Family & gender — Topics

3 Mar 2020

Number of Applications Received from Work Permit Holders to Marry Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents Past Five Years

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked for the number of marriage applications from work permit holders to Singapore citizens or permanent residents over the past five years, including rejection rates, top reasons for rejection, and approval considerations.
From 2015 to 2019, the Ministry received about 1,200 such applications annually, with approximately 80% approved in recent years.
The most common reasons for rejection were lack of gainful employment or income instability, and applications are assessed holistically based on the applicant's ability to support themselves and their families.

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2 Mar 2020

Rationale for Requiring Work Permit Holder to Seek Approval to Marry Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident

The requirement applies only to work permit holders (WPHs) because they are considered transient workers who are less likely to meet Singapore's long-term stay criteria compared to Employment or S Pass holders.
Marriage to a Singapore citizen or permanent resident does not automatically grant the right to stay, so the policy aims to prevent situations where approval might be futile by signaling early that not all marriages will be permitted.
In the last five years, about 80% of WPHs who applied have been granted approval to marry a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, showing the policy is not absolute.

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2 Mar 2020

Conduct Study on Why Fathers are not Taking Their Paternity Leave

The Government has conducted a study on barriers to fathers taking paternity leave, finding workplace support as the key factor influencing take-up, with concerns about career impact and coverage of duties.
Paternity leave take-up in Singapore has risen from 25% in 2013 to 53% recently, with 84% in the public sector, though workplace norms, similar to other East Asian societies, still affect rates.
A whole-of-society effort is needed to support fathers, with ongoing collaboration with employers and community partners like the Centre for Fathering to promote paternal involvement.

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28 Feb 2020

Committee of Supply – Head U (Prime Minister's Office)

Members debated Singapore’s comprehensive climate strategy, with Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean announcing enhanced 2030 emissions targets and a 2050 net-zero aspiration, focusing on industry transformation, new technologies, and regional cooperation, while also outlining $100 billion over 100 years for coastal protection.
The House discussed population and family policies, with Minister Josephine Teo detailing enhancements to support marriage and parenthood, such as improved housing and preschool subsidies, and stressed the need for a whole-of-society effort to address low fertility and integrate immigrants.
The debate covered Smart Nation and digital government initiatives, with Minister Vivian Balakrishnan highlighting benefits like the Moments of Life app and improved digital services, while also addressing data security and the need for inclusive design to support vulnerable citizens.

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27 Feb 2020

Extending Mandatory Time-frame for When Government-Paid Paternity Leave can be Consumed to 24 Months

Louis Ng asked whether the government would extend the consumption period for government-paid paternity leave from 12 to 24 months after childbirth.
The Minister for Manpower replied that there are no plans to extend the period, as paternity leave is meant to support care in the infant’s early months, aligning with international practices where leave is typically consumed within a year.
The Minister noted that paternity leave utilisation in Singapore is about 53%, higher than in some countries like Denmark (70%) and South Korea (3%), but workplace norms still affect take-up rates.
Louis Ng suggested allowing fathers to take paternity leave anytime within 12 months without needing a continuous block or employer consent to increase uptake.
The Minister indicated that workplace support and flexible work arrangements are being encouraged, and further discussions on parenthood policies will be held during the Committee of Supply.

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26 Feb 2020

Proposal to Review Built Environment Code to Enable Building of More Lactation Rooms

The government expanded the requirement for lactation rooms in the 2019 Built Environment Code to cover more building types, but the 10,000 sqm gross floor area threshold remains to balance practical space use.
The Minister of State highlighted existing funding, such as the Accessibility Fund, to subsidize up to 60% of costs for voluntary installation of lactation rooms beyond code requirements.
Louis Ng Kok Kwang emphasized the conflict between promoting breastfeeding and supporting working mothers, noting privacy and noise issues for those in smaller buildings and calling for more lactation rooms or grants.
The Minister of State acknowledged that many private buildings provide lactation rooms voluntarily and that demand varies by workforce, making strict regulation impractical but promoting further studies.
While there is no fixed date for the next Code review, the government committed to continuous study and promotion of lactation rooms, encouraging employers to provide facilities based on user needs.

