This letter was originally published on The Straits Times on 5 October 2019.
by Chong Ning Qian, Senior Research Executive
The Housing Board recently announced that it will be more flexible on the income criteria for eligibility to rent flats under the Public Rental Scheme. This is a welcome development.
Such flexibility will benefit single parents who do not earn enough to afford private flats.
In interviewing 55 single mothers in 2016, the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) found that 38 had attempted to apply for rental housing. Among these, almost half (18) faced difficulties because they earned more than $1,500 a month.
Many resorted to renting from the pricier open market, which depleted their financial reserves.
The team at Aware and I hope the same flexibility will be extended to the age criteria. Currently, applicants for public rental housing have to be at least 21 years old.
Aware’s Support, Housing and Enablement Project provides rent-free housing for single-parent families for two years. There are currently nine families living in four apartments.
In my work with Aware, we have seen a number of young single mothers who applied but failed to qualify for public rental housing because they were under 21.
Living with their family is not an option for many of these women due to family violence, space constraints and/or estrangement.
Some of them grew up in welfare shelters and have not lived with their families for many years.
Without affordable and stable housing in the present, it is difficult for them to find the energy, time and resources to plan for the future.
In Hong Kong, the minimum age criteria for public rental housing is 18. HDB should consider lowering the criteria to this age level.
Public rental housing can be a lifeline for those who need urgent access to affordable and stable housing.
The Government should ensure that this public resource is accessible to all who need it, including young single mothers who have nowhere else to go.
This post was originally published on Channel News Asia on 29 September 2019.
by Shailey Hingorani, Head of Advocacy & Research
Unmarried women with no children are more likely than married women to provide care for parents ageing at home.
This was the key finding in AWARE’s latest year-long research project studying the impact of family caregiving on caregivers’ retirement adequacy in Singapore.
This surprised us. We did not set out to interview unmarried women, but were interested in family members caring for ageing parents while living with them. Yet most of the 22 women we interviewed turned out to be single.
What we have since also discovered is that this trend is by no means unique to Singapore. Women make up vast numbers of caregivers all around the world.
Research in the US has found that unmarried daughters, daughters who live close to their parents, unemployed daughters and daughters without siblings are all much more likely to be parental caregivers.
Why is this so? Most caregivers we interviewed reported feeling like they had no choice but to assume the role because of their gender and unmarried status.
When asked why she was a caregiver, one of our respondents, Xin Yi* (aged 54), best summed it up: “Because I am single, and I am a woman.”
Although most had more than three siblings (only one was an only child), their brothers and sisters were not assigned caregiving responsibilities because they had their own children to look after.
At first sight, it may seem like a sensible division of labour for filial caregiving responsibilities to fall on the sibling with the fewest family responsibilities. After all, she doesn’t have many demands for her time – not to mention her income.
But might this approach be short-sighted? Perhaps we should also take into account each individual’s likelihood of having future caregiving support – i.e. whether or not she has a family to support her in old age, as eldercare drains her of her own savings.
IMPACT ON A CAREGIVER’S RETIREMENT ADEQUACY
AWARE’s study focused on the impact of caregiving on four retirement factors: Employment, income, expenses and wealth.
Overall, we found that caregiving responsibilities compromise a caregiver’s ability to continue working. This also impacts her disposable income, as respondents with employment changes suffered a 63 per cent average loss in income, while out-of-pocket care-related expenses can balloon to more than a third of her monthly household income after subsidies.
Most of our respondents either reduced the number of hours they worked or stopped working entirely.
There are no specific national-level numbers of people who have reduced their work hours because of caregiving – but the 2018 Labour Force Survey found that 75,800 women have quit work entirely to care for older relatives.
Why is caregiving so incompatible with work? It comes down to three main reasons. First, the need to provide frequent supervision, especially for seniors prone to fainting spells or sudden falls.
