Day: April 5, 2022

Mr Speaker

1 Today we debate an issue close to my heart. I speak not just as a member of the house or a member of the front bench, but also as a son, a father and a husband.

2 At the core of this debate, are the relationships that all of us have with the women in our lives, at our workplaces, and in our country. Our duty to women should be equal to our duties to all our fellow citizens, and the choices open to women must be equal to those open to men.

Growing Up Amidst Changing Times

3 First, let me ask: What is the place of women in our lives?

4 I’ll share a bit of my own circumstances. My grandfather and grandmother had nine sons, I had no aunties, and my father was the second eldest son. They lived in a Kampung in Lorong Chuan, now part of Aljunied GRC. I grew up watching the men in my family breed fishes, plant vegetables, rear livestock, repair cars at the workshop in our kampung, and the women cook, clean and look after the children. There was “men’s work” and there was “women’s work”.

5 When my grandfather was gravely ill, I saw that it was my aunties, my uncles’ wives, who took care of him. After he passed away, during his last rites, the sons and daughters-in-law had distinct roles and observed protocols for women and men.

6 From young I felt some dissonance, because in my primary school, there was hardly any differentiation between the girls and boys.

7 If anything, the girls were quite often the better students while the boys were more playful and struggled to keep up. School lessons already included stories like Hua Mulan and Marie Curie. And so from a young age, we had both women and men as role models.

8 My parents moved into their own flat in Toa Payoh in the 1970’s. The household composition did not change. I had an elder brother, so my mother was the only woman in the family.

9 What changed was the role of my mother. She was a teacher, which meant she had to go to school very early in the morning, mark exam papers and homework when she came home, and also cook, clean and look after my brother and me as well as make sure we were up to speed with schoolwork.

10 In her I saw a very strong woman, who carved out a role as an equal in the family, even though her role was different from my father’s. To me and my brother, she was our disciplinarian and our anchor.

11 Growing up therefore, my family was mainly men, and women were the outliers. When I got married, and my wife and I had our own children, the situation changed completely. Both our children are girls. I became the outlier.

12 So today, after my parents’ passing, the people I love most in this world are all women. The dissonance I felt as a kid I slowly developed into a deeper understanding of the struggles and aspirations of women. I am not sure I totally get it, but I am trying to get it.

13 You see, as a young father, I had thought that whatever discrimination and biases there were against women, our daughters would be all right, because these would eventually be scrubbed out by the norms of a modern society.

14 After all, in Singapore, our daughters have a good education. They are growing up in a world where women can be CEOs, professionals and even leaders of nations. And as parents we will support them to fulfil their ambitions and aspirations.

15 But I soon realised it was not so simple and I saw it through the eyes of our daughters. When our daughters were just toddlers, during Chinese New Year visits, relatives would glance at them, followed by a question to my wife:

‘When are you having sons?’

To which my wife would always reply ‘I am happy with two girls!’

I know our daughters heard the conversation, I wonder how they felt.

16 As a young girl, our elder daughter learnt the concept of dowries and had a shock. It was over the dinner table, she asked,

‘Why must the groom’s family give the dowry? Why the four pieces of gold (for Teochews), the roast pig (for Cantonese and Hakka)?’

My wife calmly answered ‘Because the Chinese tradition is that the girl marries out…’

That got her even more upset, our daughter then exclaimed ‘So it is a transaction – we are sold?’

17 I tried to make things better by explaining that the money flowed both ways – that in some cultures it is the bride’s side that provides the dowry, in recognition that the husband will incur costs in taking care of the bride.

18 It wasn’t a helpful intervention. A very badly answered SQ. We left it as that.

A Contest Between Past and Present

19 All children, sons and daughters, are born into this world with no bias between women and men. But through my daughters’ eyes during their formative years, I better understood the lived experience of social expectations and prejudices.

20 These are beyond Government policies and legislation. In fact, policies and legislation and especially those in Singapore are meant to remove discrimination and promote equality.

21 Instead we have biases deeply embedded in our social practices and constructs. They probably had their roots in nomadic bands, where men mainly hunted, and women mainly gathered. The roots probably grew deeper in agrarian tribes, where men ploughed the fields, and the women took care of domestic matters.

22 And then the tribes decided to come together to form complex societies. Then, the key problem statement was: how do we as different tribes live peacefully together and not kill each other? The answer was to make everyone stakeholders of a stable and peaceful society.

