Model ID: b5b97090-7827-4a65-8d23-c345c75af07b
Sitecore Context Id: b5b97090-7827-4a65-8d23-c345c75af07b;
Sir, I rise in support of this motion that clearly reiterates the importance of the role of women in our society and let us continue to explore more initiatives to provide the continuous and necessary support for women in our journey towards a fairer and a more inclusive society.
When this White paper was released, I reached out to my female fellow Union leaders, both young and mature, who are also female workers. From the exchange I had with them, I will just focus my thoughts on workplace opportunities and challenges, while in my Malay speech segment, highlighting the importance of appreciation and protection for women.
As we all know in the recently released labour force participation in Singapore, from the year 2012 to 2021, it is very heartening to note and observe an increase of women participation increase from 57.7% to 64.2%. The question is, could it have been more, and higher up the ranks, our collective immediate response must be an affirmative yes. Then how do we entice and encourage women into the workforce, putting in measures and support that ensures not just a higher labour participation of women, but also further raise the capabilities of our total workforce? In addition, what are the areas that we can identify so that these women can both bridge the gap and capabilities if any, and also towards achieving higher productivity which can in turn boost our economy?
This may look easy on paper but in reality, we need much more employers to be more welcoming and embracing women into their organisation and also emplace them into leadership roles. Women should continue to be given more opportunities for a higher role based on their capabilities and merits. Understanding women’s challenges, employers must also do their part by adopting and practising flexible work arrangements at their workplace, while at the same time also apply fair performance appraisals towards women in their organisation. I mentioned fair performance appraisals because this is also an area of concern from some women workers that I spoke to before. While they hope and wish for an increase in the duration of maternity leave from the current four months to six months, deep inside they are also worried about the negative repercussions for those who had to be away in view of the maternity leave. while these women really hope for the increase for a much needed rest, after each pregnancy and delivery of a child, they also expressed concerns that there are instances where they knew of fellow workers losing out in their performance bonuses during this absence, and worse some do even get less because they are seen to be less capable as their male counterparts.
Hence, I call on employers to be more accommodating and understanding towards your female workers in such circumstances. Let’s not demoralise the women for their absence, but evaluate their contributions in a fair, constructive and also productivity related work outcome. Hopefully by embracing an objective performance evaluation, through adoption of tripartite standards of fair employment practices, this will certainly further increase and improve their morale.
Sir, the daily routine of women is much more challenging than men as after a day at work, they still need to attend to their children and not forgetting, their husband. Luckily the clock is just 24 hours because the way women get things done, the clock does not seem to be just 24 hours.
A female leader and worker recently shared with me a summary of her observations on the workplace challenges faced by women, and I quote in her own words, “To be honest, over the years there's been constant advocating against such society stigmas, and we know no matter what, the issue of gender inequality and stereotypes still exist today regardless of within or outside of the workplace. The key question is, how do we provide the platform whereby these guidelines can be put into action and is more legally binding? Perhaps setting a criteria framework of sorts for companies to adhere to?”. In short, we can go on and on and on advocating, but what’s the outcome since then and now? Sir, I can only comfort the leader but deep in my heart, I know what she said is the truth and the improvements could have been more and better.
Hence, I certainly welcome the move to introduce the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangements and boost its adoption of Tripartite Standards on flexible work arrangements.
Sir, I will now speak in Malay.
Tuan Speaker, kedudukan atau darjat wanita dalam masyarakat kita telah meningkat maju tahun demi tahun dan kita telah melihat ramai wanita cemerlang dalam kerjaya mereka, setanding dengan kaum lelaki. Walau apa pun kecemerlangan kerjaya yang dicapai, kita juga tidak boleh menutup mata terhadap keganasan yang berterusan terhadap wanita, baik fizikal dan emosi. Lebih banyak usaha perlu dilakukan untuk melindungi wanita daripada keganasan seperti itu daripada lelaki dan yang paling teruk, mangsa sebarang gangguan seksual.
Saya sememangnya mengalu-alukan tindakan untuk meningkatkan hukuman bagi 3 kesalahan seksual, demi meningkatkan perlindungan dan sokongan kepada mangsa atau mangsa yang terselamat daripada sebarang keganasan keluarga. Meskipun keganasan keluarga seperti itu biasanya dapat menyebabkan perpisahan, ada juga orang - orang yang terus melindungi inti keluarga. Ini adalah pengorbanan yang biasanya dibuat oleh wanita yang mana lelaki tidak mempunyai keupayaan emosi yang serupa dengan wanita.
Dalam keadaan ini di mana perpisahan tidak dapat dielakkan, adalah berguna bagi pasangan tersebut untuk membuat keputusan termaklum demi kepentingan anak-anak mereka. Setiap perceraian bukan hanya melibatkan 2 jiwa, tetapi juga lebih dari itu kerana ia mempunyai kesan emosi terhadap anak-anak mereka.
Saya juga mengharapkan lebih banyak sokongan untuk ibu bapa tunggal yang perlu menguruskan antara mencari nafkah dan menjaga anak-anak mereka. Adakah terdapat pusat yang boleh menyediakan perkhidmatan jagaan kanak-kanak sedemikian supaya ibu bapa yang terjejas itu dapat menikmati ketenangan fikiran di tempat kerja? Saya menyeru bekas suami supaya lebih prihatin terhadap bekas pasangan hidup anda atas pengorbanan yang perlu mereka ambil dalam membesarkan anak-anak anda, dengan memastikan wang nafkah yang diperlukan akan dipindahkan tepat pada masanya.
Tolonglah, tolong jangan biarkan mereka menunggu atau bahkan merayu meminta wang yang diperlukan untuk membesarkan anak-anak yang lahir dari rasa cinta terhadap pasangan anda suatu masa dahulu. Di samping itu, cari dan luangkan masa dengan anak-anak anda supaya bekas isteri anda boleh mempunyai masa peribadinya, sama juga seperti anda. Saya mengingatkan diri saya dan para suami dan bapa seperti saya, untuk menjaga isteri kita memanjakan mereka dengan apa yang mereka mahukan pada waktu-waktu yang anda mampu. Ingatlah, bahawa tidak ada nilai harta yang setara nilainya dengan pengorbanan mereka dalam melahirkan setiap anak kita.
Sebagai penutup, saya mengingatkan diri saya dan semua para suami akan satu hadith Rasulullah Riwayat Imam Muslim yang bermaksud; “Dunia adalah perhiasan, sebaik-baik perhiasan dunia adalah isteri-isteri salihah.”
Sir, each and every man must learn to respect and protect every woman with love and care as though they are part of your family members. Once again, I repeat, respect, protect and care for women at all times.
In conclusion, Sir, if the Labour Movement or Unions have a tagline for our workers such as Every Worker Matters, then it is only appropriate that this motion can be a catalyst for the tagline Every Woman Matters to protect our female workers against any unfair treatment relating to work and employment!
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