SINGAPORE – The Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) has called for efforts to tackle various forms of gender-based discrimination against pregnant women, single parents, women with disabilities, domestic workers, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community and Muslim women.
Comprehensive anti-discrimination laws are needed and employers should be legally obligated to address instances of workplace harassment, publish gender-disaggregated data on salaries and bonuses, and show they are adhering to the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, Aware said.
The gender equality advocacy group on Thursday (July 29) released a 292-page report outlining 88 recommendations for the Government, which is conducting a comprehensive review of issues related to women and gender equality.
The review will culminate in an upcoming White Paper that will be introduced in Parliament later this year.
Aware advised giving the national watchdog for fair employment practices – the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment (Tafep) – more power to take enforcement action against errant employers.
It added that efforts to combat workplace discrimination against women should not only be focused on pregnant women and mothers but also women with disabilities, who face additional barriers to getting, staying and progressing in their jobs.
For migrant spouses of Singapore citizens, Aware recommended making the eligibility criteria for Long Term Visit Pass + (LTVP+) more transparent and giving migrant spouses a clear, timed path to permanent residency and citizenship.
They should also be granted the automatic right to work and restrictions on employment options for LTVP+ holders should be lifted, Aware said.
It added that foreigners working as domestic workers should have regulated working and rest hours, and they should also be allowed to switch employers freely.
On single parents and their children, Aware said housing is the most pressing issue for many such families.
It noted that unwed singles and their children are not considered a family nucleus, under current housing policies.
On top of this, children born out of wedlock are considered “illegitimate” and their parents are not eligible for schemes such as the Baby Bonus cash gift and tax reliefs available to married parents.
And while divorced singles and their children do count as family nuclei, they still face limited options due to former ownership of public housing.
Aware said such conditions for home ownership imposed by the Housing Board should be reviewed, and child-related benefits should not be restricted to married parents.
The paper also tackled issues specific to minority communities like LGBTQ people and Muslims.
Aware noted that LGBTQ and gender non-confirming students face high levels of bullying and discrimination in schools and recommended that the Education Ministry establish clear guidelines on LGBTQ-affirming care that schools must follow, as well as policies to address gender- and sexuality-based bullying.
It also reiterated a call to repeal the law against sex between men – Section 377A of the Penal Code – as well as media policies which censor LGBTQ content. These policies contribute to stigma, low self-esteem and poor mental health among those in the community, Aware added.
The group also said Muslim women face specific disadvantages at work and in marriage. It called for Muslim women to be allowed to wear a headscarf, or tudung, in all workplaces.
Aware also called for the abolition of the provision for polygamy under the Administration of Muslim Law Act, which allows Muslim men to take up to four wives, along with the requirement for prospective brides to obtain the consent of a male family member to enter into marriage.
Muslim women should also have equal rights in inheritance matters and divorce, which are currently skewed in favour of men, Aware added.
Among other things, the paper also featured recommendations aimed at men, such as more accessible mental health services, higher quotas for paternity leave and greater support for male victims of sexual violence.