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Singapore is the smallest nation in Southeast Asia, located at the southernmost tip of the Malay Peninsula. A British colony for decades, Singapore achieved independence in 1965, and today is one of the most prosperous countries in Asia.
The island city-state is a parliamentary republic, with a multi-party political system, although one party – the People’s Action Party – has been the dominant political force since independence. Singapore has a highly developed free-market economy, a low corruption environment, stable prices, strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest) and a per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe 1.
Singaporean society is shaped by its conservative political leadership that has sometimes invited criticism from rights groups. In recent years, political leadership has attempted to encourage an opening up of society and to cultivate Singapore as an arts and culture hub in Southeast Asia, with a hi-tech, internet savvy population.
A growing ageing population and extremely low birth rate levels are areas of concern for the government – measures to address the issue include schemes to encourage couples to have more children (such as ‘baby bonuses’), and programmes to attract more immigrants to the country.
While women in Singapore enjoy high standards of education, they are still underrepresented in politics and in the private and public sectors, especially at senior levels within the public administration, including the diplomatic service, the judiciary and educational institutions. Continued vertical and horizontal occupational segregation and wage gaps between men and women persist 2. One key factor perpetuating such gender inequalities is the persistence of patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women and men within the family and society at large. These stereotypes are a significant obstacle to the implementation of the Convention – they put women in a disadvantaged position in a number of areas, including the labour market, and limit their equal participation in and access to decision-making processes in political and public life.
Singapore has come under the spotlight recently for severe abuses against foreign migrant workers, especially domestic workers (all of whom are female). While measures to protect migrant domestic workers have been strengthened in recent years, the CEDAW Committee has pointed to ongoing restrictions on their rights and freedoms, including regular pregnancy testing, the prohibition to marry Singaporeans, lack of a mandatory day off, and their exclusion from coverage under the Employment Act 3.
1. CIA World Factbook
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Singapore