Work-life balance came out tops among 70 women at a Our Singapore Conversation on Tuesday evening, when asked what would make them feel a sense of belonging in Singapore.

Held at The Grassroots Club and attended mostly by women from grassroots organisations, the session revolved around three themes: strengthening sense of being Singaporean, a comfortable standard of living for Singaporeans, and and nurturing strong families.

Work-life balance was key to developing deeper relationships with family, colleagues, neighbours and friends, which would in turn make Singaporeans feel more rooted, said the women. They said a mindset change among employers was in order, but admitted that it might come with a trade-off, such as lower productivity.

The participants also pointed to the importance of inculcating strong values in children from young, in order to nurture strong families. The women echoed the view that children nowadays lack resilience and respect. They said parents, grandparents and educators should take the lead in imparting those values.

Dr Amy Khor, Minister of State for Health and Manpower, who chaired the session, said that it was heartening to see that the participants understood that everyone has a part to play in building a sense of belonging.