Second, the poor and unpredictable health of seniors who need care, who typically require immediate attention and emergency hospital admissions.
Third, the temperamental nature of care recipients with dementia.
Some respondents tried to manage these challenges and juggle work commitments by hiring foreign domestic workers (FDWs).
Yet they found that many caregiving responsibilities, such as emotional care, went beyond what a FDW could provide. Additional support from siblings was also often unreliable and limited.
CARING FOR OTHERS VERSUS SAVING FOR YOUR OLD AGE
Singapore’s last known quantitative study on informal caregiving, conducted in 2011, found that most family caregivers of seniors over 75 were aged 45 to 59 – the age when most people are building savings for their retirement.
As women are expected to live well into their mid-80s, how will they afford care in their old age if they cannot save for themselves at midlife?
According to CPF statistics, about four in 10 active CPF members who turned 55 in 2017 did not hit the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) of S$83,000 in their retirement accounts. Women outnumbered men in this category.
There has been no significant improvement on this front: The percentage difference between men and women achieving BRS has stayed roughly the same over the last three years.
What’s more, this data only includes active CPF members – employed workers who have received a contribution to their CPF accounts in the last three months.
However, caregivers spend a median of nine years outside the labour force providing care to their families, not earning an income or receiving any CPF contributions, according to a Parliament Reply by Manpower Minister Josephine Teo. There is no retirement savings data on this group to begin with.
Caregivers with spouses and children can take comfort that even if they cannot afford their own care in old age, they can turn to immediate family members.
Wai Ching*, a respondent of ours who cares for a mother with dementia, does not have that option.
“My mum is fortunate … she still has children,” Wai Ching told us in her interview. “I will not be so fortunate.”
Wai Ching’s situation will be increasingly more common. There were 87,500 single women between the ages of 40 to 59 years in 2017, Singapore’s annual Population in Brief revealed. Even more are staying single across all age groups compared to a decade ago.
It’s a sad irony that caregivers like her, who enable their parents to age in the comfort of their homes, are much more likely to end up ageing with great difficulty.
MAKE CARE EASIER
Family caregiving is a glue that holds family units together. Caregivers put the needs of their loved ones first, often to the neglect of their own well-being. They deserve more.
Earlier this year, the Government announced some plans to enhance caregiver support. These include expanded respite care options and support networks, and a monthly Home Caregiving Grant of S$200 (applications for which will open next month). All this represents a welcome step forward. Yet care is an issue that calls for bigger strides.
Today, there are no statutory requirements for companies to provide family care leave, though government initiatives encourage employers to offer unpaid caregiving leave.
This is important, but leaves the financial burden of caring on the shoulders of caregivers.
The Government also provides financial incentives to companies to offer flexible work arrangements to help caregivers balance work and caregiving responsibilities. Although a crucial first step, in our culture of presenteeism and emphasis on face time, many employers still base worker appraisals on their physical presence in the office.
Finally, the various measures in place to offset care-related expenses do not compensate caregivers for the loss in income and retirement savings that often accompanies the provision of care.
As an ageing population that will rely heavily on caregivers, it is worth reviewing providing stronger financial support for caregiving, including paid eldercare leave, a statutory right to flexible work arrangements, and caregivers’ support grant with cash and CPF contributions.
This third measure, arguably the most critical, would offset out-of-pocket expenses and help caregivers build retirement adequacy while caring for others.
These actions would help all caregivers to older persons – male or female, married or unmarried. But they would go furthest to boost single, female caregivers’ chances to age with dignity and comfort.
Let’s ensure that the good daughters of today do not become the impoverished elderly of tomorrow.
*The names used in this commentary are pseudonyms.
This post was originally published in The Straits Times on 30 August 2019.
By Chong Ning Qian, Senior Research Executive
In recent years, the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) has advocated improving housing access for single-parent families via changes to Housing Board rules, such as by allowing unmarried mothers and their children to form a family nucleus to buy and rent from HDB.
