SINGAPORE : Pregnant and unemployed - a growing number of women
said they were losing their jobs because they were expecting.
The women's action group AWARE said the number of complaints had
grown 400 percent in recent times - from one call a month to three
a week.
However, the Ministry of Manpower said they had not recorded any
increase.
Singapore's baby blues are nothing new.
Low fertility rates have been in the headlines for the past
year.
One of the key issues that needs to be overcome is how having a
baby impacts on the mother's career.
And that is something that AWARE is concerned about.
Braema Mathi, President of AWARE, said: "If you know that you have
to manage a career as well as bring up the children, you are going
to make a very considered decision of 'I think I can only manage
two'."
AWARE has been analysing reponses from more than 250 people and has
now presented its key findings to the government.
Some of the recommendations include implementing policies to cover
all who may need support, including mothers who are not working,
single parents, parents from low-income families, couples who wish
to adopt or even introduce paternity leave of more than the token
two to three days to emphasise the importance of fathers in
parenting.
AWARE is also suggesting better support services like childcare and
infantcare.
In their research, they looked into countries like Denmark and
Norway which have positive fertility trends.
The Scandanavian example calls for financial incentives.
Tan Joo Hymn, Chairperson of Beyond Babies Work Group, said: "They
would give certain bursaries to every child born regardless of
birth order or whatever as one lump sum.
"And they have very, very good state providing support services
like childcare, infantcare and they also implemented such that all
the employers have to let their employees go off."
AWARE has also set up a POPWatch or Population Watch Committee to
continue research in fertility trends. - CNA