With longer life, women can have kids first, careers later
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With longer lifespans, women can have kids first, careers later: MP
Straits Times, The (Singapore)
Home
November 12, 2007
Author: Lynn Lee
AS PEOPLE live longer and retire later, women should consider putting their careers on hold to have children first, said a woman MP.
They will have plenty of time to focus on their jobs later, said Mrs Josephine Teo, an MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.
Mrs Teo, who has a son aged nine and twin daughters aged seven, was responding to concerns raised at a dialogue with PAP leaders over the low birth rate, despite national efforts to boost it.
The efforts have ranged from cash to tax incentives, including a parenthood package worth $575million in 2005.
But the increase in the birth rate has been small: There were 400 more babies in 2005 than the year before.
Last year, 36,200 babies were registered, 700 more than those born the year before.
Mrs Teo urged young couples to relook the conventional approach of putting career before children, as lifespans stretch.
'If we think of...85 and beyond being a likelihood, what is the hurry to do the things that can be done later?
'I would arrange my life so that I have more children, start a family earlier, start it sooner, and then when the children are a little bit older, I can put my heart back to work,' said Mrs Teo, a human resources director with the labour movement.
But putting children as a top priority was not an easy decision, she conceded.
Indeed, she and her husband had made a tough call to give up their careers in Suzhou, China, to return to Singapore, so that their families could help with caring for the babies.
Joining in the discussion, East Coast GRC MP Jessica Tan said parenthood was challenging but it was 'easier' in Singapore because of good childcare and health-care facilities, and the proximity to one's family.
Women could keep working after becoming mothers, she said, adding that some young women needed encouragement to believe they could do both.
A general manager with Microsoft, Ms Tan did not stop working even as she gave birth to three children, now aged 16, 14 and 12.
But it was a man who made the audience laugh when he came up with his baby-making suggestions.
Kampong Chai Chee branch activist Lawrence Chong suggested that society should accept single women having babies, with the Government running an institution to look after them.
But Mrs Teo questioned if letting women bring up children alone would set 'the right tone' in society.
Offering his take during the session, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that it was not money, but people's mindset and encouragement from society that would help pull up birth rates.
Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, chairman of the National Population Committee, was studying ways to boost baby numbers but there was 'no magic bullet', said Mr Lee.
'I think eventually it would have to be personal choices of what you consider important in life...to have children...and to balance that against your work, your career aspirations.'
Copyright, 2007, Singapore Press Holdings Limited -
More S'pore couples divorcing earlier
But despite more calling it quits, local rates still relatively low
Straits Times, The (Singapore)
Prime News
November 12, 2007
Author: Lee Hui Chieh
NOT only are more marriages here ending in divorce, more married couples are calling it quits sooner too.
But Singapore still has one of the lowest divorce rates compared with Hong Kong, Japan and Britain.
The latest Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) figures showed that 3.8 per cent of couples who were hitched in 2002 divorced after being married for fewer than five years. This is a slight increase compared with 1987, when 2.6 per cent of couples married that year dissolved their union before five years.
As for marriages that did not make it past 15 years, the figure was 12 per cent for those who walked down the aisle in 1992. It was 10 per cent for the 1987 cohort.
Revealing the figures yesterday, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Yu-Foo Yee Shoon noted: 'Our generation has more divorces than our parents' generation.'
The absolute numbers also showed an uptrend. Divorces and annulments hit a record high last year of 7,061, up from 6,909 in 2005.
Two decades ago, this figure was just 2,608.
The silver lining was Singapore's comparatively low divorce rate. Two in 1,000 of all residents here were divorced or separated, fewer than Hong Kong's three, Japan's four and Britain's eight.
The update is part of an ongoing MCYS effort to deepen research on the subject so as to find better ways to curb the divorce rate. The exact reasons why more people are divorcing sooner are not clear and will need to be studied further, Mrs Yu-Foo said.
One strategy the Government plans to employ: Encouraging more couples to go for pre-marriage counselling.
To help them get help more easily, not just before tying the knot, but also during matrimony, a one-stop marriage resource centre will be set up in the first quarter of next year.
The National Family Council is now working on this project, said Mrs Joni Ong, its deputy chairman.
Mrs Ong, who was married in 1987 and has five children, sees the rise in the divorce rate as being due to more stresses on the family unit now, where both parents often work long hours.
Fewer people are also having children, which makes it easier for them to end marriages earlier, she said.
Mrs Yu-Foo gave the update in a speech to 800 people at a seminar on strengthening relationships by the renowned author of the Seven Habits Of Highly Effective Families and the Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People, Dr Stephen Covey.
[email protected]
Copyright, 2007, Singapore Press Holdings Limited
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Faster endings
Divorcing before five years of marriage:
1987: 2.6%
2002: 3.8%
Divorcing before 15 years of marriage:
1987 cohort: 10%
1992 cohort: 12% -
These ppl already have their career established. They belong to the higher bracket gp. Easy to talk about having babies before career. No career no $$$, how to ve babies first. Talking bull.
This is a universal trend. Higher education will lead to lesser babies.