In my work there, I have come across at least two cases of divorced mothers who had trouble securing alternative housing because their ex-husbands did not comply with court orders to sell the matrimonial flat.
Without first selling the matrimonial flat, neither party can buy or rent from HDB. Single parents who cannot access public housing either seek housing from the private market – which is costly and economically unsustainable – or live with their friends and family, often resulting in strained family relations.
One single mother we assisted has been trying to sell her matrimonial flat for close to two years. However, her ex-husband has failed to comply with multiple court orders to sell it, including one that states that he has to allow potential buyers to view the flat. He has occupied the flat since the finalisation of the divorce, changed the locks and refused to open the door for flat viewings. As a result, she cannot sell the flat despite engaging property agents to do so.
It was revealed in Parliament that the enforcement of such court orders is not tracked.
It is unfair to expect those like her to go back to court multiple times to enforce the order, as it is a time-consuming and emotionally draining process. What else can be done to ensure that individuals comply with court orders, and that these single parents have timely access to affordable housing?
Understand trauma reactions and learn tangible skills to support sexual violence survivors at this workshop by AWARE’s SACC.
We can use our own words and actions to convey zero tolerance for sexual assault. But while we can all agree that sexual assault should never happen to anyone, we may not always know the right thing to say when it does.
It is not always easy for survivors to tell someone about what happened. In fact, for some survivors, it can be especially daunting. First response that is sensitive to the survivor’s needs and choices is necessary in preventing re-victimisation.
SACSACC’s First Responder Training helps familiarise participants with trauma reactions and symptoms to better contribute to a survivor’s well-being. In this workshop, SACC will share more on the following:
1. Definition of sexual assault and harassment 2. Recognising Singapore’s legal framework 3. Understanding consent 4. Understanding the impact of sexual assault and trauma on survivors 5. Role of a first responder 6. Providing support to survivors of sexual assault 7. Resources available for help 8. Key skills such as ensuring safety, active listening and empathy
Under AWARE’s #AimForZeroSG campaign, this popular workshop has been made as affordable and accessible as possible. While you are welcome to pay what you can, we suggest a sum of $10 per workshop attendee.
When: 25 September 2019, 3.00pm – 7.30pm [4.5 hours] Where: 5 Dover Crescent #01-22 S(130005) For whom: Parents, educators, all NGO/VWO staff and volunteers, social sector professionals or students above 16 years old studying a relevant discipline (e.g. psychology, counselling, social work etc.) Cost: Pay what you can; suggested donation $10 (Light refreshments will be provided)
Slots for this workshop are limited to 60 sign-ups only. Persons of all genders and nationalities are more than welcome to attend. Walk-ins are welcome!
We strongly request that all participants commit to the full duration of the 4.5-hour workshop to ensure that everyone will get the opportunity to engage in interactive discussions and learn useful skills.
“This was valuable… it made me reflect on my own values regarding sex and what I may project onto my children.”
“It opens up our inhibitions and gives us real opportunities to put [our thoughts into] words.”
“Often boys are let off the hook, but I think they should be mindful and learn about boundaries, especially in this day and age when lines are blurred and there’s so much to access online.”
“Can they do this in school for our children?”
– Previous Birds & Bees workshop attendees
How do you talk to your children about sex? It’s a topic that many parents are happy to put off discussing for as long as possible. But what are the consequences of making home an environment where talks about physical intimacy are off-limits?
Birds & Bees is an experiential workshop for parents, run by parents, to help you start and sustain the important conversation about sex – in a non-judgmental way. No matter where you are in your parenting journey, this workshop will allow you to:
Understand the lasting, positive impact of talking to your children about sex and relationships
Introduce crucial information about consent, personal boundaries, and safety to your children
Talk openly about the difference between respectful, healthy relationships, and abusive, unhealthy relationships
Improve your communication with children on difficult or uncomfortable topics
Create a home where your children are not afraid of approaching you if they have questions or are troubled about a relationship or sexual encounter.
