Singapore has come a long way since its beginning in the 1960s.
In fact, according to MM Lee, it is 'ready to become a top first world country'.
And this in fact is not baseless- the Government has been trying to match the meteoric rise of Singapore with its society's progress.
The other day, it was reported in the news that the government plans to cut down on fines imposed in Singapore, evidently to rid it of its 'nanny state' image.
Another milestone in the developments of Singapore towards a 'top first world country' is the introduction of legalised gambling to its shores, for the very first time since the colonial era of the British.
This is because Singaporeans have apparently enough self control not to spiral downwards into the pitfalls of addictive gambling. With the building of the Integrated Resort, members of Singapore's public will now have access to a casino without having to travel overseas.
In fact, the recent introduction of gambling to Singaporean society even reaches as far as to its youth.
The risks of cos are obvious and plenty- it encourages one to develop a habit of betting and lavish spending with no regard for saving, and in addition could give rise to many gambling addicts in future.
However, again just like Singaporean society, the outcome rests on whether the youth have enough self control.
In many ways, the issue resembles Singapore in its early years: the government still in its infancy, banned gambling out of fear of the negative consequences. However, as it progresses self control comes naturally with development.
Perhaps one day then the youth of Singapore will be allowed to engage in gambling- already they are in some schools as an interest group.
Of course though, the distinction between a card game and gambling is quite thick. While such games stimulate the mind, the placing of bets on its outcome is quite a different thing altogether.
The last word on the issue though, is that youth, one way or another, will eventually come into contact with gambling. In the words of a parent: 'Even if you stop them, they will still continue with it secretly.' Better then, to tackle the issue openly than ignore it and let it fester. Youth gambling is a problem to be managed, not banned.
Monday, March 5, 2007
PONG!
S'pore kids are picking up mahkong from their parents. And some are betting on the side
By Joyce Lim
March 05, 2007
THE YOUNG are taking to mahjong with a fever akin to the online gaming craze.
Grandparents might nod to see traditional games being kept alive.
But here's the rub: To spice up the game, youngsters are also making wagers.
Survey findings by the National Council on Problem Gambling show that one in two Singaporeans perceive mahjong as a leisure and social game rather than gambling.
They start out getting hooked on a game and might later get hooked on gaming.
But those interviewed insisted the bets are incidental and mostly small.
For many of these youths, mahjong gambling begins at home.
Not only do the parents of these youths condone it, some of them have no qualms in exposing their children to it at an early age.
Others even join in the game whenever their children can't find enough players.
Richard Toh, 18, grew up with the familiar sound of mahjong tiles being shuffled together.
He was only 10 when his relatives asked him to help them pick the tiles from the deck.
Soon Richard learned to play by watching and picking up pointers from his relatives during their mahjong sessions.
Justin Lee, 15, picked up mahjong skills from his cousin when he was in Primary 6.
Now in Secondary 3, the Nan Hua High School student said: 'It was during Chinese New Year when my cousins taught me the game so that we could all have fun together.'
Since then, Justin has been playing mahjong with his relatives every Chinese New Year and during the school holidays.
He recalled losing $15 to his elder brother in a game last Christmas.
That's almost half his weekly allowance.
Luckily for him, his brother, Clarence, cancelled the debt.
Said Clarence, 18: 'I understand how sad it is to lose money in gambling. I lost $28 of my hongbao money on mahjong during Chinese New Year.'
Mahjong is in fact so popular among youngsters nowadays that it is not only the Chinese who play it.
Francis Carryn, 20, is a self-professed mahjong addict.
The Eurasian student from Temasek Polytechnic learned to play mahjong from her friends when she was 17.
'And all of a sudden, I became addicted,' she said.
'During the 'peak' period of my obsession, I played three to four times a week.'
Carryn insisted that she is only interested in the game, not the stakes.
She said that her stakes are usually 'very low', like 10 cents for one 'tai' (point).
