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Reconsider classification of children as legitimate or illegitimate

By Sumedha Jalote, Communications Executive, AWARE

The Social and Family Development Ministry stated recently that the Government provides support and benefits for the care and development of all Singaporean children, regardless of their mother’s marital status.child_holding_hand

This is despite the disparity in entitlements for married and unwed mothers in areas such as housing, childcare and maternity leave. (“Withholding childcare benefits only penalises single parents”; Nov 11)

While the ministry distinguishes between support for children and incentives to encourage childbirth within marriages, the social and economic impact of these policies is to place some children at an advantage and others at a disadvantage.

In practice, the support enjoyed by children for stable lives depends on their mothers’ marital status.

Importantly, these disparate benefits relate to essentials such as shelter and the ability of mothers to reconcile their families’ livelihood with their parental responsibilities at home.

The sense that some, but not all, families are meaningfully included as part of our society is exacerbated by the sometimes harsh and alienating language used by government agencies in communication with single parents.

Recently, a single mother wrote to the Association of Women for Action and Research regarding a letter she had received from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.

The letter, rejecting her claim for tax relief, emphasised that this relief was only for a child defined as a legitimate child, stepchild or legally adopted child.

It stated that the tax reliefs are meant to encourage family formation in the context of an intact and complete family. The mother found this language from an authority to be disappointing.

We should reconsider the classification of children as legitimate or illegitimate, or language implying that some families are broken or incomplete.

These labels stigmatise children for their parents’ circumstances and do not do credit to the familial bonds in single-parent households, which are as valuable as those in any other kind of family.

A mother is a mother, regardless of marital status, this woman told us. The Government should give all parents the support they need, instead of causing them to feel that they are not valued.

This letter was first published in TODAY Voices on 14 November 2014.

Adopt Concrete Targets for Board Diversity

By Winifred Loh, President, AWARE

We applaud Minister Grace Fu’s sustained support for board diversity and her call to investors to take the lead in this respect.

img_about_boardIt is disappointing that female representation on the boards of Singapore Exchange-listed companies remains low, at 8.3 per cent. More than half of the boards surveyed have no women. (“Companies with more diverse boards fare better: Study”; Oct 29, online)

Ethnic diversity is also limited, with 85.7 per cent of all directors of the listed companies being Chinese.

BoardAgender’s research suggests that it would be a smart business move to increase female representation, since board diversity is associated with higher performance levels.

But the situation will not change without proactive effort, as figures have only crept up slowly over the years. Female representation in senior management is 23 per cent.

While this is not gender parity, it is more than the female board representation of 8 per cent, and shows there are women who are capable of stepping into top roles in senior management. Companies’ mindsets, though, have not changed.

If our society hopes to reap the economic benefits of diversity, we must take specific, targeted measures, rather than assuming that change will happen organically.

One method that has seen success in other economies is the use of explicit targets to increase the gender and ethnic diversity of those serving on boards.

Though these are voluntary rather than mandatory, they are effective in focusing the attention of corporate decision-makers on the need for concrete change. The examples of the United Kingdom and Australia are particularly inspiring.

In the UK, female representation on boards has increased to 22.8 per cent, from 12.5 per cent three years ago. Hopes are high that the UK will attain its target of 25 per cent next year.

In Australia, women hold 41.7 per cent of government board positions, meaning that the 40 per cent target set by the government has been met a year early.

Companies would be aided in meeting these targets if they develop better search and selection procedures. For instance, they can move towards public disclosure of their board hiring policies, and commit to refreshing their boards more regularly to prevent stagnation.

Lacking such measures, Singapore is close to the bottom in gender diversity rankings. At the pace diversity has been rising, it will take decades before Singapore catches up with other countries, let alone attain gender parity.

This letter was first published in TODAY Voices on 9 November 2014.

Transnational couples need more assurance of stability

By Vivienne Wee (Dr), Research and Advocacy Director, AWARE

We applaud the Government’s intention of promoting greater transparency among transnational couples (“New rules clear air for transnational marriages”; last Saturday).

2205859730_29babd985f_zThese couples can apply for a Letter of Eligibility for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) before marriage, provided they mutually disclose information about their finances, educational backgrounds, previous marriages and past criminal records. This will enable potential spouses to learn more about each other.

However, this still does not give Singaporeans and their foreign spouses sufficient certainty to pursue stable family lives.

Although the Letter of Eligibility is not mandatory, it seems people who are refused one would find it hard to get the LTVP that enables them to live and work in Singapore.

Moreover, even the Letter of Eligibility is no guarantee of an LTVP – the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority website says it is only indicative, not conclusive. This can be problematic as people may rely on getting the LTVP as a basis for proceeding with marriage.