Through case studies, role-play and facilitated discussions, the workshop will give you a chance to think more deeply about your values and sexual health knowledge, and improve communication with your children. All parents are welcome, though we’ll deal with issues most relevant to parents of teenage children (12-18 year olds).
Survey: After you sign up, you will be asked to complete a short pre-workshop survey about the age(s) and number of your children. We will try to group participants with children of similar ages together during the workshop.
Refunds and cancellations: Unfortunately we will not be offering refunds. However, with minimum two days notice, you may switch to a future workshop date. If you need to do so, or if you have any other questions, please email Joo Hymn at publiceducation@aware.org.sg.
This post was originally published on The Straits Times on 26 July 2019.
by Corinna Lim, executive director of AWARE, and Carrie Tan, executive director of Daughters of Tomorrow.
Singapore has traditionally been heavily dependent on foreign workers in the long-term care (LTC) sector. This renders the workforce unstable, as foreign workers are easily drawn to nearby countries that offer better pay for direct care workers.
Around 70 per cent of direct care workers in Singapore’s LTC sector are foreigners – compared with 32 per cent in Australia, less than 10 per cent in Japan and 5 per cent or less in Hong Kong and South Korea.
A recent poll, conducted by philanthropic organisation Lien Foundation with 250 direct care workers and 50 hospital workers, found that among this group, the average tenure of a foreign worker in an LTC job was 2.8 years, compared with 3.4 years for locals (Singaporeans and permanent residents). This tenure is much lower than that of hospital workers as a whole: The average tenure for the combined local and foreign hospital workforce is 7.8 years.
At an industry dialogue on July 3, women’s rights organisations Aware and Daughters Of Tomorrow teamed up with financial service multinational corporation JP Morgan to present learnings from a joint eldercare workforce programme.
The two-year programme was aimed at providing workforce readiness training and employment for low-income women (Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term visit pass holders) in the eldercare sector.
Despite the relative success of the programme, in which 35 women were placed as direct care workers, the initiative revealed challenges local workers face in joining and remaining in the LTC workforce. They are:
LONG HIRING PROCESS
Filling eldercare roles typically involves a long hiring process, which includes applications, interviews, health check-ups and placement. All in all, it can take up to eight weeks. Job seekers applying for multiple roles will generally accept the offers that come through first, which means eldercare jobs will likely be at a disadvantage compared with jobs in other sectors with a faster hiring process.
LOW PAY
Eldercare jobs do not pay well compared with other jobs that low-income women are eligible for, such as childcare assistants, or jobs in food and beverage, retail or cleaning. A local worker in hospitality turning over rooms in a hotel is paid $1,600 to 1,800 a month, whereas an eldercare worker assisting with showering, feeding and toileting duties is paid $900 to 1,400 a month.
Although wages for direct care workers have increased over the past few years, they are still not attractive enough to draw the volume of applicants the sector requires. (The Lien Foundation study estimated that the LTC workforce needs to grow by at least 45 per cent between 2017 and 2020).
EXTENSIVE HOURS
Working in LTC often means providing 24/7 residential care. However, women with family responsibilities are often unable to commit to the necessary evening and weekend shifts. Aware and Daughters Of Tomorrow’s research has shown that many low-income women are also unable to make adequate childcare arrangements in order to commit to shift work. Having said that, some eldercare employers in the programme were able to address this challenge by accommodating their workers with flexi-hours.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ATTIRE
A prevalent belief among healthcare employers was that headscarves are linked to the spread of infections. Accordingly, some employers were hesitant to hire LTC workers who wear a tudung or hijab. However, we found that hospitals in many Muslim countries do not have similar concerns and freely employ women who wear headscarves.
For our programme, we conducted a systematic review of the numerous studies investigating links between clothing and infection transmission, and did not find any compelling evidence to show that healthcare workers’ uniforms or workwear (including headscarves) contribute to healthcare-associated infections, or pose any additional risks to patients or staff.