The largest amount that she lost was about $30.
Indian student Michelle Joseph, 21, enjoys playing mahjong with her Chinese friends.
She said: 'It is just a form of entertainment, we don't gamble.'
Mr Jerry Chai, 35, a teacher from Jurong Junior College has noticed the mahjong trend among his students.
However he is not worried about his students falling into the trap of mahjong gambling, as long as they know how to handle their time and play in moderation.
'Mahjong is just like any other game - for instance, those online games youngsters these days are so hooked on. If students manage their time well and do not neglect their studies, mahjong can be a good form of entertainment and relaxation,' he added.
(Taken from The Electric New Paper)
S'pore kids are picking up mahkong from their parents. And some are betting on the side
By Joyce Lim
March 05, 2007
THE YOUNG are taking to mahjong with a fever akin to the online gaming craze.
Grandparents might nod to see traditional games being kept alive.
But here's the rub: To spice up the game, youngsters are also making wagers.
Survey findings by the National Council on Problem Gambling show that one in two Singaporeans perceive mahjong as a leisure and social game rather than gambling.
They start out getting hooked on a game and might later get hooked on gaming.
But those interviewed insisted the bets are incidental and mostly small.
For many of these youths, mahjong gambling begins at home.
Not only do the parents of these youths condone it, some of them have no qualms in exposing their children to it at an early age.
Others even join in the game whenever their children can't find enough players.
Richard Toh, 18, grew up with the familiar sound of mahjong tiles being shuffled together.
He was only 10 when his relatives asked him to help them pick the tiles from the deck.
Soon Richard learned to play by watching and picking up pointers from his relatives during their mahjong sessions.
Justin Lee, 15, picked up mahjong skills from his cousin when he was in Primary 6.
Now in Secondary 3, the Nan Hua High School student said: 'It was during Chinese New Year when my cousins taught me the game so that we could all have fun together.'
Since then, Justin has been playing mahjong with his relatives every Chinese New Year and during the school holidays.
He recalled losing $15 to his elder brother in a game last Christmas.
That's almost half his weekly allowance.
Luckily for him, his brother, Clarence, cancelled the debt.
Said Clarence, 18: 'I understand how sad it is to lose money in gambling. I lost $28 of my hongbao money on mahjong during Chinese New Year.'
Mahjong is in fact so popular among youngsters nowadays that it is not only the Chinese who play it.
Francis Carryn, 20, is a self-professed mahjong addict.
The Eurasian student from Temasek Polytechnic learned to play mahjong from her friends when she was 17.
'And all of a sudden, I became addicted,' she said.
'During the 'peak' period of my obsession, I played three to four times a week.'
Carryn insisted that she is only interested in the game, not the stakes.
She said that her stakes are usually 'very low', like 10 cents for one 'tai' (point).
The largest amount that she lost was about $30.
Indian student Michelle Joseph, 21, enjoys playing mahjong with her Chinese friends.
She said: 'It is just a form of entertainment, we don't gamble.'
Mr Jerry Chai, 35, a teacher from Jurong Junior College has noticed the mahjong trend among his students.
However he is not worried about his students falling into the trap of mahjong gambling, as long as they know how to handle their time and play in moderation.
'Mahjong is just like any other game - for instance, those online games youngsters these days are so hooked on. If students manage their time well and do not neglect their studies, mahjong can be a good form of entertainment and relaxation,' he added.
(Taken from The Electric New Paper)
Response:
The low fertility rate faced by Singapore carries with it dangerous repercussions.
If 1/4 women do not have children, theoretically Singapore's population will be reduced to three quarters of its size, and along with it its economy, military capability, industries, manpower and so on. Such would be disastrous for Singapore, which already has only one resource: its people. Should we not address this issue, our country faces being deprived of its only resource to survive.
And even this bleak scenario assumes that the remaining 3/4 of females follow the 2.1 replacement rate.
