Keynote Speech at Launch of United Women Singapore STEMentorship Programme

Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Education and Manpower, Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability

Good morning everyone and Happy New Year!

Opening

1. Such a delight to witness United Women Singapore (UWS)’s partnership with NTU POWERS and SWE-SG. It is exciting how many of these opportunities can help us empower women and it is also very heartening to see the young women here today – girls from polytechinics, ITE and universities. Congratulations to all the girls for coming onboard! I had a long career in the military, and I can tell you that mentorship can be very important. I had mentors too and it helped me to clarify my goals and purpose and challenge myself in various point of my career. I hope that the young girls who are thinking about what they want to pursue when they graduate to use such mentorship platforms to clarify what drives you, how do you want to change the world and what do you want to contribute to making Singapore and the world a better place.

2. Singapore has always believed in investing in our people as people are our only resource. That is why 60 years ago, one of the first thing our pioneers did was to ensure that we have a strong education system that will help provide knowledge, values and character in Singaporeans. The success of Singapore has been built largely on the local talent that we have developed over the years. STEM is an emerging area of growth and we want to have more people in this space and seize the opportunities available.

3. Women in Singapore have made significant progress in the workforce over the past decade: The labour force participation rate for female residents aged 25 to 64 increased from 73% in 2014 to 81% in 2024. It is very encouraging to see how women are joining the workforce and taking on leadership roles. The educational profile of women in the workforce has also improved, as more women have attained tertiary education before entering the workforce.

4. However, women continue to lag behind men. Our male labour force participation rate remains higher than that for women. The gender pay gap in Singapore persists, although it has narrowed over time.

a. One key reason for the gender pay gap in Singapore is occupational segregation. Women tend to make up a lower share of higher-paying occupations such as business, finance and stem.

b. Likewise, we still see a higher proportion of men in STEM-related occupations, even as the share of women in STEM jobs has increased over time from 29% in 2014 to 35% in 2024. I hope that in 10 years’ time, the representation of women in STEM will be in the high 40s and I am looking at the young women here to help us see the growth we hope for.

c. Another factor contributing to the gender pay gap and lower labour force participation among women is that women tend to take up a greater share of caregiving responsibilities at home. I think that this is very much a part of our Asian culture, and we respect that but we know that caregivers have to take a break from their careers and this could affect their work experience, progression and wages.

5. So, the Government has been working with Tripartite Partners and community stakeholders such as UWS and many of the partners and organisations here to help women enter and remain in occupations of their choice, including in STEM-related roles. This requires a multi-pronged approach – first, through addressing gender stereotypes on careers; and second, by encouraging more equal sharing of caregiving responsibilities, and creating workplaces that enable caregivers to continue working as far as possible. Allow me to elaborate.

Addressing gender stereotypes through education

6. Addressing gender stereotypes around educational and career pathways is a key part of the equation to increasing women participation in the workforce.

7. We have enhanced our education curriculum in schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (or IHLs) to address gender stereotypes. Through Education and Career Guidance (or ECG), students are encouraged to explore a variety of education and career pathways. ECG Counsellors and Career Coaches guide students to better understand their interests and strengths, and encourage them to transcend gender stereotypes in their education and career aspirations.

8. Our IHLs also raise awareness of the extensive range of STEM-related job opportunities and industries through career fairs and open houses. They provide guidance on how students can apply their training in STEM-related fields after graduation through specifically designed programmes in partnership with organisations. One such programme, supported by MOE, is run by one of the key partners here today: the NTU Promotion of Women in Engineering, Research and Science, or NTU POWERS.

Empowering women to enter and remain in the workforce

9. Promoting shared caregiving responsibilities and family-friendly workplaces are also important efforts to support women who want to have good careers and good family life.

10. We have been encouraging fathers to take on a greater share of caregiving responsibilities, and are heartened that more fathers want to be involved. The Government has taken steps to facilitate this by enhancing our parental leave provisions. From 1 April 2025, the two weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave (or GPPL) that are currently offered on a voluntary basis will be made mandatory such that eligible working fathers will receive four weeks of GPPL. This doubles the paternity leave so that fathers with newborns can also spend time bonding and raising the babies. A new Shared Parental Leave scheme will also be introduced, to provide parents with an additional 6 weeks of paid parental leave on top of maternity and paternity leave. This will be increased to 10 weeks from 1 April 2026. Shared parental leave is a new concept and people may ask, “Why not add 10 more weeks of maternity leave for the mothers?” As the government was discussing this, I recall that I was a strong advocates of making it a shared parental leave so that fathers too can take the leave to raise their children as it is a partnership. We should not assume that only mothers can best take care of newborns; fathers can be wonderful caregivers too.

11. Another thing that I have advocated for actively is flexible work arrangements (or FWAs). FWAs should not be seen as only suitable for women, as they are also an opportunity for men to take on a greater share of the family caregiving responsibilities. FWAs also creates more flexibility for mothers to be able to pursue their careers more freely. The Government has been working closely with employers and unions to support implementation of FWAs in the workplace. Last year, we introduced the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests, which took effect on 1 December last year. To the employers among you, I hope you consider using the Guidelines and the accompanying resources such as workshops and playbooks to better support your employees, and introduce FWAs. This is a win-win opportunities as employers are able to tap into a wider pool of talent.

12. Finally, we have strengthened protections against workplace discrimination, which could inhibit women’s entry into and progression in careers of their choices, especially in male-dominated workplaces and areas such as The Workplace Fairness Bill, which was passed in January this year, reinforces norms that employees should not be discriminated based on sex, caregiving responsibilities or on the grounds of pregnancy.

Importance of collaboration and mentorship

13. None of us can single-handedly change societal mindsets and empower women to dream and strive for their goals. All of us have to come on board and do our parts within our spheres of influence.

14. Mentorship, in particular, is an valuable resource that can open our minds to explore different possibilities, and guide us to overcome barriers that we faced. For women, this is especially important in a field like STEM, where there are not as many female role models in school and at work.

15. I am sure many of you are here today because you, too, have benefited from the experiences of others, and are inspired to pay it forward. I am looking at the mentors and corporate partners here – thank you for your generosity. I know it takes time and effort to build relationships with mentees and I want to thank you for stepping forward and doing your part in helping to raise the next generation of female leaders in STEM. For the young girls who are on this mentorship programme, I want to encourage yo to make full use of this mentorship programme. I want to wish everyone here all the best and thank you for doing your part to change things in Singapore for women.

Thank you.