Women’s development ‘still a work in progress’, more workplace support needed: Halimah Yacob

SINGAPORE – Schemes like flexible work arrangements or skills training programmes are needed to make sure that women do not drop out of the labour market, given that they continue to shoulder most of the domestic responsibilities, said former president Halimah Yacob on Oct 28.

“If you want women to continue to live productive lives economically, you will have to make sure that... the schemes must be there to support them,” she added.

While women have entered the workforce in droves to help shape the society with their talent and capabilities and progressed in educational attainment and career advancement, what has not changed much is society’s caregiving demands on them, she said.

“Some changes are taking place, and I think that’s for the good of society, but not fast enough,” she said, adding that caregiving and child-caring duties are still very much a female responsibility today.

“Frankly speaking, when you talk about progress and development of women, it’s always a work in progress.”

Madam Halimah, who is also chancellor of the Singapore University of Social Sciences, was speaking at a fireside chat at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in Fort Canning.

More can be done at the workplace to support women in their family responsibilities and career aspirations, in tandem with changes in policy, she said. She cited changes in the past that have contributed to progress today.

For example, there used to be a quota on the number of female medical students. The “outdated thinking” back then was that women were more likely than men to quit or work only part-time, said Madam Halimah. The policy was

abolished in 2003.

Female civil servants also used to have

less favourable medical benefits

than their male counterparts, she added. From 2005, married female civil servants received the same dependant healthcare benefits as their male counterparts.

“You see policies, rules, laws changing to reflect the changes in society, and that’s what we need to do all the time,” she said.

When it comes to flexible work, Madam Halimah said one challenge is in ensuring the part-time or half-time pay is sufficient for the women and their families.

Matching them to the right jobs to fit their time constraints and to reduce their travelling time is also crucial, she said.

Another challenge is that those who are re-entering the jobs market after their caregiving duties also need to regain or update their skills, she added.

Ms Sim Hwee Hoon, YWCA’s president, cited local numbers that show that more than 60 per cent of informal caregivers are women. More than 80 per cent of the people who left the workforce due to caregiving are also women.

YWCA, Singapore’s first and longest-serving women’s charity, will introduce an option for employees to work just half a week from January 2026. This will support women, particularly those caring for both children and ageing parents, in achieving greater balance among work, family and personal well-being, said Ms Sim.

It hopes to inspire other organisations to embrace similar flexible work arrangements, she added.

YWCA also plans to create a Hope Hub at its Outram Road premises that will serve as a collaborative space to bring together women’s organisations, social enterprises and community partners. The first phase of Hope Hub is slated to open in 2027.

On Oct 28, YWCA also launched its heritage gallery named Empowered by Love in commemoration of its 150th anniversary.

The permanent gallery at the YWCA Fort Canning Hotel traces the organisation’s journey from its founding in 1875 to its present-day efforts in empowering women and families of all races and religions.

Visitors can relive the past through a re-creation of the 1923 Blue Triangle Lunch Room – one of YWCA’s earliest community spaces – and view historical artefacts, documents and photographs that showcase its pioneering work.

Some of its firsts in Singapore include setting up a women’s lending library, night schools for educational needs, childcare centres that enable women to participate in the workforce, and hostels that provide safe lodging for women travellers.

It also launched its heritage menu at its social enterprise, Cafe Lodge at YWCA Fort Canning, which uses long-lost recipes from its past cookery books dating back as early as 1932.

Commending YWCA on its work, Madam Halimah said: “I hope that we genuinely can become a much more caring society... It must be the work of all of us to extend the understanding and support.”