With the focus on gender imbalance in the boardroom and enterprise leadership roles (Call to have 20% women directors on boards by 2020; March 24), other areas of gender inequality, such as national service and divorce, are, more often than not, sidestepped.

Gender imbalance swings both ways.

Let us face this fact: Without our men in the national defence force, thousands of jobs may be lost, leaving the point of gender equality in the workforce rather moot.

Also, efforts to increase gender equality in the area of post-marital maintenance fees and caregiving, in the light of women achieving greater financial independence, have been a tad sluggish.

While Singapore cannot compare with Nordic countries like Finland and Sweden in last year's Global Gender Gap Index, perhaps due to cultural differences, we have already outperformed almost all countries in Asia in this aspect.

Lim Chee Khiam