Of course, one must not be insensitive and ignore the other side of the story. While women with higher education levels do not want to sacrifice their careers for motherhood, less educated women do not have adequate finances to support large families.
In addition, be it highly or lowly educated women, both undergo tremendous stress and lifestyle changes when becoming mothers, which only makes them less willing to give birth.
All in all, this amounts to a depressing conundrum.
In my opinion, if this problem is to be tackled different approaches must be adopted towards women from various spectrums of society; not all face the same problems. For example, giving additional grants and incentives to women of lower income, as well as tax rebates and other subsidies to ease the burden of additional children.
Such methods, though, sound easy on paper, but in reality face a difficult problem: who is to pay.
On the other end of society, it becomes more tricky. To eradicate disadvantages faced by pregnant working women will require much more than the handing out of handouts, difficult though it already is. For one, companies will have to be persuaded to remove prejudices against pregnant women, maternity leave and incentives will have to be provided, and provisions will have to be made to ensure the transition from hospital to office is a smooth one.
Finally, the greatest task faced is that of changing the mindset of an entire society itself: people cannot think that being pregnant is stepping into the mundane life of childrearing, only to leave at the age of fifty or sixty.
To procure more handouts from the pockets of taxpayers is difficult enough, to convince profit oriented companies to provide support for mothers at their expense is harder, and to alter the mindset of our nation is a monumentous task, if not impossible.
However, what price is the nation prepared to pay for its very own survival?
If 1/4 women do not have children, theoretically Singapore's population will be reduced to three quarters of its size, and along with it its economy, military capability, industries, manpower and so on. Such would be disastrous for Singapore, which already has only one resource: its people. Should we not address this issue, our country faces being deprived of its only resource to survive.
And even this bleak scenario assumes that the remaining 3/4 of females follow the 2.1 replacement rate.
Of course, one must not be insensitive and ignore the other side of the story. While women with higher education levels do not want to sacrifice their careers for motherhood, less educated women do not have adequate finances to support large families.
In addition, be it highly or lowly educated women, both undergo tremendous stress and lifestyle changes when becoming mothers, which only makes them less willing to give birth.
All in all, this amounts to a depressing conundrum.
In my opinion, if this problem is to be tackled different approaches must be adopted towards women from various spectrums of society; not all face the same problems. For example, giving additional grants and incentives to women of lower income, as well as tax rebates and other subsidies to ease the burden of additional children.
Such methods, though, sound easy on paper, but in reality face a difficult problem: who is to pay.
On the other end of society, it becomes more tricky. To eradicate disadvantages faced by pregnant working women will require much more than the handing out of handouts, difficult though it already is. For one, companies will have to be persuaded to remove prejudices against pregnant women, maternity leave and incentives will have to be provided, and provisions will have to be made to ensure the transition from hospital to office is a smooth one.
Finally, the greatest task faced is that of changing the mindset of an entire society itself: people cannot think that being pregnant is stepping into the mundane life of childrearing, only to leave at the age of fifty or sixty.
To procure more handouts from the pockets of taxpayers is difficult enough, to convince profit oriented companies to provide support for mothers at their expense is harder, and to alter the mindset of our nation is a monumentous task, if not impossible.
However, what price is the nation prepared to pay for its very own survival?
Women cite reluctance to lifestyle change as a reason for shunning procreation
By Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 04 March 2007 1816 hrs
SINGAPORE: Reluctance to lifestyle change and financial difficulty - have been cited by women in the South West district as the two main reasons for not having children.
Some 270 of them took part in a survey, the results of which were released on Sunday at the district's community event, which also saw Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong help launch a book on women involved in grassroots activities.
The findings of a survey on pregnancy issues, carried out over the last two months with the help of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, showed that having children was not the intention of one in four of the women polled.
These women are in the reproductive age of up to 40.
The survey also found that more Chinese and Indian women are not considering having children, as compared to Malays. "There's a trend to show that more women in tertiary education are considering pregnancy. We need to a conduct bigger study before we can generalise that this is the sentiment of the current women in Singapore," said Dr Tan Thiam Chye, Principal Investigator, Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society.