23 That stake is the betterment of the family, of whom members are bonded by blood (and DNA). It then follows that blood lines must be drawn to define the family.

24 The basis to do so in most societies was the patriarchal structure. Therefore the expectations of having sons to carry the family line, daughters marrying out, dowries, sons having a greater share of inheritance – protected and reinforced the system.

25 We cannot undo all these longstanding anthropological practices and history in one generation.

26 But no matter how entrenched, that past is challenged by the present. I think there are at least three major driving forces. The first is education, and the second technology. They combine in a powerful way to force a rethink of the status quo.

27 Take education for example. Today, young girls in Singapore grow up in an environment that their grandmothers would not have imagined when they were children. Education has become the great equaliser in most societies.

28 With equal opportunities for education and development, women are now able to enter vocations and professions that were historically male-dominated.

29 Education as a driving force of equality is turbo-charged by the advancement of technology. What used to require physical strength can now be automated or performed by machines.

30 Neither men nor women are better at numerical calculation, or more empathetic or more meticulous. It is individuals that have varied strengths and weaknesses.

31 I was Transport Minister before and during that time I met many women engineers, in LTA, SMRT and SBST. When I was Education Minister, I met many male students training to be nurses, and now as Health Minister I see many of them serving in hospitals.

32 In my GRC, we have two successful women – Mariam Jaffar who trained as an engineer, and Poh Li San who was a Super Puma helicopter pilot.

33 The lines that were once perceived between male and female-dominated occupations are blurring, and the overlap, I believe, will enlarge over time.

Evolving Mindsets

34 Now let me talk about the third driving force that is challenging the past, and that is- our own effort to change the status quo. The patriarchal structure will evolve faster if people now conclude that a society that treats women and men more equally is better for the welfare of their families and loved ones.

35 It will take time. Government will have a key role. By enacting policies such as universal access to education, the Women’s Charter, and all the various recommendations in the White Paper currently before the House, we can catalyse and help accelerate into that new future.

36 Society must also play a part. That means you and I, every member, every family. I look after a constituency with many young couples, and I can see that many husbands are significantly involved in household and child-minding responsibilities. Some families even have a breadwinner mother and stay-at-home father because this is the best play of the family’s strength – unheard of in my growing up years.

37 Employers can decide, without the compulsion of law, that it makes business sense to get rid of gender biasness in hiring, promotion, appointment to boards and succession planning.

38 Having said that, the push for greater equality between men and women is a nuanced and long-term exercise.

39 I have highlighted the existence of societal biasness that we need to correct. But at the other end of the spectrum, there are inherent differences between women and men that cannot be ignored and should continue to exist. That’s what I believe.

40 Let me quote Mother Teresa, from her message for the World Conference on Women in 1995, she said:

‘I do not understand why some people are saying that women and men are exactly the same and are denying the beautiful differences between men and women… As I often say to people who tell me that they would like to serve the poor as I do, “What I can do, you cannot. What you can do, I cannot. But together we can do something beautiful for God.” It is just this way with the differences between women and men.’

41 Many women I know, including my wife, are against gender biasness in society, but they will also fiercely guard the difference between women and men.

42 Because they know daughters have a special bond with their parents that is different from the relationship that sons have. A woman, in a room full of men, is often able to articulate a different perspective.

43 For mothers, maternal instincts are non-substitutable. It comes from carrying the child for nine months, and manifests in mothers wanting to nurse the child after birth.

44 Let me offer another quote by a Hollywood star, Denzel Washington, when paying a tribute to his late mother, he said:

‘A mother is a son’s first true love (when he’s born). A son…is a mother’s last true love (when she dies).’

45 Single or married, mothers or women without children – women have special roles to play in their families and society because of these differences between women and men.

46 However, where does recognising inherent differences stop, and biasness and stereotyping begin? It is a very difficult and sensitive question, which I have no answer to.

47 During this debate, we have heard many examples and suggestions on enhancing various schemes. However, let’s look at the broader philosophical question in mind – we want to get rid of biasness but there are also inherent differences between women and men, beautiful differences.

