International Women’s Day 2015: Message from Singapore’s Office for Women’s Development

2015 is a special year for Singapore.  It marks the 50^th year of our nation’s independence.  This year also marks the 20^th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPA) and Singapore’s twenty years of accession to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). 

Singapore upholds our commitment to the BDPA and CEDAW for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Women in Singapore have come a long way in our quest for equal status and opportunities.  Today, Singaporean women are better educated, more IT-savvy and resourceful, and enjoy better health and opportunities.  Women are active contributors to our economy, with many holding professional jobs and owning businesses.  We have made considerable progress in the focus areas outlined in the BDPA in the past 20 years. The 2014 UN Human Development Report ranked Singapore 15^th out of 152 countries on the Gender Inequality Index.  This reflects the fruits of our national investment in the education and health of women and girls.  When women succeed, families and communities prosper too.  We will continue to close gaps and address emerging issues to achieve a better future for all.

Singapore’s Minister for Social and Family Development, Mr Chan Chun Sing, said: “The progress made by Singaporean women would not have been possible without the concerted efforts of multiple stakeholders.  Numerous unsung heroes and heroines, before us and in our midst, had relentlessly worked the ground for girls’ and women’s well being and advancement.  We owe our achievements to them. I am confident that the same spirit is very much alive today as we look forward to a brighter future, to a world where girls and boys, women and men are welcome and valued equally.”

We wish everyone a Happy International Women’s Day!

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08 March 2015