"We might even consider advising the ministry to conduct a larger scale survey to look into the specific reasons of why women are not contemplating having children," continued Dr Tan.
One reason for this may be that they feel more financially-able to support a family as compared to those who have secondary education or lower.
Dr Tan added that the survey also showed that while most women were well informed on pregnancy and nutritional supplements in pregnancy, only half of them planned their pregnancies. The survey also looked at whether women suffered from depression during pregnancy - one in five reported having such symptoms.
Such findings are significant in the light of recent reports that the fertility rate in Singapore has dropped below the required 2.1 replacement level.
The SouthWest Community Development Council (CDC) said it plans to continue working with the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore (OGSS) to conduct programmes to address issues of pregnancy among women, as well as encourage more women to have children.
Mayor of the SouthWest CDC, Dr Amy Khor said, "Also to raise awareness about issues or problems that you can face in late pregnancy or pregnancy at a later age and also of course pregnancy-related issues, which are also some concerns that the women express. So today for instance, at the "Shape Up and Feel Great", we have already started free medical consultation for women with the OGSS.
"If they want to consult the OGSS regarding health issues and pregnancy related issues and so on, we hope that we'll also do talks on starting a family, about various risks that you may also face if you actually start a family late and also try and allay some of their concerns and fears about having a child, about parenting and so on."
Also unveiled at the SouthWest CDC event was the first book on women in grassroots.
The book, entitled "Women Empowering Community - 40 years of Singapore Women in Grassroots" traces the development and achievements of the Women Executive Committee (WEC) members.
"I think what is important is we hope that this book will raise awareness of the WEC and the public in general about the contributions that women have made in the heartlands. In terms of mobilising, galvanising the women, creating opportunities for them to take part in meaningful activities and helping them to socialise. We also hope that it will spur more women to join us in playing a role in the heartland, play a useful role in the heartlands and helping to motivate more women," said Dr Khor.
Over the years, the WEC has seen changes in its programmes along with the evolving role of women. While it started out creating opportunities for home makers to learn useful skills, it now conducts activities that cater to the more affluent women, such as conducting Yoga classes, spa therapy and even career talks. - CNA
(Taken from Channelnewsasia.com)
By Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 04 March 2007 1816 hrs
SINGAPORE: Reluctance to lifestyle change and financial difficulty - have been cited by women in the South West district as the two main reasons for not having children.
Some 270 of them took part in a survey, the results of which were released on Sunday at the district's community event, which also saw Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong help launch a book on women involved in grassroots activities.
The findings of a survey on pregnancy issues, carried out over the last two months with the help of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, showed that having children was not the intention of one in four of the women polled.
These women are in the reproductive age of up to 40.
The survey also found that more Chinese and Indian women are not considering having children, as compared to Malays. "There's a trend to show that more women in tertiary education are considering pregnancy. We need to a conduct bigger study before we can generalise that this is the sentiment of the current women in Singapore," said Dr Tan Thiam Chye, Principal Investigator, Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society.
"We might even consider advising the ministry to conduct a larger scale survey to look into the specific reasons of why women are not contemplating having children," continued Dr Tan.
One reason for this may be that they feel more financially-able to support a family as compared to those who have secondary education or lower.
Dr Tan added that the survey also showed that while most women were well informed on pregnancy and nutritional supplements in pregnancy, only half of them planned their pregnancies. The survey also looked at whether women suffered from depression during pregnancy - one in five reported having such symptoms.
Such findings are significant in the light of recent reports that the fertility rate in Singapore has dropped below the required 2.1 replacement level.
The SouthWest Community Development Council (CDC) said it plans to continue working with the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore (OGSS) to conduct programmes to address issues of pregnancy among women, as well as encourage more women to have children.
