The issue of gender inequality has been talked about for decades. I believe inequality in employment is one of the most pressing issues today.
To get to the root of the problem, one must examine the sociological factors that cause women to have a much more difficult time in getting job opportunities, wages and benefits as their male counterparts, especially in the case of Singapore. Another reason I would like to examine is the tendency for men and women to be in different occupations.
Occupation segregation may not necessarily mean there is discrimination, and could be due to reasons such as the differences in educational attainment. There is a preference among females for ‘soft’ subjects like social science rather than technical courses like engineering. These educational choices determine the kinds of occupation one is likely to undertake and also the salary that they will receive.
Although the traditional roles of men and women in the family have changed a lot over the years, most women still take nurturing role of children, while the men work. Sometimes, due to family responsibilities, women may be forced out of the labour force temporarily, and may tend to choose jobs that do not penalize her that heavily for leaving the labour force. Employers may tend to hire more men because women are more likely to leave the labour force.
Of course, occupation segregation could also be due to discrimination, when people of equal capabilities are not given equal opportunities in job promotions, or salaries. In Singapore, where equal education opportunities are given to every citizen, and where meritocracy is practiced, this can be very discouraging to men and women alike.
Women could be discriminated against for occupations like managerial positions, or trades that do not fit the employer’s perceptions of female workers. Consumer prejudice against a certain gender may also exclude workers from some service jobs.
However, in Singapore, the number of females in professional and technical jobs has increased over the years, due to the improvement in women’s educational profile.
There remains the paradox for the working women in Singapore. Women are called to be productive at work and at home. There are policies that encourage women to work, and there are also policies that encourage women to have more children because of the declining birth rate.
We want modern career women who have successful jobs and are able to earn money for their families, but at the same time, we want wives and mothers to stay home to take care of the family and add stability to the society. The dual – career family has become more of a necessity in Singapore, than a choice, due to high costs of living. The educational attainment of women has also led them to seek fulfillment in the labour force. This causes the women to be overburdened when they have to return home to continue her role in the family.
Women’s work may suffer unless there are priorities by the various companies and government policies to help resolve the paradox caused by work and family. These arrangements include working part time and from home. In 1997, only 57% of Singapore women aged 40 to 49 years old were in the labour force. Of 4,600 firms surveyed, only 9 firms practiced flexitime. Only 26 firms allowed employees to work away from the office. This shows that firms in Singapore were more motivated towards operational gain than the employee’s welfare.
In the professional world, female managers and executives are still under represented, although there are equal opportunities for education. They also face corporate and psychological barriers. There are still gender stereotypes and certain corporate structure and culture than can stop a woman from climbing up the corporate ladder.
Certain perceptions towards women in the workforce, and even corporate policies have to change to reduce gender inequality. However, this gap has been narrowed due to increasing educational achievements and also a general awareness by the Singapore government to reduce this inequality.
