Professional women still face challenges at work | Women at Work
The number of women at work in Singapore has been steadily rising to 43% since 1960, but they still face many challenges in the professional sector.
Lim Hwee Hua, Minister in Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and Transport, said professional women still face challenges at work. Speaking at SIM Professional Development Women’s Leadership Forum 2010, she said these challenges include cultural expectations, juggling the workload and home obligations, and in some economies, fighting the glass ceiling that still exists.
According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2010 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), most female employees are “concentrated around the entry and middle level positions as opposed to senior management or board positions”. Due to the general norms of a country, the working woman who wants to rise to senior positions would have to face a predominantly masculine corporate culture and a lack of successful female role models.
Support for women at work in Singapore
But Lim said the meritocratic culture in Singapore has allowed many women to remain in the workforce. Similarly, the government has provided many benefits including work-life balance schemes, subsidised skills training, and extended and paid maternity leave. “We are fortunate to have an economic, political and social environment that provides opportunities and encourages us [women] to take an active role,” Lim said.
Aside from governmental support, Lim said women also require a strong support system from family and their companies. She suggested that organisations can provide assistance with “networking and discussion sessions that keep women abreast of the latest professional developments”. Lim noted that larger organisations have even set up childcare centres within the office building and also provide sufficient childcare support.
Sources and references: HRO
