Debated in Parliament on 10 May 2021.
Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the key factors contributing to the reduction of gender wage gaps over the past decade; (b) what are the industries in which the gender wage gap is zero or reversed; and (c) whether there are industries in which the gender wage gap widens with career progression.
Singapore’s adjusted gender pay gap – that is, after adjusting for differences in occupation, industry, hours worked, age and education – narrowed from 8.8% in 2002 to 6.0% in 2018. This compares favourably to other countries such as the US and Canada, both of which are around 8.0%1.
Through a recent joint study on Singapore’s Adjusted Gender Pay Gap that MOM conducted in collaboration with Assoc Prof Jessica Pan from NUS, we found that the main contributing factor for gender pay gap in Singapore is occupational segregation. In the healthcare sector, for example, there are more men than women in higher-paying occupations such as medical doctors. For science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related occupations such as engineers, there is a higher proportion of men than women.
The adjusted gender pay gap measures the difference in pay for men and women in the same occupation. We are not able to isolate the impact that factors such as experience and performance have on career progression and consequently on the adjusted gender pay gap.
We seek to support women to enter and remain in occupations of their choice. This includes facilitating mentorships and career guidance to help women enter traditionally male-dominated industries, greater recognition of women and their career achievements to inspire other women to do the same, and upholding merit-based employment practices. We also encourage shared care-giving responsibilities between both genders as well as the adoption of flexible work arrangements and other work-life strategies to help employees fulfil both their work and personal responsibilities.
The fall in the adjusted gender pay gap is likely a result of these on-going efforts. Nevertheless, there remains much work to be done to promote the development of social norms that support more equal gender roles and more opportunities for women’s career progression.
PAPERCUTS