Can the march to gender equality survive the pandemic?

Singapore

THIS year is the Year of Celebrating Singapore Women. It is also a year in which the world has continued to be battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, with employees forced to work from home and workers losing jobs. Dishearteningly, a disproportionately high number of people affected were women. A 2021 McKinsey report revealed that 1 in 4 women are considering leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers, compared to 1 in 5 men.

In Singapore, the issue has been discussed at the highest levels. President Halimah Yacob lamented in a recent awards ceremony that the pandemic has undermined women's progress, while Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that female standing in society has improved but mindsets and cultural norms continue to be an obstacle. He has promised to look into enhancing workplace opportunities, caregiver support and protections afforded to women, with "concrete proposals" to be presented in Parliament early next year.