We welcome the other policy change, which enables LTVP holders to be employed without being counted in the foreign worker quota and without having their employers pay the foreign worker levy for them.

This benefits not only LTVP holders and their families, but also employers, who are able to hire them more easily. This removes a major barrier for foreign spouses participating in the community around them.

The Government has acknowledged the need for families with foreign spouses to be sufficiently stable, so they are better able to contribute to Singapore. However, family stability can be attained only when the foreign spouses can stay here for life.

As mere “long-term visitors” with LTVP or even LTVP-Plus, they are allowed to stay with their families for only a few years each time such a stay is approved.

When marriages between Singaporeans and their foreign spouses have lasted for at least three years, or when they have at least one child, there should be a clear and unambiguous route for the foreign spouse to obtain citizenship or, at least, permanent residency.

No child should be placed at risk of being abandoned by a parent, simply because that parent is denied the right to stay here.

This letter was first published in the Straits Times Forum on 31 October 2014.

Preventing human trafficking in Singapore

Singapore Member of Parliament Christopher De Souza has proposed a Private Member’s Bill to combat human trafficking, to be presented in parliament in November 2014.

trafficking logoIn response, six non-governmental organisations – AWARE, HOME, MARUAH, Project X, the Singapore Committee for UN Women, and TWC2 – have jointly organised the StopTraffickingSG campaign to urge the government to adopt a victim-centred approach in the drafting of the Bill on Prevention of Human Trafficking. The campaign will submit a parliamentary petition for victims’ rights to be protected under this Bill.

The campaign’s recommendations

While the Bill against human trafficking covers many aspects, it is not comprehensive. In particular, the protection and assistance offered to victims by this Bill are not adequate. Several of the organisations in the StopTraffickingSG campaign offer direct services to trafficked persons. We make the following recommendations based on this experience.

For victims:
First, clearer processes are needed to properly identify victims so that non-trafficked migrant workers are not inadvertently caught up in state responses to victims, and that state agents fail to recognise trafficked victims.

Second, the Bill should explicitly prohibit the detention of trafficked victims, as some existing shelters for trafficked victims are known to restrict victims’ freedom of movement.

Third, the Bill should expand general protection granted to trafficked victims and witnesses, in particular strengthening protection for witnesses who may face intimidation and retaliation in Singapore and their home countries, expand court protections beyond those granted to sexually exploited victims, address particular protections that may be required by child victims, and strengthen mechanisms for the provision of information to victims about their cases.

Fourth, victims require assistance as well as protection. Necessary forms of assistance include accommodation, medical care, confidential counselling, work opportunities, information, and translation and interpretation. Such services should be extended to trafficked victims’ dependants where appropriate. StopTraffickingSG would additionally like to query the role of the Director of Social Welfare in providing these services (where provided for in the Bill), given that her legal mandate currently extends only to persons under the age of 16.

Lastly, further clarifications are needed as to victims’ immigration status while their cases are being processed. Currently, trafficking victims are granted a Special Pass. However, there is a lot of discretion and uncertainty as to in which cases such passes are extended. Moreover, there is little provision for victims’ relocation and repatriation. Finally, it is suggested that victims be allowed to experience a period of recovery and reflection before having to decide if they do want to embark on the lengthy and strenuous process of pursuing their case through the criminal justice system.

Policing:
StopTraffickingSG is concerned about the huge extension of discretionary powers to police and non-police enforcement officers. According to this Bill, police and non-police enforcement officers are able to arrest and forcibly gain entry to premises without warrant, and are to be armed with batons and accoutrements “as are necessary”. This may result in the secondary traumatisation of vulnerable victims of trafficking. StopTraffickingSG believes that Part 3 of the proposed Bill should be deleted altogether as the current provisions under the Criminal Procedures Code would suffice.

Definitions:
Several key concepts in this Bill are not defined. For example, there is no definition of forced labour or deception in Part 1 of the Bill, although they are central to a thorough understanding of trafficking in persons.

 

Shorten time bar to divorce

By Jolene Tan, Programmes and Communications Senior Manager, AWARE

Under the current law, divorce is not permitted in the first three years of marriage unless a court finds that there has been “exceptional depravity or hardship”. This is an unnecessarily burdensome requirement.

gavelThe time bar is intended to preserve marriages. However, in practice, many people realise early on that their marital differences cannot be resolved.

Rather than seek reconciliation, those set on divorce simply wait the moratorium out while building separate lives. The time bar delays them from moving on – including from remarrying.

We recommend that the time bar be shortened from three years to one, or at most two.

This will reduce the unnecessary barriers to people seeking to move on to more fulfilling family lives.

It will also reduce acrimony in divorce cases by not forcing one spouse to document accusations to prove “exceptional depravity or hardship” in court.