48 Let’s look at leave. We only catered for maternity leave in our Employment Act decades ago, as women need to recuperate after childbirth. Infant care and child-minding were mostly performed by the women so they had maternity leave. Then in 2004 and 2008, we introduced childcare and infant care leave respectively, as we saw men performing more of such responsibilities. Then in 2013, we introduced one week of Paternity Leave. As we saw more men participating, we extended this by another week in 2017. Now in 2022, should we therefore declare all these as family care leave to be equally shared between men and women? Is this equality, or are we no longer recognising that there is still a difference between men and women? So let’s be wise when we make such suggestions and choices.

49 The recommendations in the White Paper are careful in recognising and striking this balance – championing equality especially of opportunities and progression, but yet recognising the “beautiful differences” between men and women. It is a wiser approach. There are many practical initiatives – anti-discriminatory measures in the workplace, flexible working arrangements, stronger support for caregivers, allowing elective egg freezing, and upholding stiffer penalties for sexual offences.

50 Of particular importance are the moves to strengthen the family support infrastructure, which are empowering for women at various stages of their lives.

51 On this, let’s also have some perspective. It is not difficult to ask for more subsidies and schemes. For example, calls to further increase the Home Caregiving Grant even after we had doubled the grant from $200 to $400, and increasing the pool of beneficiaries.

52 From a technical perspective, the Home Caregiving Grant is not universal, but is broad-based. No doubt if we were to transfer someone from a nursing home to a home care environment, this would allow the Government to save on subsidies. And we can think about how to help such individuals and families more. However, when we implement a Home Caregiving Grant, it does not only cater to this group. It is broad-based and whoever meets the criteria is eligible. It is therefore quite a big scheme. If we wish to further expand its coverage, we will need more budget and this would have to come through some means such as raising taxes. If we object to raising taxes, then where will the budget come from?

53 So we will continue to find ways to support families – from housing, to education and to generally providing a safe and peaceful environment to raise children as well as for home care.

A Message for Men

54 Mr Speaker Sir, I have been speaking as a son, father and husband. Now let me speak as a man, to fellow men.

55 I say: let us all be stakeholders in a fair and equal society.

56 At the most basic level, let us respect women through our words and actions. Offences against women are clearly wrong, and the vast majority of us agree with that. Perhaps what is less obvious is the occasional insensitive remark that reflects an unconscious bias or stereotype.

57 Understand and see things from a woman’s point of view. Stop mansplaining, using diminutives, or doing things in the presence of women that they feel embarrassed by.

58 Let us be more proactive in supporting the women in our lives, just as they support us. This could mean undertaking the roles that society often expects women to do – like household chores, parenting, arranging for food during a gathering or conference or parliament sitting. Many men already do these things, and we can certainly do more as equal partners in society, and in solidarity with women.

59 Finally, while we accord women respect, let us take a step further to be chivalrous. I may be old-fashioned, but I personally think there is much virtue in men extending a special courtesy to women.

60 To be honest, I often feel uneasy that just because I am a Minister, people, including my female staff, will attempt to offer to carry my bag or open the door for me.

61 I will always try to stop them and offer to open the door for them instead, often reminding them that ‘etiquette comes before protocol.’

62 Such courtesy is timeless. It does not lessen the person at the receiving end or imply that they cannot do it themselves. They are perfectly capable of doing it themselves! Instead, it adds a certain appreciation and complementarity to the relationship between women and men.

63 I want to make a special shout out to our youths, having met many of them during my time as Minister for Education.

64 I say to them, be kind to all your friends. Accord respect and courtesy to one another. Listen to the views of everyone, boys and girls. Keep the games and jokes appropriate and tasteful – not from your point of view, but from theirs.

65 Sexual offences are a rising problem amongst your generation. The boys might be uncomfortable hearing this, but I think it is important you hear this. Never be part of the problem, but be part of the solution. When in doubt, always do the right thing. Watch out for the girls. If it is late at night, offer to walk them to the bus stop, MRT station or even their destinations.

66 Most of you take wefies now. But on those rare occasions where you take a photo with your class, CCA group or with a Minister, do not let the girls kneel in front and the boys stand at the back. Boys, volunteer to squat in front or at least position yourselves freely as equals.

67 SMM restrictions are now lifted, and we can take big group photos again, without 1m spacing. So make this a new post COVID-19 normal!

