Health Minister Ong Ye Kung spoke about the key issues women face at the PAP Women’s Wing conference on Sept 20.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) is placing renewed focus on the unique and evolving challenges that Singaporean women face in starting and building strong families.
Speaking at the PAP Women’s Wing conference at Paradox Singapore Merchant Court on Saturday (Sept 20), Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, Ong Ye Kung, emphasised the importance of recognising the evolving role of women in Singaporean families.
The theme of the conference was “Reimagining Family”.
“If we want to reimagine families, we must first recognise the central role of women in families and acknowledge the tremendous progress women in Singapore have made in just one generation,” he said.
Led by organising chairperson Jasmin Lau, and supported by vice-chairpersons Cassandra Lee and Valerie Lee, the conference brought together over 400 activists, guests, and MPs.
PAP Women’s Wing chairperson Sim Ann said: “Singaporean women have many options when it comes to life choices, and that’s a good thing.
“For those who aspire to build families and have children, the PAP Women’s Wing’s view is that constant policy attention is required to keep costs affordable and make the trade-offs faced by woman and couples less stark.”
Minister Ong also outlined the measures the Government has taken over the years to improve the lives of women.
“Over the decades, more young women have entered fields like Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), traditionally male-dominated sectors.”
He also addressed concerns such as homeownership, explaining that measures have been implemented to shorten waiting times for flats and ensure that Build-to-Order (BTO) flats remain affordable.
“This will be an important step forward, providing single Singaporeans, especially women, with greater independence and choice,” he said.
He also noted that the Government has invested heavily in population health and preventive care, through national programmes such as Healthier SG and Age Well SG.
While acknowledging that the declining birth rate is an evolving historical trend, Ong noted that it reflects profound personal choices made by families across generations, adding that “no amount of baby bonus can reverse this trend”.
However, he emphasised that with strong national support — such as improved infant care, preschool, shifting social norms where more men are shouldering family responsibilities, and progressive workplace practices — a supportive environment can be created.
“One where more women and families feel that parenting is an opportunity to fufil an aspiration in life, as opposed to a trade-off against one’s career or personal goals,” said Ong.
“It’s about fairness. Fairness in recognising that men and women bring different talents, strengths, perspectives, and experiences, both at work and at home. And these differences should be respected, valued, and synergised.”
He also highlighted the Government’s substantial investment in population health and preventive care through national initiatives like Healthier SG and Age Well SG.
Key insights from surveys conducted by NTUC Women and Family, along with focus group discussions held by the PAP Women’s Wing, reveal that financial stability and having a supportive partner are crucial factors influencing individuals’ confidence in starting a relationship or forming a family.
Government policies on housing and caregiving also play a significant role in shaping decisions related to dating, marriage, and parenthood.
Research findings also indicate that Singaporeans feel more needs to be done to address workplace discrimination against mothers, encourage men to share the mental load of marriage and parenthood equally, and promote flexible work arrangements.
Acknowledging these issues, Lau emphasised the importance of providing comprehensive support for women at every stage of life.
“No woman should ever feel she has to walk these paths alone.
“Our Seasons of Life advocacy team will focus on shaping policies that provide support at every stage from improving flexible work arrangements and strengthening caregiving to enabling our seniors to age well so that Singaporeans have the time and resources to build families on their own terms,” said Lau.
