In Reality, Women's Equality in Singapore Still Has a Long Way to Go

Recently, Mothership.sg released a story titled 57% of S'porean men think women's equality has gone so far as to discriminate against men: Ipsos survey.*

Actually, women's equality in Singapore still has a long way to go.

We must remember that the survey measures perception, not reality.

The survey’s findings that people are divided on whether pushing for women's equality has been unfair to men, with almost as many disagreeing as agreeing, only underscores how complicated a topic gender equality is.

But it shouldn't be framed as a battle or competition between men and women. True gender equality should help everyone and encourage us to work together.

It's really important not to make this a fight between men and women, as men play an important role in championing gender equality. The survey found, for instance, that a significant majority of Singaporeans (57%) believe women can't achieve equality without men's support. Moreover, 69% of men and 65% of women agree that there are things individuals can do to help make things more equal. Collaborating is therefore essential.

However, the survey did raise concerns about younger people, especially young men, having more traditional views on gender equality. Globally, Gen Z men (60%) and women (40%) exhibit more conservative attitudes toward gender equality. While specific data for Singapore is unavailable, we must monitor our efforts to make sure they aren't alienating young men.

In addition to attitudes and beliefs reflected in the survey, we must also pay attention to hard statistics. For example, recent data from Singapore social service agencies indicate a significant increase in cases of financial abuse, particularly affecting women and seniors. This shows that there are still big problems we need to solve before we can say we’ve achieved gender equality.

While monitoring attitudes and beliefs is crucial for progress, our primary focus should be on concrete measures of gender equality, like making sure women and men are equally represented in work and politics and that they're paid the same. There's a lot to do, but by working together and focusing on real actions we all can take, we can make a more equitable society for everyone.

 

*The original headline for this story was "57% of S'porean men think women's equality has 'gone too far' & discriminates against men: Ipsos survey". Mothership amended the headline after SHE wrote to them to point out that there is a difference between "gone so far in promoting women's equality" (what the survey actually said) and "gone too far". Mothership then amended both headline and story to adhere more closely to the IPSOS survey's findings.