The Ballad of Mulan

68 Mr Speaker Sir, to end the speech let me talk about a familiar character in Chinese history which is Hua Mulan.

69 Members are familiar with the story. A poem was written about her, called the Mulan Ballad ???. I thought the last few lines are particularly meaningful. In Chinese, it goes:

?????,?????;

?????,???????!

70 Roughly translated it means: When you catch hold of a rabbit, the male rabbit kicks its legs. If you catch hold of a female rabbit, it will close its eyes. But when they are running side by side, you cannot tell which is male, which is female.

71 This was written in 400AD, during the era of Northern Wei. Even in highly patriarchal ancient China, there was recognition that there are inherent differences between men and women. But there are many roles that can be equally performed by both women and men.

72 As our daughters grow up and start their own families, they will likely face the same dilemma as many women today, juggling multiple responsibilities, and feeling guilty if they fall short of being the “superwoman” who can handle it all.

73 But if my daughters decide as a life priority to start a family and spend more time as mothers to bring up their children, even at the expense of their career progression, I will be immensely proud of them.

74 And if they decide they prefer to be single and use their talents to contribute to society and community, I will also be immensely proud of them.

75 But whichever priority they put greater weight on, whatever life course they choose, they should not be pressured to do so. This shall be their choice.

76 As a son, father and husband, and a member of this House, I see our collective duty to support women in whatever they set out to do, and accelerate away from our antiquated past of women and men stereotypes, at home, at work, and in society.

77 The future that we envision, must be a society that dispels unconscious bias, promotes the right value of mutual respect between all individuals, upholds meritocracy, and provides as much support as we can to enable caregivers to find better balance in their roles.

78 In my mind, this equality to freedom of choice is at the heart of the White Paper, and the reason why I strongly support its recommendations.

79 Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Source: Ministry of Health, Singapore

IPOH (Malaysia) Malaysia has so far not recorded any cases of the new Omicron XE variant, a new mutation, which is more contagious than any of the other COVID-19 variants, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said the ministry was currently following the developments and studying the characteristics of this variant that had been reported in other countries including Thailand in order to identify its infectivity rate and seriousness to patients.

“The Omicron variants, for example, have higher number of cases than the Delta but their seriousness is about average compared to the Delta, hence the intensive care units are not full like before.

“We need to look into this new variant that is occurring in other countries, whether its infectivity rate or seriousness is high, then only we take the appropriate measures,” he said at a news conference here Tuesday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reportedly warned about the Omicron XE, a new mutation of the Omicron variant, which is more contagious than the other COVID-19 variants.

WHO, through its latest report, states that this variant is a recombinant strain, a mutant hybrid of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2.

Source: Nam News Network

Introduction

1. For a woman in Singapore to be truly unencumbered to pursue her aspirations and make real choices in her life, we need to address challenges that many women still face today and facilitate the path for her to seek opportunities. I join this debate to speak on two salient challenges; coping with caregiving duties and seeking a safe digital space.

2. Caregivers are the cornerstones of our families. Their contribution is part of what makes Singapore a thriving and caring society. I am encouraged to see many men share caregiving responsibilities at home – as husbands, sons, and fathers. However, some stereotypes remain, and women continue to take on a higher load. During the Conversations on Women’s Development, many women shared that they struggled with balancing what they were traditionally expected to do as caregivers against achieving their aspirations, and often had to choose one over the other. They hoped men and women could take on a more equal share of caregiving duties.

3. Caregiving is a shared responsibility. I am glad to hear the calls made by my colleagues in this House for men and women to partner each other as equals. Each family should find their own balance, with family members pitching in to care for loved ones and giving each other real choices to pursue their aspirations regardless of gender. This is a vision we must continue to work towards.

Supporting Caregivers of Seniors

4. The Government understands that caregiving can be a heavy load to shoulder alone. We need to provide more support to caregivers – both men and women alike – so that they can find that balance between caregiving and pursuing their aspirations. Some may choose to dedicate more time to caregiving. Greater support will help them to manage the load better.

5. Minister Masagos earlier shared about efforts to support families with young children. Allow me to share more about our plans to strengthen support for caregivers of seniors. We are proud to be a society where children feel an innate sense of responsibility to care for their elderly parents, but this duty can be challenging.

6. In 2019, MOH launched the Caregiver Support Action Plan to support caregiving for seniors. We will build on these efforts to recognise and empower caregivers.

