The Republic of Singapore was founded when the territory separated from Malaysia in 1965. Women gained the right to vote a year later, and significant measures were put in place to advance gender equality. Article 12 of the city-state’s constitution declares, “All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.” In 1961, the Women’s Charter legislative act was passed to protect the rights of women, and a year later women in civil servant positions were granted equal pay for equal work. Singapore ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1995 and the International Labour Organization Convention on Equal Remuneration in 2002. Halimah Yacob became the first female president of Singapore in 2017, and the city-state’s parliament recently passed the Criminal Law Reform Act to further enhance the protection of women from harassment and gender-based violence. Despite Singapore’s great progress toward advancing the rights of women over the past 50 years, patriarchal values continue to dictate much of society. According to the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), Singapore’s primary gender equality advocacy organization, two in five women have experienced workplace sexual harassment in the past five years, and one in ten experienced physical violence from a male. Fortunately, with the work of AWARE and other feminist groups like Aidha and the Singapore Women’s Association, the government has taken steps toward modernizing Singapore’s laws to protect the rights of vulnerable populations throughout the city-state.
Sport has been used as a tool for nation-building in Singapore, and female athletes have contributed a great deal to the city-state’s success on the international stage. In 2008, table tennis players Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei, and Wang Yueguat were the first women to win an Olympic medal for Singapore when they brought home silver at the Beijing Games. Ong Bah Lee was the first woman to represent Singapore in the Paralympics in 1988, and in 2008, swimmer Yip Pin Xiu and equestrian athlete, Laurentia Tan became the first to win Paralympic medals. Yip Pin Xiu is now a five-time Olympic gold medalist and the youngest person to ever be a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore. In an effort to provide more sporting opportunities for women and girls, the Women in Sport Committee was formed under the Singapore National Olympic Council in 2019.
Meet and support global leaders creating change in Singapore:
May Chen
How does Singapore compare to other countries?
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Women in Leadership
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT AS OF 2020
23%
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY POSITIONS AS OF 2020
17%
Has a Woman Ever Been Head of State or Head of Government?
Halimah Yacob, 2017- Present
HAS A WOMAN EVER BEEN SPORTS MINISTER?
Seet Ai Mee, 1986-1991
Title IX Timeline
1952
Tang Pui Wah became the first woman to represent Singapore at the Olympics.
1965
The Republic of Singapore was founded when the territory separated from Malaysia on August 9.
1966
Women gained the right to vote (full suffrage).
1988
Ong Bah Lee became the first woman to represent Singapore in the Paralympics.
1995
Singapore ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
2008
Members of the table tennis team (silver) became the first women from Singapore to win an Olympic medal and Yip Pin Xiu (gold- swimming) and Laurentia Tan (bronze- equestrian) became the first women from Singapore to win Paralympic medals.
2017
Halimah Yacob became the first female president of Singapore.
Women in the olympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
3
-
0
-
3
-
1
-
8
-
30
-
32
-
17
Women in the Paralympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
0
-
1
-
3
-
8
-
25
-
6
Elite Sports Participation
First Year Women Participated In The Olympics
1952
Year Women’s Participation In Olympics Was Equal To Men’s
2004
First Time A Woman Won An Olympic Medal
Women's Table Tennis Team: 2008 (Silver)
First Year Women Participated In The Paralympics
1988
Year Women’s Participation In Paralympics Was Equal To Men’s
1996
First Time A Woman Won A Paralympic Medal
Yip Pin Xiu: 2008, Swimming (Gold & Silver) Laurentia Tan: 2008, Equestrian (Bronze)
FIFA
Fédération Internationale de Football Association
National Women’s Team?
Yes
First Year Of Play
1986
Pay Gap Comparison
Pay Unknown
Gender Initiatives
FIFA is committed to the growth and development of women’s football around the globe.
For More Information
FIBA
Fédération Internationale de Basketball
National Women’s Team?
Yes
First Year Of Play
1968
Pay Gap Comparison
Pay Unknown
Gender Initiatives
The Basketball for Girls Program builds networks of females coming together to play basketball, regardless of age, ability, or affiliation.
Increasing the participation of women in basketball at all levels was named as one of FIBA’s eight strategic objectives (2019- 2027) and one of FIBA’s three strategic priorities (2019-2023).
For More Information
LOCAL
Sports
Initiatives
Community Organizations That Have Signed The Brighton + Helsinki Declaration
