Summit on Action for Gender Equality
The inaugural Summit on Action for Gender Equality was held on 5th September 2024 involving international and local speakers, women leaders, male allies, SCWO member organisations and women’s groups in a series of panel discussions. It served as a platform for thought leaders to share their views and address key issues to further advance women’s development and gender equality in Singapore and beyond.
The summit featured three speeches and four panels – “The Role of Women Amid a Population Decline”, “Closing the Gender Pay Gap with Transparency”, “Recognising Care Work as a Valuable Economic Activity” and “How Societal Structures Can Change for an Ageing Population”.
With Singapore’s total fertility rate dropping below 1.0, Singaporean women are faced with the pressure to reconcile their personal and career aspirations with societal expectations on family planning and caregiving responsibilities. Through these panels, leading voices exchanged their views on the underlying factors, misconceptions and potential solutions, and contributed actionable items that could effect change in the immediate future.
"The Glass is A Little More Than Half Full": Opening Speech By President Tharman Shanmugaratnam At The Singapore Council Of Women’s Organisations (SCWO)’s Summit For Action On Gender Equality (SAGE) On 5 September 2024
Click Here for Full SpeechKeynote Address – (Un)Balancing Act: Navigating Women’s Roles in Singapore’s Evolving Demographic Landscape by Dr Jennifer Sciubba
Panel 1 – Asia’s Population is Shrinking: What It Means for Women
The keynote panel discussed fertility as a gendered issue and the problems in meeting fertility rate targets.
Panel 2 – The Gender Pay Gap: How We Can Close It
This panel explored factors contributing to the gender pay gap and shared insights on how stakeholders can bridge the divide.
Panel 3 – Care Work: Why It Should Be Paid Work
The panel discussed whether care work should be considered a public good and how current systems can better support caregivers.
Panel 4 – Our Ageing Population: Transforming Societal Structures
The panel discussed the challenges faced by older women and the importance of combating negative perceptions of ageing.
Closing Address by Mdm Halimah Yacob, Chancellor of Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore’s Former President, and SCWO Advisor