Set in the straits of the Malay Archipelago, the phrase “metropolitan city” has frequently been associated with Singapore in the last few decades. Having transitioned from a third world country to a first world in less than half a century, this country has surely adapted quicky to the new challenges that our world currently face in status quo.

Alongside progress of any country, there is sure to be inequities that breed in every society. In this post, we would be analysing:

• The level of gender equality in Singapore
• Policies that have been implemeted to mitigate gender inequality
• Case Studies of gender inequality in Singapore

What is the level of Gender Inequality in Singapore?

The issues of gender equality that we will be analysing is:

• Employment and wage gap
• The roles of women and men in the household
• Education

Singapore is a democratic society where equal opportunities are given to both men and women to improve their current state of life by excelling in thier occupation. In this case, if equal opportunities have been presented to both genders, many would question why there would even be an issue of gender inequality in Singapore.

To answer the above inquiry question, we would have to look at the official statistic and ratings of levels of gender inequality

A measly 10 percent of all corporate directors of SGX-listed firms are women, and they are paid a whopping 43 per cent less than their male counterparts.

In Singapore, women earn a staggering S$640,000 less than their male counterparts over a 40-year career.

Gender gap in CPF (Central Provident Fund) savings of around 11 per cent between the average CPF balances of women and men

~Channel News Asia SIngapore

The above reveals a lack of representation in company positions, and even among the top firm positions, income inequality in still a stife problem. Women earn significantly lesser than males (close to half a million in their lifetime) even those they hold equal positionings and complete the same amount of workload. So, why is this so?

Income inequality and lack of representation in even in upper-crust companies because of:

• Lack of policies that require employers to offer equal pay for equal work
• Women are not considerably regarded for promotions as stereotypes perceive that they are not capable enough and suggest a limit to their usefulness to a company
• Discriminated against because of their motherhood/pregnancy status

PREGNANCY

Some mothers do not return to work after giving birth as they think bosses see them in a different light – as being less committed and more saddled with family distractions. Such attitudes lead them to feel that they are less valued by their companies.

Some may see pregnancy as a small and uncommon issue: Manpower Ministry statistics show only 57 pregnancy-related unfair dismissals in 2016. BUT the statistics would have been higher if the department took into account those who were forced to resign, demoted, or had their salaries reduced or asked to work part-time instead of full-time etc.

Inequality in Education

In Singapore, it is mandatory for all Singapore citizens, regardless of their gender, to attend Primary school. Primary school refers to schooling for children aged 6-12.

Singapore is a developed country and many of its citizens can be generally considered as economically-stable. Hence, cases wherein parents are too poor to bring their children to school is generally scarce. As result of good governance in Singapore, parents would not have to mandate only one of their children to attend official schooling. In Singapore, education is also generally affordable. A month of schooling in primary school only costs a fee of approximately $14. Hence, it can be considered that gender inequality in the terms of affordable and accessible education is generally low.

By Charlotte 😉