We are also very disturbed by statements in a recent case indicating that even “extreme cases of abuse” do not meet the threshold for the time bar to be lifted, so that victims of domestic violence must remain married to their abusers (“Court denies woman permission to divorce”; Oct 8).

There should be no time bar to divorce in cases of domestic violence. Victims should be allowed to seek a divorce instead of being kept vulnerable to further physical and psychological suffering.

Freedom from violence is a fundamental right. Everyone is entitled to make personal safety their first priority.

Treating a court-imposed “hope of reconciliation” as more important than safety places an ideological view of marriage above the welfare of real people.

This sends the message that the legal system – and therefore society at large – does not take domestic violence seriously, and tells abusers that their actions are an acceptable part of a marriage.

Under the Women’s Charter, spouses have a mutual duty to “safeguard the interests of the union”.

By committing violence, an abuser destroys the mutual care and respect that should be at the heart of a marital relationship.

The law should not require victims to maintain formal ties or the appearance of togetherness with their abusers.

This reform will help Singapore to better meet its international obligations to protect women from family violence under the United Nations’ Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

This letter was first published in the Straits Times Forum on 27 October 2014.

Support for homemakers must go beyond verbal tributes

By Jolene Tan, Programmes and Communications Senior Manager, AWARE

This letter was written for the Straits Times Forum, responding to this letter, but was not published as some points were seen as irrelevant to the career woman vs. stay-at-home-mom debate. We are publishing the letter here to discuss how society can provide more support for caregivers – women or men.

We agree with Mr Sebastian Liew that society needs to better recognise the value of domestic labour, childcare and other caregiving (“What’s wrong with being a housewife?”, 24 Sep).

A true recognition of homemakers and their contributions must go beyond verbal tributes.  We should ask whether Singapore’s social and economic structures sufficiently reward and protect those who perform domestic labour and caregiving.

This can be improved in several respects.

First, provision for retirement is linked to CPF savings, which is only available to those in the formal workforce.  Because many women are homemakers, women of retirement age generally enjoy less financial security than men.

This impacts their access to healthcare.  Among elderly patients, far more women (64 per cent) than men (38 per cent) need to tap into family members’ Medisave to pay their hospital bills.

A society that values homemakers needs to decouple financial security for the elderly from CPF adequacy based on formal employment.  A social pension could meet this need.

Second, we can give more security to the non-national spouses of Singapore citizens.

Currently, these spouses – who are often parents of Singaporean children – are routinely denied permanent residence and citizenship.  This happens particularly when the Singaporean’s spouse income and education are deemed insufficient.

The Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus given to some spouses is not adequate as they are still susceptible to deportation – and separation from their children – if pass renewals are not approved.

This cannot persist if our nation wishes to show genuine commitment to valuing homemakers.

Third, a society that values domestic labour and caregiving would not assume this work is only for women, and would provide support to everyone who performs it.

businessThis includes those who need or wish to reconcile domestic responsibilities with employment outside the home.

We could legislate more generous care leave entitlements, which families could share between themselves to suit their needs, regardless of gender.

In a culture that takes domestic responsibilities seriously, it would also be the norm rather than an exception for employees to have working arrangements that accommodate their caregiving roles.

Finally, to accord due status to domestic and care labour, we might question the discriminatory exclusion of foreign domestic workers from the Employment Act and its protections.

Ultimately, rhetorical celebrations of homemakers must not obscure the need for practical support and recognition for the labour they perform.

Better sex education will help youth make safer decisions

By Sumedha Jalote, Communications Executive, AWARE

The recent survey examining young people’s exposure to pornography highlights the importance of talking to them frankly and openly about sex.

Most pornography seldom reflects reality. Professional performers in popular pornography often engage in physical acts that are uncommon in reality, in part because they are often uncomfortable rather than enjoyable. Their bodies do not reflect the ordinary range of shapes and sizes.

Moreover, the interactions of performers tend to be modelled upon sexist and unrealistic sexual fantasies. Human relationships and practical considerations such as consent, STI prevention and contraception are seldom addressed in freely accessible, popular pornography.

Young people who do not have access to other sources of information about sexuality may consume this material uncritically, treating it as sex education.

This may encourage them to become dissatisfied with their bodies and to develop unrealistic expectations of sexual encounters. They may feel pressure to participate in types of sexual activity that they do not want.  They may also absorb problematic ideas about consent, as popular pornography rarely depicts women as human beings with their own sexuality, boundaries and rights.

sex-edIt is therefore vital that young people receive accurate, empowering sex education in schools, as well as safe, open environments at home to discuss sexuality. This will help them to better understand what to expect from sex and how to make safe, informed decisions.

