Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good evening,
I am heartened to be here to witness and celebrate the contributions and achievements of the 18 outstanding women who have been nominated this year.
Great Women of Our time Awards
The Singapore Women’s Weekly Great Women of Our Time Awards has given recognition to women who excelled in their respective fields since it first started in 2005.
I congratulate all the nominees who have proven their mettle in the areas of Arts & Media; Design & Style; Education & Public Service; Finance & Commerce; Health, Sports & Wellness; and Science & Technology.
Each of you is a role model to women of all ages and backgrounds. Indeed, you are real-life examples that women can make their mark and excel in any domain, even in traditionally male-dominated ones. I believe many others will be encouraged by your efforts and aspire to scale greater heights.
All of us can name at least a few women leaders as we usually come across their names in the media, be it television, newspapers, or even the Internet. However, there are many Singaporean women who work quietly behind the scenes and have achieved significant success in their respective fields and professions. They inspire others by the work they do and the contributions they have made to our society. They are leaders in their own rights. I commend The Singapore Women's Weekly for recognising their contributions by initiating and administering this meaningful award.
It is easy to forget that these women are also mothers, daughters, and wives with a seemingly unending list of responsibilities to juggle each day. Like all women do, they have to work extremely hard to get to where they are today.
As we gather here tonight to applaud these accomplished nominees and award winners, we also salute women from all walks of life.
Progress of Women in Singapore
Singaporean women have achieved much progress over the years. Back in the 1970s and 80s, there were not many highly educated females as the old mentality was that women should stay at home to look after the family. Today, women are more highly-educated, well-travelled and independent. The literacy rate of resident females aged 15 years and over was 94.7% in 2009,
up from 89% in 2000. This is relatively high as compared to the latest global female literacy rate of 79%.
The progress of women in the workforce has been largely driven by the rapid improvements made in education. With higher qualifications, women now have greater earning power. As at June 2009, the median gross monthly income for full-time employed females was 9.1% lower than that of males. This is an improvement from 15.5% in 1999. In fact, in the younger age groups, some of our women are earning more than their male counterparts.
The old stereotype of a woman’s role being confined to a homemaker is no longer valid. Women have proven that we are more than capable of holding our own in the workplace. We should be proud of our achievements. I am glad that women in Singapore have come such a long way.
Meeting New Challenges
In an increasingly globalised and urbanised world, women today face many challenges which may be unknown or unfamiliar to their mothers and grandmothers.
Women are generally more vulnerable financially as they tend to leave the workforce for family reasons. Many are hence unable to accumulate sufficient savings for their golden years. Women also tend to live longer than men. Hence, there is a need to ensure that they plan early for an active and purposeful retirement. Thus, we should encourage women to enter or re-enter and remain in the workforce for as long as they are able and wish to.
To improve employability and encourage return to the workforce, training and re-skilling programmes, such as the Back2Work with U Programme by the National Trades Union Congress, are readily provided.
For women who are currently in the workforce, we should be mindful of their needs and work-life concerns. Employers are increasingly realising the importance of work-life harmony and flexible work practices.
The Employer Alliance, a network of corporations committed to creating an enabling work environment to enhance work-life integration, saw its membership grow from 95 in 2006 to over 700 in 2009. The proportion of employees on flexible work arrangements has also increased from 5.1% in 2006 to 7.4% in 2008. Likewise, the Work-Life Excellence Awards, which recognises employers for their effective work-life strategies and programmes, saw 70 award winners in 2010 and 50% more applications than in 2008. As at Sep 2010, the Businesses for Families Council, which is led by the people sector, has received 4,213 pledges from businesses to be family friendly, a 19% increase from 3,518 in Jun 2009.
To help women manage the double burden of work and home, mindset change for both men and women is needed. Today more young fathers are involved in the care of their children and household duties.
Conclusion
To conclude, I would like to share with you some insightful quotations from tonight’s award nominees. As Ms Monica Alsagoff from FJ Benjamin aptly put it, “Work-life balance is not a myth. It can be achieved if you ask for help.”
Ms Sulian Tan-Wijaya from Savills said that to her, “Success… is not how much you make, but how good and happy you are as a mother, friend and colleague.”
It is heartening to note that despite new challenges brought by globalisation, women continue to strive and excel. Tonight’s event is an affirmation that we are on the right track towards the uplifting of the status and well being of women in Singapore.
Thank you and have a lovely evening.
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Resident population comprises Singapore citizens and permanent residents.
Source: Department of Statistics, Singapore
www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/Literacy/Fact_Sheet_2010_Lit_EN.pdf (figure as of 2008)
Source: Ministry of Manpower
Survey is conducted once every 2 years (latest survey in 2008). A new survey will be conducted in 2010.