Mayor of the SouthWest CDC, Dr Amy Khor said, "Also to raise awareness about issues or problems that you can face in late pregnancy or pregnancy at a later age and also of course pregnancy-related issues, which are also some concerns that the women express. So today for instance, at the "Shape Up and Feel Great", we have already started free medical consultation for women with the OGSS.
"If they want to consult the OGSS regarding health issues and pregnancy related issues and so on, we hope that we'll also do talks on starting a family, about various risks that you may also face if you actually start a family late and also try and allay some of their concerns and fears about having a child, about parenting and so on."
Also unveiled at the SouthWest CDC event was the first book on women in grassroots.
The book, entitled "Women Empowering Community - 40 years of Singapore Women in Grassroots" traces the development and achievements of the Women Executive Committee (WEC) members.
"I think what is important is we hope that this book will raise awareness of the WEC and the public in general about the contributions that women have made in the heartlands. In terms of mobilising, galvanising the women, creating opportunities for them to take part in meaningful activities and helping them to socialise. We also hope that it will spur more women to join us in playing a role in the heartland, play a useful role in the heartlands and helping to motivate more women," said Dr Khor.
Over the years, the WEC has seen changes in its programmes along with the evolving role of women. While it started out creating opportunities for home makers to learn useful skills, it now conducts activities that cater to the more affluent women, such as conducting Yoga classes, spa therapy and even career talks. - CNA
(Taken from Channelnewsasia.com)
The baby out of reach
By Tan Hui Leng, TODAY Posted: 05 March 2007 1026 hrs
There are no surprises on this score any more — just resigned sighs.
Singapore's fertility woes may well persist if one goes by the results from the Singapore Women's Pregnancy Survey 2007, which revealed that one in four women in the reproductive age group does not intend to have a child.
And when it came to women without tertiary education, this tendency was even higher. Almost half of them — 44 per cent — indicated that they did not plan to have children.
"We didn't expect this," said the principal investigator of the study, Dr Tan Thiam Chye. "Previously, we had thought that it was the higher educated women that did not want children."
He said it was possible that women with lower education had financial difficulties, which made them reluctant to give birth.
The joint study by the South West Community Development Council (CDC) and the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore (OGSS) surveyed 268 female residents aged between 16 to 60 years, staying in the constituencies of the CDC. Of these, 42 per cent were married, the rest were single and 66 per cent had tertiary education.
The majority of women (70.5 per cent) with tertiary education were keen to have children while only 56.4 per cent of women with secondary and primary education wanted children. Their mean ideal age for having the first child was at 27 years old while the mean ideal number of children was 2.3.
"While it augurs well that more tertiary educated women are now contemplating babies, it is worrisome that one in four women does not want any children at all," said Dr Tan on the sidelines of the launch of the People's Association Women's Executive Committee book, Women Empowering Community: 40 Years in Grassroots.
The study also suggests that 31.8 per cent of women with tertiary education — almost a third of them — have had pregnancy-related depression, compared with just 16.4 per cent of those with secondary education.
"This may be due to the stress of adjusting to motherhood for these women who are otherwise competent and often high achievers in other area," said psychiatrist Dr Helen Chen, an OGSS member. Of those who said they did not want a child, 67 per cent cited reluctance to change their current lifestyles as the reason while another 20 per cent quoted financial difficulties.
"The survey shows that women often grapple with a number of often competing demands and desires when considering whether to have children," said the Mayor of South West District, Dr Amy Khor. "Looking ahead, the CDC hopes to work with the OGSS and other organisations to organise programmes and activities that could promote marriage and procreation."