Ease caregiving load

7. Firstly, we will enhance the options for respite care to ease the caregiving load. Caregiving can be a long journey – a marathon, rather than a sprint.

8. Crystal Lee is one example of a caregiver who has had a long caregiving journey.

a. She started at the young age of 13, caring for her father, who suffered from various cancers. Later on, she also took care of her mother who suffered from a stroke. More than 20 years later, Crystal continues to care for her mother. Her father has since passed on.

b. Crystal shared that her mother goes to the nearby day care centre, giving Crystal time to rest and recharge. She also taps on the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) to help her reduce her care costs.

c. These alternative care arrangements have given Crystal space to pursue her hobbies and continue working as a part-time nurse.

9. Today, we have a range of eldercare and respite care services that help to ease the caregiving load of caregivers like Crystal, allowing them to rest and pursue other goals, with a peace of mind that their loved ones are well cared for. MOM recently announced plans to broaden the Household Services Scheme to provide basic elder-minding and childminding services. This provides another option for caregivers to tap on to take a break.

10. Nonetheless, some caregivers shared during the Conversations that they were unaware of the respite options available. Others hoped to access respite care more readily. I would like to assure Mr Gerald Giam that MOH is reviewing the respite care landscape to better meet the needs of caregivers, and make respite care more accessible, affordable, and available. We will share more details in due course.

Enhancing our care ecosystem

11. Secondly, MOH will continue to explore ways to enhance our care ecosystem. Over the years, we have expanded the capacity and range of eldercare services to meet the care needs of our seniors. Many seniors and their caregivers have benefitted from these services.

12. Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Gerald Giam have asked whether our care infrastructure will continue to be sufficient. Indeed, as our population ages, the caregiving load on families will grow. Household sizes are also shrinking, with fewer members to share caregiving responsibilities. Some may turn to nursing homes to provide care. However, nursing homes should be reserved for those with the highest care needs and no family support. Many of our seniors also prefer to age-in-place at home. We want to continue to fulfil their aspirations.

13. To do so, we need to build on the range of services and support structure in place today, to better care for seniors at home. Some seniors may be less mobile and need more help with activities of daily living throughout the day. Others may need support beyond the typical service hours of their nearby day care centres.

14. MOH is therefore exploring further future support to enhance the care ecosystem. Together with the various initiatives announced in the White Paper, we aspire to provide wraparound care for seniors residing within the community, even for those with higher care needs. This way, our caregivers can continue caring for their elderly loved ones in the community, instead of in nursing homes.

Provide more financial support

15. Another area of concern is financial support for caregivers. I thank members for the various suggestions raised during this Debate. Our caregivers care for their children and elderly parents out of love and not for hope of reward. This value of family support and filial piety is something we should continue to treasure and uphold.

16. Nonetheless, caregivers shared that they feel the financial strain of caring for their loved ones at home, in spending on care options and daily necessities. More financial support can go a long way to help caregivers obtain the help they need to ease their caregiving journey.

17. In 2019, the Government rolled out the HCG to defray caregiving costs. The grant has since supported more than 39,000 beneficiaries. In Feb 2022, we also rolled out an expanded Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund, which is expected to benefit more than 38,000 seniors in 2022.

18. Since then, we have reviewed the HCG and enhanced it to recognise caregivers’ contributions and further reduce caregiving costs. The grant will be increased from $200 per month to up to $400 per month, with more help provided to lower-income families.

19. Members of the House have expressed their support for this enhancement, and rightly so. The enhanced HCG builds on multiple layers of financial support provided today to defray the costs of care for those living at home. As a start, the Government already provides generous means-tested subsidies of up to 80% for centre- and home-based eldercare services. A care recipient using these community care services may benefit from subsidies of more than $8,000 per year. Other support includes grants and insurance schemes like CareShield Life and ElderShield. Together, these go a long way in helping to lighten the financial load on caregivers. Some members have made suggestions calling for even more financial support. These are not new propositions requiring paradigm shifts. We have and will continue to study these carefully. However, we must recognise that any additional support comes at a cost, and will raise our long-term healthcare expenditure and impose pressure on our fiscal resources.

Supporting caregivers’ retirement adequacy

20. Beyond helping caregivers afford the help they need today in their caregiving journey, we also need to ensure they are cared for, especially in their old age. Those who have cared for their loved ones for most of their life may have lower savings for their own retirement.

