Recognising the significant role played by women in society, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) dedicated 2021 as the Year of Celebrating SG Women. Despite the progress that women in general have achieved, Singaporean Malay women nevertheless continue to grapple with a myriad of challenges such as gendered perceptions of marriage, motherhood as well as the many other traditional roles imposed on women.
In the area of employment, a challenge faced by Malay women pertains to efficacy in performing their jobs. While official statistics reflect that labour force participation for Malay women has been on the rise, many Malay women nevertheless tell us that they continue to struggle with longstanding biases arising from negative societal norms. For example, mothers often bear the brunt in performing caregiving and housekeeping duties at home while at the same time attempting to fulfil their responsibilities at their workplace. As a result, many Malay women end up withdrawing from the workforce due to domestic commitments, thereby depriving the nation of this group's potential in contributing to the country’s economy.
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