(Taken from Channelnewsasia.com)
Women cite reluctance to lifestyle change as a reason for shunning procreationBy Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 04 March 2007 1816 hrs
SINGAPORE: Reluctance to lifestyle change and financial difficulty - have been cited by women in the South West district as the two main reasons for not having children. Some 270 of them took part in a survey, the results of which were released on Sunday at the district's community event, which also saw Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong help launch a book on women involved in grassroots activities. The findings of a survey on pregnancy issues, carried out over the last two months with the help of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, showed that having children was not the intention of one in four of the women polled. These women are in the reproductive age of up to 40. The survey also found that more Chinese and Indian women are not considering having children, as compared to Malays. "There's a trend to show that more women in tertiary education are considering pregnancy. We need to a conduct bigger study before we can generalise that this is the sentiment of the current women in Singapore," said Dr Tan Thiam Chye, Principal Investigator, Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society. "We might even consider advising the ministry to conduct a larger scale survey to look into the specific reasons of why women are not contemplating having children," continued Dr Tan. One reason for this may be that they feel more financially-able to support a family as compared to those who have secondary education or lower. Dr Tan added that the survey also showed that while most women were well informed on pregnancy and nutritional supplements in pregnancy, only half of them planned their pregnancies. The survey also looked at whether women suffered from depression during pregnancy - one in five reported having such symptoms. Such findings are significant in the light of recent reports that the fertility rate in Singapore has dropped below the required 2.1 replacement level. The SouthWest Community Development Council (CDC) said it plans to continue working with the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore (OGSS) to conduct programmes to address issues of pregnancy among women, as well as encourage more women to have children. Mayor of the SouthWest CDC, Dr Amy Khor said, "Also to raise awareness about issues or problems that you can face in late pregnancy or pregnancy at a later age and also of course pregnancy-related issues, which are also some concerns that the women express. So today for instance, at the "Shape Up and Feel Great", we have already started free medical consultation for women with the OGSS. "If they want to consult the OGSS regarding health issues and pregnancy related issues and so on, we hope that we'll also do talks on starting a family, about various risks that you may also face if you actually start a family late and also try and allay some of their concerns and fears about having a child, about parenting and so on." Also unveiled at the SouthWest CDC event was the first book on women in grassroots. The book, entitled "Women Empowering Community - 40 years of Singapore Women in Grassroots" traces the development and achievements of the Women Executive Committee (WEC) members. "I think what is important is we hope that this book will raise awareness of the WEC and the public in general about the contributions that women have made in the heartlands. In terms of mobilising, galvanising the women, creating opportunities for them to take part in meaningful activities and helping them to socialise. We also hope that it will spur more women to join us in playing a role in the heartland, play a useful role in the heartlands and helping to motivate more women," said Dr Khor. Over the years, the WEC has seen changes in its programmes along with the evolving role of women. While it started out creating opportunities for home makers to learn useful skills, it now conducts activities that cater to the more affluent women, such as conducting Yoga classes, spa therapy and even career talks. - CNA/yy
By Tan Hui Leng, TODAY Posted: 05 March 2007 1026 hrs
There are no surprises on this score any more — just resigned sighs.
Singapore's fertility woes may well persist if one goes by the results from the Singapore Women's Pregnancy Survey 2007, which revealed that one in four women in the reproductive age group does not intend to have a child.
And when it came to women without tertiary education, this tendency was even higher. Almost half of them — 44 per cent — indicated that they did not plan to have children.
"We didn't expect this," said the principal investigator of the study, Dr Tan Thiam Chye. "Previously, we had thought that it was the higher educated women that did not want children."
He said it was possible that women with lower education had financial difficulties, which made them reluctant to give birth.
The joint study by the South West Community Development Council (CDC) and the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore (OGSS) surveyed 268 female residents aged between 16 to 60 years, staying in the constituencies of the CDC. Of these, 42 per cent were married, the rest were single and 66 per cent had tertiary education.
The majority of women (70.5 per cent) with tertiary education were keen to have children while only 56.4 per cent of women with secondary and primary education wanted children. Their mean ideal age for having the first child was at 27 years old while the mean ideal number of children was 2.3.