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18 Feb 2020

Encouraging Companies to Provide Family Care Leave and Other Support to Help Employees Cope with Work and Care-giving Responsibilities

The Government and tripartite partners are committed to supporting working caregivers, with a cross-agency review indicating that Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) are more critical than family care leave based on employee feedback.
MOM has implemented a multi-pronged strategy to encourage FWA adoption, including increased grants, recognition through Tripartite Standards, guidance resources, and active promotion to employers.
Efforts have shown positive results, with over 90% of employers offering FWAs in 2018 and more than 80% of employees who needed FWAs being able to access them.
Tripartite partners plan to intensify efforts to support FWA adoption, with further details to be shared in upcoming Committee of Supply debates.
The focus remains on helping employees balance work and caregiving responsibilities through practical measures like FWAs.

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18 Feb 2020

Number of Families and Couples Renting under Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme and Those in Arrears

Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for National Development for the number of families and couples renting under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) and the number and percentage of this group in arrears.
As of end January 2020, about 630 households were renting under PPHS, with approximately 7% of them in arrears.
HDB works with households in arrears on instalment plans or to move to lower-rent flats, and those in financial hardship may be referred to MSF for assistance.

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18 Feb 2020

Review of Sexual Education in Schools with Greater Emphasis on Gender Equality

Anthea Ong proposed a review of sexual education to include greater focus on gender equality, beyond just protection and abuse, and asked about the frequency and process of programme reviews.
Ong Ye Kung stated that sexuality education already covers gender roles and stereotypes, emphasizing that interests and careers are not defined by gender, alongside self-development and relationship skills.
The Ministry of Education conducts regular reviews of sexual education programmes, incorporating research, stakeholder input, and local context, with recent updates addressing pornography and social media impacts.

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18 Feb 2020

Financial Products to Protect Special Needs Children and Their Families

The Minister outlined existing financial protections including the Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC) and the Special Needs Saving Scheme (SNSS) for long-term care planning.
Caregivers can access insurance and savings tools like the Dependants’ Protection Scheme, CareShield Life, and MediShield Life to build financial safety nets.
Additional support is available through the Home Caregiving Grant, government subsidies for essential services, and employment assistance via SG Enable for persons with disabilities.

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18 Feb 2020

Government’s Response to Recommendations from Institute of Policy Studies Report on Stay-at-home Fathers

The Government has progressively increased paternity leave, raising it from two to eight weeks in the child's first year over the past five years, with take-up rates rising from 25% to 53%.
The Government will focus on encouraging more fathers to use existing leave and promoting flexible work arrangements before considering further enhancements, while balancing parental needs with workplace demands.
The Minister acknowledged the IPS study's findings on societal norms but emphasized that policies are continuously reviewed, with a current focus on pre-school alternatives and changing workplace norms rather than immediate changes to parental leave policies.

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4 Feb 2020

Breakdown of Number of Families Consisting of Singaporean Citizens Married to Non-resident Spouses with Citizen and Non-resident Children

Ms Anthea Ong asked for the number of families with a Singaporean citizen married to a non-resident spouse and specific child compositions over the last five years.
The government responded that the latest estimate from the 2015 General Household Survey showed 18,700 such couples, with 1,200 having at least one non-resident child and 7,000 having at least one citizen child.
Data on couples with both citizen and non-resident children is unavailable, but the upcoming 2020 Census of Population will assess if this can be obtained.

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3 Feb 2020

Supply and Demand for After-school Care Facilities and Quality Yardstick to Assess Student Care Centre Operators

The Ministry for Social and Family Development reported that Singapore has over 400 registered Student Care Centres (SCCs) providing about 42,000 places, with current enrolment at 32,000 children, indicating capacity exceeds demand across all towns; feedback from parents shows about 43% relates to specific SCC issues like hygiene, 5% to affordability, and 6% to capacity, with the rest covering other matters.
The Ministry provides guidelines on recommended qualifications for SCC staff, such as the Workforce Skills Qualifications Introductory Student Care Centre Course, to ensure supervisors and staff are trained in creating a safe and developmentally appropriate environment.
All registered SCCs must meet standards in supervision, physical environment, operating hours, safety, health, hygiene, and structured daily programmes, with the Ministry conducting audits at least once every two years and more frequently if needed based on feedback or identified weaknesses.