21. The Government has put in place various initiatives to help build up the retirement adequacy of Singaporeans, including older caregivers. The Silver Support Scheme provides quarterly payouts to seniors who had low incomes during their working years and now have less in retirement. Families can also play a part by topping up the CPF accounts of their loved ones. We will support you with tax incentives and matching grants for eligible seniors.

Improve care navigation

22. I would like to assure Mr Sharael Taha that we will also continue our efforts to make it easier for caregivers to access the support they need throughout their caregiving journey, including preparing for the end-of-life. Caregivers of seniors and those with mental health conditions can look to AIC as a one-stop resource, be it for referrals to care services, applying to financial schemes, or tapping on respite care options. MOH and AIC will also build on existing caregiver support networks and outreach teams to provide more sustained support. To improve visibility of these efforts, AIC and MOH will launch a publicity campaign starting this year, to raise awareness of available resources and where to seek help.

Family and community support

23. This is a journey we need to embark on together to support our caregivers. Family members can share caregiving responsibilities. Employers can be more understanding towards caregivers who need flexible work arrangements because of their caregiving commitments.

24. Peers can also make a difference. When like-minded caregivers are brought together, they can provide a listening ear, share experiences, and even lend a helping hand. MOS Low Yen Ling will share more about the Government’s plans to form community-based peer support networks for caregivers. Together, as a community, we can lighten the load for all caregivers.

Support for Malay Muslim Women

25. Mr Speaker, allow me to say a few words in Malay.

26. Saya berterima kasih kepada rakan-rakan sekerja saya kerana berkongsi pandangan mereka tentang perlunya menyokong para wanita Melayu/Islam. Sememangnya, kita telah mendapatkan perspektifdaripada pelbagai lapisan masyarakat Singapura dan merentasi pelbagai kumpulan, termasuk masyarakat Melayu Islam. Oleh itu, kita telah juga melibatkan kumpulan-kumpulan seperti PPIS dan Forum Belia Muslim dalam perbincangan ini.

27. Selain inisiatif Pemerintah untuk menyokong pembangunan wanita Singapura, usaha-usaha kemasyarakatan melalui agensi-agensi M3 dan pertubuhan Melayu/Islam kita telah memperkukuhkan lagi sokongan untuk wanita dalam aspek perkahwinan dan keibubapaan, pekerjaan dan lain-lain. Contohnya, dalam bidang perkerjaan, kita mengukuhkan sokongan untuk wanita kembali bekerja melalui program Wanita Kembali Bekerja kelolaan Mendaki, yang menyediakan peluang untuk wanita mendapatkan kemahiran baru dan pekerjaan yang sesuai.

28. Ramai wanita punya semangat yang kuat dan mampu untuk meningkatkan dirinya jika diberi peluang. Maka itu, kita lihat lebih ramai wanita dilantik sebagai pemimpin, termasuk juga di institusi-institusi agama dan badan-badan masyarakat Melayu/Islam. Untuk menjawab soalan Dr Wan Rizal sekarang ada 122 anggota wanita yang kini menganggotai Lembaga Pentadbir Masjid (MMB). Mahkamah Syariah (SYC) kini dipimpin oleh Presiden Kanan wanita yang pertama, dan beliau disokong oleh golongan profesional undang-undang wanita lain seperti Presiden (Hakim), pendaftar serta penolong pendaftar di mana kaum wanita membentuk 66 peratus daripada kepimpinan Mahkamah Syariah. Pada 2019, buat pertama kalinya, seorang wanita, Ustazah Dr Rohana Ithnin, telah dilantik sebagai salah satu daripada empat anggota penuh dalam Jawatankuasa Fatwa Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura.

29. Pencapaian kaum wanita boleh dibanggakan. Namun, kita akan terus mempertingkatkan dan membina usaha-usaha memperkasa wanita Melayu/Islam untuk mencapai aspirasi mereka.

Supporting women who are victims of online harms

30. Mr Speaker, I would now like to address the issue of enabling all women to navigate the digital world confidently and safely.

31. Singapore’s digitalisation journey has benefitted many women by unlocking new employment opportunities, such as in cybersecurity and technology sectors. Digitalisation has also enabled many women to better manage their responsibilities at home and work. However, as more of us go “digital”, some have unfortunately fallen victim to online harms. SMS Sim Ann explained how women have been particularly impacted by this phenomenon.