"While it augurs well that more tertiary educated women are now contemplating babies, it is worrisome that one in four women does not want any children at all," said Dr Tan on the sidelines of the launch of the People's Association Women's Executive Committee book, Women Empowering Community: 40 Years in Grassroots.
The study also suggests that 31.8 per cent of women with tertiary education — almost a third of them — have had pregnancy-related depression, compared with just 16.4 per cent of those with secondary education.
"This may be due to the stress of adjusting to motherhood for these women who are otherwise competent and often high achievers in other area," said psychiatrist Dr Helen Chen, an OGSS member. Of those who said they did not want a child, 67 per cent cited reluctance to change their current lifestyles as the reason while another 20 per cent quoted financial difficulties.
"The survey shows that women often grapple with a number of often competing demands and desires when considering whether to have children," said the Mayor of South West District, Dr Amy Khor. "Looking ahead, the CDC hopes to work with the OGSS and other organisations to organise programmes and activities that could promote marriage and procreation."
(Taken from Channelnewsasia.com)
Women cite reluctance to lifestyle change as a reason for shunning procreationBy Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 04 March 2007 1816 hrs
SINGAPORE: Reluctance to lifestyle change and financial difficulty - have been cited by women in the South West district as the two main reasons for not having children. Some 270 of them took part in a survey, the results of which were released on Sunday at the district's community event, which also saw Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong help launch a book on women involved in grassroots activities. The findings of a survey on pregnancy issues, carried out over the last two months with the help of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, showed that having children was not the intention of one in four of the women polled. These women are in the reproductive age of up to 40. The survey also found that more Chinese and Indian women are not considering having children, as compared to Malays. "There's a trend to show that more women in tertiary education are considering pregnancy. We need to a conduct bigger study before we can generalise that this is the sentiment of the current women in Singapore," said Dr Tan Thiam Chye, Principal Investigator, Obstetrical & Gynaecological Society. "We might even consider advising the ministry to conduct a larger scale survey to look into the specific reasons of why women are not contemplating having children," continued Dr Tan. One reason for this may be that they feel more financially-able to support a family as compared to those who have secondary education or lower. Dr Tan added that the survey also showed that while most women were well informed on pregnancy and nutritional supplements in pregnancy, only half of them planned their pregnancies. The survey also looked at whether women suffered from depression during pregnancy - one in five reported having such symptoms. Such findings are significant in the light of recent reports that the fertility rate in Singapore has dropped below the required 2.1 replacement level. The SouthWest Community Development Council (CDC) said it plans to continue working with the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore (OGSS) to conduct programmes to address issues of pregnancy among women, as well as encourage more women to have children. Mayor of the SouthWest CDC, Dr Amy Khor said, "Also to raise awareness about issues or problems that you can face in late pregnancy or pregnancy at a later age and also of course pregnancy-related issues, which are also some concerns that the women express. So today for instance, at the "Shape Up and Feel Great", we have already started free medical consultation for women with the OGSS. "If they want to consult the OGSS regarding health issues and pregnancy related issues and so on, we hope that we'll also do talks on starting a family, about various risks that you may also face if you actually start a family late and also try and allay some of their concerns and fears about having a child, about parenting and so on." Also unveiled at the SouthWest CDC event was the first book on women in grassroots. The book, entitled "Women Empowering Community - 40 years of Singapore Women in Grassroots" traces the development and achievements of the Women Executive Committee (WEC) members. "I think what is important is we hope that this book will raise awareness of the WEC and the public in general about the contributions that women have made in the heartlands. In terms of mobilising, galvanising the women, creating opportunities for them to take part in meaningful activities and helping them to socialise. We also hope that it will spur more women to join us in playing a role in the heartland, play a useful role in the heartlands and helping to motivate more women," said Dr Khor. Over the years, the WEC has seen changes in its programmes along with the evolving role of women. While it started out creating opportunities for home makers to learn useful skills, it now conducts activities that cater to the more affluent women, such as conducting Yoga classes, spa therapy and even career talks. - CNA/yy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
