Singapore Family Policy encourages working mothers, but not without consequences.

Our public policy on the Singapore family must not be piecemeal, but must be developed as an entirety and then harmonized and coordinated throughout every Government agency and across all the fabric of Singapore society. This is the only way to make or keep us unique, as one Nation, one Singapore!

We start first with explicit and defined social goals concerning the nation’s families, and then develop these goals based on clear, shared values of the type of families that Singapore really needs or wants. We then work out our action plans to attain these social desirables and goals.

A noted weakness of our motherhood policy is lack of coordination among the different involved government agencies or the contradictory signals emanating from them. Lopata suggested that the problem connected with the study of all aspects of family life and interaction arise partly from the failure of public agencies to understand the importance of such research for the formulation of social policy. Governments and other public bodies often formulate policies without adequate knowledge of who, how many and in what manner people will be affected, and whether the effects will come to light immediately or only in the much later long run. A simple example is our 1969 stop at two family planning policy, which we only realize was a mistake 25 years later, and which we are still struggling to undo today.

Considering our social goals and national core competitive advantages, the Government should see full-time motherhood as a positive personal choice, which contributes long-term benefits that will very soon rather than later far outweigh a short-term economic loss. Perhaps this is an area for further research that the Government should sponsor and advocate. Countries like Germany, the UK and Japan, are already realizing, albeit for them rather too late, the need to provide socially-friendly infrastructure and support that encourages full-time motherhood. Some measures recently introduced are lengthy extended maternity leave for up to two years in the case of Germany, in late attempts to stem fast declining populations. At the same time, there is the usefulness in creating or providing gateways for these women to return to the workforces after completing a sufficient portion of their motherhood duties, if they so desire.

It is a myth that once a woman leaves the work force for “too long”, she will never “catch up.” Motherhood truly is innately natural for a woman, a role in which she can and will be able to do a good job. It is efficient to let her first perform this natural function, doing one thing at a time. Occupational skills are more readily developed by training and learning. A continuous learning culture would enable anyone to achieve one’s goals and dreams. Many have shown that it is never too late. If our male citizens can defer their employment for National Service, why not our female citizen defer their career midstream for the fulfilment of motherhood?

Full-time motherhood is a self realizing and self discovering experience of self denial, sacrifice and love without condition. It entails juggling enough family tasks (multi-tasking) and honing skills that will enrich and prepare her for a future career later, if required. Being a full-time mother is a privilege and benefit rather than to be regarded as a burden to herself and to society.

We need a policy for Singapore where women are encouraged to be good mothers first before being good employees. If we can develop and cement this as a shared value, our attitude towards our full-time mothers shall no longer be negative. Housewifery would no longer bear a lower class delineation; and we shall have succeeded to create a unique social employment network for mothers to return back to work after all their children reach at least school age.

I have a dream to see Singapore our nation, as one where fathers are hard working, responsible providers for the family; where mothers tenderly bring up our next generation; and where our children are truly well educated, happy, balanced, morally upright and caring. Such a nation cannot fail to be competitive and blessed.

Time is not on our side. We have gone a different direction for too long. The pressures upon our small and open nation have made us react in whatever manner seems rational and right for the exigency then at hand. Social policy making requires far longer term thinking and planning. May we build up our Singapore together!