05 Oct 2017
Mr Chair
1. Singapore aligns itself with the statements made by Ecuador on behalf of the G77 and China, as well as Thailand on behalf of ASEAN.
2. Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) reaffirms the centrality of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls to the achievement of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and for progress across all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
3. While the means to achieve these goals may differ from country to country, Singapore believes that our efforts for the advancement of women are best achieved with a strong legal framework. In this regard, Singapore has in place a legislative framework that protects the rights of all citizens, including women. Article 12 of our Constitution specifically provides that “All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law”. Women’s rights are also protected through legislation such as the Women’s Charter, Penal Code, Employment Act, and Protection from Harassment Act.
4. Apart from establishing a robust legislative framework, as a small city state with limited resources, we have always prioritised the development of our most valued resource – our people, both women and men. Providing quality education, as encapsulated in Goal 4 of the SDGs, has therefore underpinned Singapore’s development right from the start, and formed an important plank in our efforts to achieve gender equality for Singaporean women and girls. All children, girls as well as boys, have equal access to a high standard of education. As a result, Singapore has achieved a high literacy rate for women of 95.4% of resident females aged 15 years and over in 2016. Female students made up 51.1% of the full-time enrolment at Singapore universities in 2015.
5. I am happy to highlight that women in Singapore have made great inroads into traditionally male-dominated professions such as engineering, medicine, and politics. Women’s representation in Parliament has incrementally risen over the years to 23.6% in the most recent General Election. This exceeds the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s world average. We have several female Cabinet Ministers, Senior Ministers of State, Parliamentary Secretaries, and Mayors. Last month, Singapore’s first female President, Madam Halimah Yacob, was sworn into office.
6. However, there is still much we need to do to advance gender equality. We established a Diversity Action Committee in 2014 to address the under-representation of women in leadership positions. Since then, women’s representation on corporate boards has risen. We have targeted to further raise women’s participation on boards to 20% by 2020. We also recognise the need to encourage women to enter and remain in the workforce. Singapore has therefore sought to continually improve women’s educational and skills profile, provide employment and training assistance, as well as help women better balance their careers and family, with measures to promote work-life harmony and flexible work arrangements.
7. In a world of rapid changes brought about by globalisation and the digital revolution, Singapore is taking proactive steps to create an enabling environment for women, and to engage society to empower women to fulfil their aspirations. We are determined to push frontiers and to continue to partner individuals, businesses and civil society to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in a significant and sustainable way. Singapore’s ranking of 11th out of 159 countries on the Gender Inequality Index in the 2016 UN Human Development Report reflects Singapore’s commitment to promoting the advancement of women as equal members of society.
Mr Chair
8. Singapore believes that inclusive policies that lifts all our citizens are essential. As part of our commitment to achieve the goals we set for ourselves in the 2030 Agenda, Singapore will continue to strive to advance gender equality and empowerment for our women.
9. Thank you.
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