NAME: ANGELA LAI CHIEN LAN CLASS: 08/07

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Having woman remain in or return to the workforce is something that has come under the spotlight recently. Discuss the considerations and challenges they face.

Only around 54 per cent of all females of working age were in the workforce, compared to 76 per cent for men. Women are now targeted in the current drive to beef up the Singapore workforce, now that the job market is tightening and unemployment rate is low. More jobs will also be created over the next five years.

Many women would sacrifice their careers for the family and their children. This could be quite a waste as young mothers usually find it hard to get back to the profession after a few years of break to take care of their children. True enough, it may be difficult to juggle between family and work.

It seems impossible to keep a balance, to give enough care and concern to the children and at the same time, remain high performance at work.To solve this problem, we need to first change the mindset that parenting and having a job cannot mix. All women have to do is to learn to prioritize. In both areas, commitment must be there. Women should plan her time for family and work, not confusing the two as one. Employers should also try to understand and see that for mums who want a short break to care for their children and return to work is a norm.

Middle aged women make up the majority of the untapped labour. They are women who have stopped working for several years to care for their children who are now grown ups. They have to upgrade their skills consistently and keep up with the developing industry to remain employable.

There are also various benefits on why women should work. First of all, having two salaries in a family means more income and hence, can boost the family finances. Especially to lower-income family, they will become more financially abled. And will be able to close the widening income gap. Secondly, due to the advancement in medical technologies, human have got a longer lifespan. More money is then needed to support ourselves in old age. So, by working, women can build up their CPF funds for retirement.

Singapore requires labour to sustain its development and women are the targeted group. Family and career should come hand in hand in the future years to come, as more jobs vacancies will have to be filled up.

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NAME: ANGELA LAI CHIEN LAN CLASS: 08/07