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3 Feb 2020

Statistics on Number of Childcare Centres Located at Workplaces, Transport Hubs and Residential Areas

The government reports that childcare centres are distributed across residential estates (980 centres, 107,000 places), workplaces and near transport hubs (510 centres, 64,000 places), with 210 centres in or near transport hubs providing 26,000 places.
Anchor operators primarily locate centres in residential estates (95%) with a small fraction near workplaces, while partner operators have 60% in residential estates and 40% near workplaces; 15–20% of both operator types are situated in or near transport hubs.
The Early Childhood Development Agency plans to continue expanding quality and affordable government-supported pre-school places to meet parents’ needs and preferences.

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3 Feb 2020

Efforts to Address Attitudes of Students and Educators towards Sexual Objectification, Harassment and Abuse of Women

The Ministry of Education and Institutes of Higher Learning have enhanced education for students and staff through orientations, online modules, workshops, and campaigns to address sexual misconduct.
They have strengthened disciplinary frameworks, including imposing tougher penalties such as expulsion for sexual misconduct.
Campus infrastructure has been improved with expanded CCTV coverage and full-height partitions in restrooms to prevent incidents like voyeurism.
Support for victims has been bolstered with training for first responders, 24-hour helplines, dedicated victim care units, and enhanced counselling services.

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3 Feb 2020

Amount of Grant and Subsidies Given to PAP Community Foundation for Set-up and Operation of Childcare Centres and Kindergartens

The government provides grants to pre-school operators like the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) under schemes that require fee caps and quality improvements, with funding based on the number of places and services offered.
From 2014 to 2018, the average government grant for each Singapore Citizen child enrolled in PCF Sparkletots was about $3,500 per year, compared to an average of $4,300 across all anchor operators.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary declined to provide the total grant amount for PCF over the past five years, stating that per-child figures are more meaningful due to varying operator sizes.
A follow-up question was raised about using state-subsidised facilities for political activities like Meet-the-People sessions, but the official referred to previous discussions in Parliament for answers.

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3 Feb 2020

Survey on Perceptions of Discriminatory Hiring and Other HR Practices to Include Employee Respondents

Leon Perera inquired whether the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has conducted a survey on perceptions of discriminatory hiring and HR practices that includes employee respondents, and when findings would be published.
The Minister of State for Manpower replied that over 80% of job seekers in a 2018 MOM survey did not perceive discrimination, and highlighted improvements in employment outcomes for older workers and women, as well as a narrowing gender pay gap.
Perera sought clarifications on the survey's scope, including whether it covered both job seekers and employed individuals, the breakdown of perceived discrimination types, sample size, and publication plans.
The Minister of State confirmed the survey was nationally representative with about 3,100 individuals and 3,400 establishments, and stated an occasional paper on fair employment would be published later in the year.

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6 Jan 2020

Percentage of Requests for Personal Protection Orders Made by Foreign Spouses against Their Husbands in Past Three Years

Ms Anthea Ong asked for the number and percentage of Personal Protection Order (PPO) requests made by foreign spouses against their husbands over the past three years, as well as how many and what percentage of such requests were approved.
In 2016, 2,811 PPO applications were received, with 203 (7%) filed by foreign wives against their husbands, and 101 (50%) of those were approved.
The remaining applications from foreign wives in 2016 were withdrawn, dismissed, or struck out.

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6 Jan 2020

Breakdown of Number and Percentage of Divorce Cases where Shared Care and Control of Children is Awarded

Louis Ng Kok Kwang requested a breakdown of the number and percentage of divorce cases where shared care and control of children was awarded for 2017 and 2018.
The Minister for Social and Family Development indicated that data collection is in progress with the Family Justice Courts and the Syariah Court.
The Minister confirmed that the information will be shared once it has been compiled and is ready for release.

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6 Jan 2020

Data Collection for Usage Rates of Government-Paid Childcare Leave

Mr Louis Ng asked the Ministry to collect data on the usage rates of Government-Paid Childcare Leave for working mothers and fathers and the number of children each employee has.
The Ministry explained it currently tracks take-up by counting employees who take four or more days of leave, as employers only claim reimbursement for such cases and are not required to submit data for leaves of one to three days.
The Ministry does not require employers to report the number of children an employee has, as eligibility is based on having at least one citizen child under seven years old.
The Ministry is refining data collection methods, including matching datasets and surveying parents, to better understand childcare leave usage without imposing excessive burdens on employers and employees.

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