Sexual feelings are a normal part of life. Teachers and parents must be careful not to shame young people for the mere fact of having sexual desires or engaging in sexual activity such as masturbation. If adults make young people feel guilty or ashamed, this will only discourage them from seeking further information and support.

We also need more education and discussion about consent to prevent sexual violence and create a society in which everyone is empowered to safely navigate their sexuality.

Ultimately, comprehensive sex education in schools and open discussions at home should discuss pornography and sex without shaming young people, encouraging them to critically assess the images they see and recognise the many differences between pornography and reality.

An edited version of this letter was first published in the Straits Times Forum on 22 September 2014.

Have more women in leadership roles? Govt can set example

By Jolene Tan, Programmes and Communications Senior Manager, Aware

At the recent Singapore Institute of Directors Directors’ Conference, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Grace Fu urged businesses to include more women in their leadership, even highlighting the names of Singapore-listed companies with no female directors (“Call for capitalism that gives back”; last Thursday).

She also stated that the Government is open to the possibility of imposing a quota for female directors.

We are heartened to see that the need for women in organisational leadership is taken seriously at the highest levels of the Government.

Employers may exclude women from leadership positions for a range of reasons – from poor search processes that rely on “old boys’ networks”, to structural failures to accommodate caregiving, to explicit prejudice.

But businesses that do not include women at the highest levels are depriving themselves of the benefits of a broad talent pool and a wide range of perspectives and experiences.

SG parliamentWe believe that the Government has a valuable opportunity to lead the way by increasing the number of women at the highest levels of political leadership – setting a positive example for businesses and other employers to follow.

At the moment, Ms Fu herself is the only female full minister in a Cabinet of 18 individuals.

No full woman minister has ever had her own ministry. The low levels of women in political leadership drag down Singapore’s position in the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Gender Gap Report, where we consistently rank significantly more highly for women’s economic than political participation.

The need for senior women is especially urgent in the political arena. Our representatives in government need to reflect the wide array of perspectives and experiences that make up our population, to ensure that all our interests are better represented.

Women’s perspectives are by no means uniform. And the Cabinet can never completely reflect every walk of life – politicians must also take the time and effort to understand the experiences of those whose situations differ from theirs.

But increasing women’s representation at the top would signal an important commitment by the Government to promoting truly inclusive leadership.

This letter was first published in the Straits Times Forum on 8 September 2014.

Crowdfunding for the Sexual Assault Care Centre

sacc smallMediaCorp Artiste Zoe Tay and popular actor/comedian Judee Tan speak up in support of AWARE’s Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) in two striking videos released online today.  These are the first of several planned video releases accompanying a newly launched crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise $30,000 for the centre by 10 October.

“Sexual assault can happen to anyone,” Zoe Tay tells viewers.  “But no one should have to suffer in silence.”  The video featuring Ms Tay is titled “The Journey: voices of survivors” and it also presents, through voiceovers, the powerful testimonies of several SACC clients.  These brave women speak about their experiences of sexual assault and the role that supportive services have played in their recovery.

“I really believe that if I had some help then [ten years ago], maybe I would recovered sooner,” one client states.  “Maybe I still wouldn’t be battling it ten years on.”

Actor/comedian Judee Tan is working with SACC because of her personal experience with physical and sexual abuse.

“It was a very dark and depression period of my life,” she says.  “And at that time I felt there was no way I could get out of it.  But I did, and that is why I am here today, working with AWARE’s SACC to share this message of hope.”

“With support,” she says on the video, “victims can be survivors.”

SACC, launched in May, is Singapore’s first and only specialist service supporting women who face sexual assault.  It grows out of AWARE’s Sexual Assault Befrienders Service (SABS), which was launched in 2011.  Expanding on the previous work of SABS, SACC features a drop-in centre, with an on-site social worker who can assist clients immediately, even if they walk in without an appointment (open Mon-Fri, 10am to 7pm).

Through its drop-in centre, helpline (6779 0282) and email support (sacc@aware.org.sg), SACC provides free legal advice by an experienced lawyer, therapeutic counselling by specialists and ‘befriender’ services – where a trained befriender accompanies clients to the police station, hospital or court, providing support through processes which can often be difficult and intimidating.

In 2013, 192 women contacted SABS – a 45% jump from the year before. This year we have already heard from 124 women, and the demand shows no sign of slowing.  We urgently need donations to refurbish our drop-in centre and continue providing our safe, free and confidential services.”

The crowdfunding campaign – a first for AWARE – is hosted on crowdfunding platform Causevox.  The organisation seeks to raise $30,000 from the public with a six-week campaign ending on 10 October.  Further video releases are planned, including a Chinese-language video also featuring Zoe Tay.

The campaign video has been produced thanks to the kind support of Abundant Productions, Pangolin Films, Jasmine Ng and a team of volunteer illustrators.