Mr Sharael Taha, Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC
Mr Albert Lim, Board Member of Centre for Fathering
Ladies and gentlemen
Fathers and daughters
Good afternoon. I am happy to join you today at this meaningful father-daughter event – Detik Istimewa Bersama Ayah (Special Moment With Dad).
A key event of the Muslim Fathering Month (Bulan Kebapaan), Detik Istimewa Bersama Ayah is an initiative by Centre for Fathering (CFF) and Bapa Sepanjang Hayat to encourage active fathering among Muslim fathers. I would like to commend CFF’s efforts to provide such a platform for fathers to connect with their daughters. The initiative kicked off in early September this year with a series of online and physical activities that will take place between September and December.
‘Detik Istimewa Bersama Ayah’ symbolically celebrates a daughter’s coming of age and highlights the irreplaceable role of a father in preparing her for young adulthood. Fathers play an important role in imparting values that will anchor her through the various phases of life.
This event is specially designed for fathers and their daughters aged 12 to 20 years, to connect through interactive activities, meaningful conversations and a shared commitment to each other. It is a time for you to express your love and affirmation for each other. The memories created today will certainly be a significant and treasured milestone in your father-daughter relationship.
Fathers, you have an important role to play in your daughter’s life. Research has shown how important father-daughter relationships are. Young women who have a positive relationship with their fathers achieve more academically, have higher self-esteem and make better relationship choices. Studies suggest that loving, encouraging fathers who respond calmly when their children misbehave raise girls who have a more positive outlook.
Fathers, you are your daughter’s guidepost for what to expect of men and their attitudes towards women, whether it is in platonic, familial or romantic relationships. Your relationship with your wife serves as an example for what her relationship with a man could be when she grows up.
Fathers have a responsibility to raise your daughters to be confident and assured that they are valued for who they are. It is also a father’s responsibility to overcome stereotypes through education starting from young, by raising your sons to honour and respect women. This can be done through leading by example, and fostering respectful relationships with your wives.
A father’s responsibility is a heavy but fulfilling one. Hence, to support fathers in your journey, the CFF was established in 2000 to address fatherlessness in Singapore. It empowers more fathers to become better role models and an enduring inspiration to their children.
Through the Muslim Fathering Month, fathering workshops and father-child bonding activities, the CFF and Bapa Sepanjang Hayat reach out to around 300,000 Muslim fathers and family members each year.
On Mother’s Day in 2019, DADs for Life (DFL) partnered with some mother volunteers to launch MUMs for Life (MFL) to “celebrate a mum’s identity as daughter, woman, wife and mother.” MFL complemented the work of DFL. When mothers live out their unique identities in their diverse roles and fathers are actively involved in the family, children are nurtured holistically and the family unit is strengthened.
Families for Life partners CFF in rallying and celebrating fathers who are actively involved in caregiving and parenting. While higher emphasis should be placed on the importance of shared parenting as joint spousal responsibility, we also need to recognise fathers who continue to challenge stereotypes and support the women in their lives. In line with the feedback received from the year-long nationwide Conversations of Singapore Women’s Development that concluded in September 2021, debunking stereotypes and shifting mindsets relating to a woman’s role in the family require a whole-of-society effort and partnership between men and women.
Parenting needs to be a partnership that builds and supports a strong foundation for the child, and it involves both parents supporting each other’s decisions and working as a team to raise their child. Providing the necessary structures and support for parents to be confident in their parenting journeys is also important.
This is why earlier in August this year, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) launched the Alliance for Action (AfA) to Strengthen Marriages and Family Relationships. One of the focal areas of the AfA looks at Parenting Together, which seeks to examine key trends and challenges faced in parent-child relationships, identify existing gaps and areas for enhancement in support for parents with children across all ages, and re-orientate public views about parenting that prioritise the social and emotional well-being of children.
The young ladies in this room are growing up in a world that their grandmothers could not have imagined when they themselves were children. Women’s standing in Singapore has improved significantly over the years. Fathers play a critical role in helping us continue on this journey of a fairer, more inclusive society, where our daughters can thrive in a better age.
I would like to wish all the fathers and daughters here a fruitful event. Thank you.
Source: President’s Office of Singapore