The Women's Charter was passed in 1961 to protect the rights of women and girls in Singapore. The Women's Charter is also an Act which provides the legal basis for equality between husband and wife.
- makes polygamy illegal;
- recognises the wife's right to a different domicile from her husband;
- gives equal rights and duties to both husbands and wives in the management of the home and children;
- makes it obligatory for a husband to maintain his wife and children during marriage and after divorce;
- entitles the divorced man or wife to a share of matrimonial assets;
- enables a battered spouse to gain protection from the perpetrator;
- provides the punishment for offences against women and girls.
Amendments to The Women's Charter
The Women's Charter (1996) Amendment Bill was passed in Parliament on 27 Aug 96, assented to by the President on 27 Sep 96 and came into force on 1 May 97. It gives greater protection to women and children and aims to keep the family unit intact wherever possible. Major amendments to the Act include:
- harmonious resolution of family disputes to help family members maintain amiable relations;
- more equitable distribution of matrimonial assets;
- application for the maintenance of a child to be made by any person appointed by the Minister if a parent, guardian or elder sibling above 21 years old cannot be found or is unwilling to apply on behalf of the child;
- issue of protection order based on the balance of probabilities to make it less difficult for a complainant to secure protection;
- extension of the protection order to cover other family members besides the spouse and children of the perpetrator;
- order for a perpetrator/victim or both or their children to attend mandatory counselling by such body as the Minister may approve or as directed by the Court; and
- recognition of marriages of persons who have undergone sex re-assignment procedures.
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