for women.
27. These came up repeatedly in the Conversations but more importantly,
they reflect our fundamental values. Taking care of one another in this society,
giving every individual a fair shot at success and ensuring everyone receives
equal protection in Singapore. These values must be continually reinforced - in
our daily thoughts and deeds, among the current generation as well as future
ones.
28. The Government will study the views you have expressed on these issues
carefully, develop concrete proposals and it will be presented in a White Paper
early next year. We will continue working with you to implement these
proposals, and address these issues together. It is a long term effort, but a vital
one.
Celebrating SG Women

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29. It is also important that we take the time to celebrate Singapore women,
to acknowledge and honour their contributions to our nation's development,
which can often be taken for granted. From the Samsui women who helped
build our city in the early years, brick by brick. To the many other important
roles that women have played, whether at work, as teachers, social workers,
nurses and doctors and as the years passed, in every field and profession,
making a contribution and leaving their mark. Or at home, quietly toiling away,
looking after and bringing up the family, sacrificing careers to raise the
children, and give them better lives. Sometimes prominently, often quietly,
women have contributed their energies and ideas, broken new ground and
pushed the boundaries in so many different directions and in so many different
roles, both on their own and alongside the men. Women have been a vital part
of the Singapore story.
30. MSF has designated 2021 as the Year of Celebrating SG Women. It is 60
years since the Women's Charter was passed and an appropriate moment to
review how far Singaporean women have come and also to commit ourselves
to enabling women to play their fullest role in Singapore.
31. Among the proposals that the SCWO has made, is one to dedicate a
suitable public space to the women of Singapore. I support this excellent idea.
MSF, MND and NParks have identified one promising location: to create a
garden at Dhoby Ghaut Green. The garden will be right in the heart of the City.
It will honour and celebrate the pioneering spirit and the many contributions
of Singapore women. It will recognise the central role that women have played
in our society and nation.
Conclusion
32. I started my speech by noting how young girls today grow up in a society
their grandmothers could hardly have imagined. These Conversations are an
important exercise for us to imagine the kind of society we want for our
children and grandchildren to grow into and create together, where those who
need help are cared for and supported, where women and men stand as
equals and where every citizen is empowered to fulfil their aspirations and
dreams. As one female participant in the Conversations, in her early 30s and
working in the people sector, said, 'Society needs to recognise the intrinsic

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value of women, not simply for what she does or does not do, but for who she
is.'
33. Together, let us work towards our vision of a fairer, more inclusive
society, where our daughters and sons can thrive in a better age
34. Thank you

Topics: Population