With this review, we managed to convince a number of employers to employ workers who wear headscarves and look forward to more employers adopting similar flexibility in their hiring.
LONG-TERM VISIT PASS MYTHS
Another misconception we discovered was the belief that long-term visit pass (LTVP) holders – typically foreign spouses of Singapore citizens – contribute to an employer’s foreign worker quota.
As our programme included LTVP holders, we were able to clarify this with the Ministry of Manpower. We then helped disseminate this information to employers to disabuse them of the notion that hiring LTVP workers is tantamount to hiring foreign workers.
The success of the programme was seen in the low attrition rate among the care workers it placed: Of the 35 women placed, only one left her job in the first six months. Achieving this required a close working relationship with human resources and operations teams of LTC providers, enabling participants to transition successfully into working life after years of unemployment.
Despite the success of this pioneering effort, longer life expectancies and growing rates of chronic conditions point to a rising demand for direct care workers who provide the majority of hands-on, non-medical care to older adults.
The dismal combination of low wages, shift work and misconceptions about hiring certain workers makes it difficult to match demand with supply.
The pressing challenges surrounding supply and quality of care beg further reflection. How do we care for our elderly and balance that with affordability?
What opportunities are there for collaborations between LTC providers, volunteer welfare organisations and civic initiatives to innovate and excavate new local pools of talent for our future “care force”?
How can the Government support the evolution of care in Singapore with policies that improve the wages and conditions for local workers? Can we tap the pool of women on LTVP who are localised and living here with their Singaporean children? Can sector training subsidies and retention bonuses currently available for Singaporeans and permanent residents be extended also to women on LTVP?
The ability of the sector to retain care workers, and attract more to meet demand, requires more work and collective effort. We are all likely users of LTC in the future as we age.
By Shailey Hingorani, Head of Advocacy & Research, AWARE
At the Exemplary Father Award ceremony on Sunday 14 July, President Halimah Yacob said that employers should do more to encourage their workers to take paternity leave. We strongly agree with this statement.
All workers should be equally supported to care for their children, regardless of gender. A recent study shows that men desire flexible working arrangements, while feeling pressure to provide economically for their families (“Nearly as many men as women want flexi-work: Survey”, May 20). However, there remains stigma against men balancing work commitments with care responsibilities. It is perceived as carrying a cost to career progression, instead of being normalised as an ordinary part of working life which is compatible with all levels of advancement.
This is rooted in a cultural expectation that mothers should be primary caregivers. Even in daily language, we see fathers described as “helping” mothers, instead of parenting in their own right.
As a result, men are not taking their full allocation of leave, even where there is full income replacement. According to parliamentary data, the median days taken of government-paid paternity leave (GPPL) and shared parental leave (SPL) last year were 11 and 10 respectively. These figures exclude men who took zero days (as Madam Halimah noted, about half of all new fathers don’t take leave at all), and thus overstate the use of leave.
Law and policy can set the tone to counter stereotypes and promote changes in attitudes and practice. Unequal GPPL and maternity leave benefits reinforce the idea that women are primarily responsible for care, and men only auxiliary. We urge the government to increase paternity leave to sixteen weeks, so that it is equal to maternity leave. This will also remove the need for the transferable SPL component.
This should be coupled with close monitoring of the use of leave, and employer education. The government can encourage men in senior management to be role models, by visibly spending time on caregiving. Resources can also be provided to HR and line managers so that they truly understand the importance of paternity leave.
More parenting by fathers is good for families, society and companies. When fathers take leave to be immediately involved after birth, they are more likely to be involved later on in a child’s life as well. Research shows that fathers taking parental leave has a positive effect on maternal earnings, more so than a simple reduction in the mother’s own leave. Paternity leave also helps mothers return to the same employer, meaning that companies can retain good talent.
