By: Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister Of State For Community Development, Youth And Sports
5 March 2005, 9.00 am At Swissotel Singapore
Good morning
Ms Shih Hui Min, General Manager of Chinese Programming, MediaCorp Radio Singapore Pte Ltd
Ms Claire Chiang, Chairperson of Community Relations Committee, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI)
Ms Kimmis Pun, President, Singapore Business and Professional Women's Association (SBPWA)
Speakers
Distinguished guests
Participants
Opening
It is indeed my pleasure to be here today to celebrate International Women's Day. This 2-day conference will be a great opportunity for us to exchange ideas and share our perspectives and vision for women in our world today. It is also a time to celebrate and be inspired by the successes of women, their achievements and contributions to society.
International Women's Day
International Women's Day is a day of celebration for all women throughout the world. This special day provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in the advancement of women, to assess the challenges facing women in contemporary society, to consider future steps to enhance the status of women and of course to commemorate the gains made in these areas.
Women's Progress
Women form half of our population and as such, are an important part of our society and can make significant contributions socially and economically. In a meritocratic system like ours, women have equal opportunities to develop to their full potential. Mao Zedong was reported to have made this claim ''women hold up half the sky''. Indeed they do.
a) Education and Employment
The Government is committed to providing all Singaporeans, both girls and boys, with equal access to quality education. Through education, we are able to develop and empower them to choose their own careers and shape their future. Not surprisingly, the educational profile of women for all age groups has improved over the years and the gap between male and female academic achievements have narrowed considerably. There is also a more balanced representation of men and women in our Universities.
With improved education, more women are entering the workforce and have taken up professional, managerial and technical positions. In previously male-dominated sectors such as finance, real estate, business, women now make up almost half the workforce.
Improved education also brings with it many more opportunities for women to do well in their careers and achieve self-fulfillment. Yet for many women, along with success at work comes the tension of managing a work-family life balance. In recognition of this challenge, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports emphasizes personal work-life effectiveness to promote and help individuals achieve balance. My Ministry also provides a wide range of family services such as child care centres, student care centres and family service centres to support women in effectively managing their dual roles in an increasingly complex modern day living.
b) Political and International front
In the political arena, our women have progressed too. At present, there are 10 women MPs. This accounts for 12 percent of the 84 seats in Parliament. The representation of women in politics must be further reinforced. There must be collaborated efforts in getting more women to step forward to contribute to the political life of Singapore as well as at the community and grassroots level.
Accomplishments of Women in Senior Management
In the arena of personal accomplishments, women have been gaining top positions in the public and private sectors which were previously only occupied by men. Ms Lien Siaou Sze, senior vice-president of Hewlett-Packard Services Asia-Pacific, was ranked number 8 on Fortune magazine's list of the world's 50 most powerful women outside the United States in 2003. Mrs Fang Ai Lian is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Ernst and Young as well as a Nominated Member of Parliament. Ms Patricia Yim is the Managing Director of IBM Singapore. Preceding this appointment, she had spent 19 years in a number of executive and management positions with regional responsibilities.
These women are a source of inspiration for other women who aspire to challenge gender stereotypes and soar to greater heights. It is my greatest wish that we see more of such accomplishments in the years to come.
Conclusion
I hope this conference will spark off new ideas for the advancement of Singaporean women and inspire women to contribute more actively both locally and in the global arena. May I wish all of you a fruitful and enjoyable conference
MCYS SPEECH NO: 11/2005
DATE OF ISSUE: 05/03/2005