The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) is pleased to present its 8th IPS-Nathan Lecture Series entitled, Gender Equality: The Time Has Come, by Ms Corinna Lim, IPS’ 8th S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore. This is the second lecture of this series.

The Theme

8th S R Nathan Fellow Ms Corinna Lim’s lectures will examine the most pressing concerns facing women in Singapore today and contribute insights to the national gender equality review. Singapore has made impressive headway in advancing gender equality over the last half century. But whether gender equality has been a fundamental value in Singapore or merely an effect of economic growth is questionable. What would it mean, for all Singaporeans, to centre gender equality in Singapore’s future? Are there lessons to be learnt from Singapore’s women pioneers in civil society and politics? What socio-economic barriers do women continue to face at the workplace and at home? And critically, how can men play a part in achieving gender equality in Singapore?

Lecture II — The Caring Economy

Women are taken to be the natural stewards of care, often bound to the home. In Singapore, where most women are in the workforce, these beliefs nevertheless persist. If couples have children, women are made to factor that into career considerations. These expectations do not exist for men. As Singapore’s economy grows and its people age, whose job is it to take care of our kids and our elderly? Are foreign domestic workers the solution? Why is Singapore’s total fertility rate at rock bottom levels, despite the billions spent on pro-natal measures? This lecture will deal with these questions and explore how we can build a robust care infrastructure to support our families, our economy and our nation.

Ms Lin Suling, Executive Editor, CNA Digital News of Mediacorp Pte Ltd, will be moderating the Q&A session of this lecture.

More information on the speakers can be found at the event webpage here.

Tune in to the live stream via IPS Facebook here.

If you missed our first lecture, you can watch the video and read our event summary here.