Need for whole-of-society effort

32. The Government seeks to build a digital society where everyone can have a positive digital experience. However, we cannot do this alone. Whole-of-society efforts like the Digital for Life movement, which brings together partners from the People, Private and Public sectors, are needed to nurture a safe digital space for all.

33. The Sunlight Alliance for Action (AfA), which I co-chair with SMS Sim Ann, was launched in support of the Digital for Life movement. To-date, the AfA’s work covers Public Education, Victim Support, Youth Engagement, Research and Volunteerism. SMS Sim Ann elaborated earlier on the importance of creating a supportive environment for all women online, as we do in the real world, and how the community has worked together through the AfA to ensure women and girls benefit from our increasingly digitalised society. Apart from the Sunlight AfA, we have also seen various community partners contribute to the ecosystem to tackle online harms. This includes the Defence Guild SG, which was launched in June 2021 by a group of lawyers, following an offensive online poll sexualising women asatizah. MP Zhulkarnain Rahim is part of this effort.

Enhancing online safety through legislation

34. In addition to initiatives by the community, legislation is also needed to enhance online safety. Many countries such as Germany, Australia, and the UK, have introduced or are looking into new regulations to tackle harmful online content.

35. Closer to home, the desire for enhanced measures to protect users from online harms is strong. A baseline study commissioned by the Sunlight AfA in January 2022 found that 43% of respondents considered stricter enforcement of relevant laws to be the most effective solution to reduce gender-based online harms. In addition, respondents felt that companies and platforms have the most room for improvement in tackling the issue.

36. In line with global trends and citizens’ desire for stronger safeguards in the digital space, MCI recently announced the introduction of Codes of Practice to raise the baseline standard for online safety so as to:

• Minimise exposure to harmful content;

• Empower users to report and prevent the further spread of harmful content; and

• Ensure online platforms remain accountable on their measures and processes to keep users safe.

37. Moving forward, the Sunlight AfA will also be developing a research roadmap to inform future research priorities and measures to address online harms. Given the fast-evolving digital landscape, continued research will be critical in generating insights to help us protect our people in online spaces. As MCI develops these Codes of Practice, we will consult community stakeholders, including AfA members, to ensure efforts to nurture a safe online environment are tailored to meet the needs of Singaporeans.

Conclusion

38. Mr Speaker, Singapore has made significant progress over the years in shifting societal norms between men and women, from one based on patriarchal values to one based on respect and partnership. However, some stereotypes and challenges remain that impede our progress in creating a fairer and equal society. As we mature as a society, our mindsets need to change collectively. Everyone has a part to play, be it in caregiving or in ensuring a safe digital space for all. Let us walk together on this journey and empower all Singaporeans – men and women alike – to pursue their aspirations freely and to the fullest.

Source: Ministry of Health, Singapore

BANGKOK, April 5 (NNN-Bernama) — Thai health authorities on Tuesday warned that the public should brace for a surge in COVID-19 cases after the upcoming Songkran Festival from April 13 to 15.

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) projected that in the worst case scenario, if the public fail to adhere to the various COVID-19 preventive measures, the daily COVID-19 cases could hit 100,000 after the Thai New Year.

Also, under the same scenario the daily fatalities could surpass 250 cases from mid-April to May.

Hence, DDC Epidemiology Bureau chief Dr Jakrat Phittayawong-anon urged the public to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 measures.

“The daily COVID-19 cases would double to around 50,000 cases and more than 100 fatalities after Songkran.

“However, failure to adhere to these measures will bring a worst-case scenario of 100,000 daily infections, with up to 6,000 pneumonia patients, with1,700 needing respirators and over 250 deaths per day,” he was quoted saying by The Nation.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha also urged the public to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 preventive measures, including wearing mask in public places.

Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the prime minister also urged the public to conduct self rapid antigen test and those above 60 years old and high risk group to take their booster shot.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said, amid high vaccination rates in the kingdom, he is confident the ministry could manage the COVID-19 situation if there is a surge after Songkran.

However, he raised concern on the unvaccinated elderly and children under five.

Over the last 24 hours, Thailand recorded 21,088 new cases and 91 fatalities, bringing the total infections in the kingdom to 3,757,575 and 25,603 deaths.

Source: Nam News Network