With so much competition coming from "foreign talents", "world best education system", high cost of living, gahmen milking the citizens, who would want to have kids in sg?
Ah Bend will say "gia lan kar tau". -
That Mrs Yu-Foo...she actually highlights the situation that higher education = Prosperous career = Old men having money to have mistress in other countries = High Divorce rate.. Like...Ok....
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The low birth rates has indicated the need for more foreigners to come here to take up local citizneship.Originally posted by Archirodon:These ppl already have their career established. They belong to the higher bracket gp. Easy to talk about having babies before career. No career no $$$, how to ve babies first. Talking bull.
This is a universal trend. Higher education will lead to lesser babies.
With so much competition coming from "foreign talents", "world best education system", high cost of living, gahmen milking the citizens, who would want to have kids in sg?
Ah Bend will say "gia lan kar tau". -
Its obvious we can't take them seriously. They are just echoing what the gahmen promotes. They have to be seen worth their value la. See how many of them really talk about the ppl's needs.
If they talk too much, they'll soon be..... you know what la.... -
She based on a false assumption that every woman lives to 85 yo.
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Ya lor ... they are now at the peak of the career and I am sure their children had grown up too ... if only they had done what they say, then they can qualified to tell me what to do !!! :Originally posted by Archirodon:These ppl already have their career established. They belong to the higher bracket gp. Easy to talk about having babies before career. No career no $$$, how to ve babies first. Talking bull.
This is a universal trend. Higher education will lead to lesser babies.
With so much competition coming from "foreign talents", "world best education system", high cost of living, gahmen milking the citizens, who would want to have kids in sg?
Ah Bend will say "gia lan kar tau".
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pple arent stupid to think tat w higher birth rate, govt will stop getting more FT here......so ur children might be screwed in the future..Originally posted by will4:The low birth rates has indicated the need for more foreigners to come here to take up local citizneship. -
the govt fails to see one critical pt...its not all about living longer etc...
pple are put off early marriage n birth cos they wanna have freedom to do watever they wan...its global trend..no one can reverse it...face it.. -
Let's see why is this not possible
1. No one wants to employ you when you are in your 30s or 40s or you have to settle for something shitty or just be cheap labour
2. Married with Children are dirty words to the employers
3. No career = no $$ = How to have kids?
4. Being out of the work force = Being out of touch
Therefore, the government will have to import more FTs coz the local workforce is out of touch with the market
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The foreign profesional will probably work here or merely setthle here by getting PR not taking up local citizenship.Originally posted by elindra:Let's see why is this not possible
1. No one wants to employ you when you are in your 30s or 40s or you have to settle for something shitty or just be cheap labour
2. Married with Children are dirty words to the employers
3. No career = no $$ = How to have kids?
4. Being out of the work force = Being out of touch
Therefore, the government will have to import more FTs coz the local workforce is out of touch with the market -
and eventually life gets shorterOriginally posted by elindra:Let's see why is this not possible
1. No one wants to employ you when you are in your 30s or 40s or you have to settle for something shitty or just be cheap labour
2. Married with Children are dirty words to the employers
3. No career = no $$ = How to have kids?
4. Being out of the work force = Being out of touch
Therefore, the government will have to import more FTs coz the local workforce is out of touch with the market -
The future not just faces decline in population.. but also a dumbing down.
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The recent report indicated the no of local citizenship granted but they failed to tell the local how many local in each year give up their citizenshipOriginally posted by BadzMaro:The future not just faces decline in population.. but also a dumbing down. -
I think many people have talked and talked how to solve the problem.
Let action speak for themselves.
Those having good income should be asked to give birth to at least 4 babies.
No need talk. Just do it. -
Offering his take during the session, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that it was not money, but people's mindset and encouragement from society that would help pull up birth rates
He's deceiving himself and the people. Money has got to do with everything, even the birthrate.
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ERP extended to 11pm
how to go home and make babies? -
nice try, but no cake
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you got the point, u are better thinking than the lady MPs, after 30 or 35 no body will employ u except u become cleaner or dish washer which singaporeans are shun of, and end up they are jobless, what kind of mentality this lady MP has ?Originally posted by elindra:Let's see why is this not possible
1. No one wants to employ you when you are in your 30s or 40s or you have to settle for something shitty or just be cheap labour
2. Married with Children are dirty words to the employers
3. No career = no $$ = How to have kids?
4. Being out of the work force = Being out of touch
Therefore, the government will have to import more FTs coz the local workforce is out of touch with the market -
I tell you why ppl dont want to have children, it is because they dont have money to raise the children, childcare, needs money, milk powder needs money, prices increase, need to employ maid, all need money, everything from cradle to grave need moneyOriginally posted by Slipshade:He's deceiving himself and the people. Money has got to do with everything, even the birthrate. -
long post so didn't bother to read, with a title like this....no point reading
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Nice try Mdm MP,
Your recommendation will work only on simple minded people. -
wow, so boombastic 'solution' from our super scholarstico.
i thought my commonsense cannot think of this 'solution'.
wa, sg'lians like this also din think of ah.
sg'lians very smart leh.
money well spent ar ? -
can i laugh hysterically at them now?