Women in Singapore politics
Encyclopedia
Traditionally, women in Singapore
played a small role in the country's political scene
public life. In recent years, however, the city-state has seen an increase in female representation in public life, as more women chose to run for political office.
Notable female politicians include the two former ministers: former Acting Minister for Community Development Seet Ai Mee
and former Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua
; Minister of State Yu-Fu Yee Shoon; and Amy Khor Lean Suan
, a district mayor
. Several women also became Nominated Members of Parliament
, representing a range of societal interests such as women's groups and conservation groups.
and the United States
, Singapore practiced universal suffrage
since democratic elections began. Thus, women in Singapore did not have to fight for suffrage.
The first women representatives in the Legislative Council
reflected English-educated and middle-class interests. Chinese-educated women leaders came into prominence as the proportion of women voters expanded from 8% to 50% in the 1955 elections. However, some of these Chinese-educated leaders, such as Linda Chen Mock Hock, were linked to communism
and thus were subsequently clamped down on by the fiercely anti-communist Lim Yew Hock
administration.
As the People's Action Party
rose to power in 1959, as many as four female PAP candidates were voted into the self-governing Assembly. They included Women League’s founders Chan Choy Siong and Ho Puay Choo. The PAP-Barisan Sosialis
schism caused two women members to defect to the Barisan Sosialis. The two remaining (and after 1968, one remaining) PAP woman members were considered moderate and relatively passive compared to the radicals, perhaps leaving a legacy of a weakened female representation and, subsequently, its complete lack in politics for more than a decade.
’s Ling How Doong
in election. Lim Hwee Hua
eventually became the first female Cabinet minister in 2009 when she was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. However, she lost her parliamentary seat to the Workers Party
team in Aljunied GRC in the 2011 General Election.
The ruling PAP Women's Wing was formed in 1989. In 1992, Dr. Kanwaljit Soin
became the first female Nominated Member of Parliament
and played a major role in raising important social issues, such as violence against women, in the parliament. Other notable NMPs include Claire Chiang and Braema Mathiaparanam.
, became the first female Chairman of the Workers' Party
. She became the first female elected MP not from the PAP.
Women in Singapore
Women in Singapore, particularly those who have joined Singapore's workforce, are faced with balancing their traditional and modern-day roles in Singaporean society and economy...
played a small role in the country's political scene
Politics of Singapore
The politics of Singapore takes the form of a parliamentary republic whereby the President of Singapore is the head of state, the Prime Minister of Singapore is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the cabinet. Cabinet has the general direction and...
public life. In recent years, however, the city-state has seen an increase in female representation in public life, as more women chose to run for political office.
Notable female politicians include the two former ministers: former Acting Minister for Community Development Seet Ai Mee
Seet Ai Mee
Dr. Seet Ai Mee is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party , she served as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bukit Gombak from 1988 to 1991. In 1991, she was made the Acting Minister for Community Development...
and former Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua was a Singaporean politician, who was formerly the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and appointed concurrently as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.-Early career:...
; Minister of State Yu-Fu Yee Shoon; and Amy Khor Lean Suan
Amy Khor Lean Suan
Amy Khor Lean Suan is the Mayor of South West Community Development Council and a Member of Parliament in Singapore....
, a district mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. Several women also became Nominated Members of Parliament
Nominated Member of Parliament
A Nominated Member of Parliament is a Member of the Parliament of Singapore who is appointed instead of being elected into office by the people, and who does not belong to any political party or represent any constituency. There are currently nine NMPs in Parliament...
, representing a range of societal interests such as women's groups and conservation groups.
Early years
Unlike other countries, like the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Singapore practiced universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
since democratic elections began. Thus, women in Singapore did not have to fight for suffrage.
The first women representatives in the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Singapore
The Legislative Council of Singapore was a Legislative Council in Singapore that assisted the Governor in making laws in Singapore. It officially came into existence in 1946, when the Repeal Act abolished the Straits Settlements, and Singapore became a Crown Colony on its own that would need its...
reflected English-educated and middle-class interests. Chinese-educated women leaders came into prominence as the proportion of women voters expanded from 8% to 50% in the 1955 elections. However, some of these Chinese-educated leaders, such as Linda Chen Mock Hock, were linked to communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and thus were subsequently clamped down on by the fiercely anti-communist Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock , later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. He is known for suppressing the communist movements and leading the all-party delegation that won internal self-government for Singapore....
administration.
As the People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
rose to power in 1959, as many as four female PAP candidates were voted into the self-governing Assembly. They included Women League’s founders Chan Choy Siong and Ho Puay Choo. The PAP-Barisan Sosialis
Barisan Sosialis
The Barisan Sosialis is a former Singaporean left-wing political party formed in 1961, by left-wing members of the People's Action Party and led by Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong.-Formation:...
schism caused two women members to defect to the Barisan Sosialis. The two remaining (and after 1968, one remaining) PAP woman members were considered moderate and relatively passive compared to the radicals, perhaps leaving a legacy of a weakened female representation and, subsequently, its complete lack in politics for more than a decade.
Absence of female representation
With the retirement of Chan Choy Siong in 1970, there were no women in parliament from 1970 to 1984, or 14 years. Nonetheless, there were sporadic failed electoral bids by female opposition candidates.Return of female representation
In 1984, the dominant PAP fielded 3 women candidates who all entered parliament successfully. They were Dr. Dixie Tan, Dr. Aline Wong, and then Minister of State Yu-Foo Yu Shoon. Another woman, Dr. Seet Ai Mee, joined the trio in 1988, and she subsequently was promoted to Acting Minister for Community Development. Widely expected to be promoted to full minister after the 1991 General Election, Seet lost her seat in Parliament to Singapore Democratic PartySingapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
’s Ling How Doong
Ling How Doong
Ling How Doong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. A member of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party , he served as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bukit Gombak from 1991 to 1997.-Political career:...
in election. Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua was a Singaporean politician, who was formerly the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and appointed concurrently as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.-Early career:...
eventually became the first female Cabinet minister in 2009 when she was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. However, she lost her parliamentary seat to the Workers Party
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
team in Aljunied GRC in the 2011 General Election.
The ruling PAP Women's Wing was formed in 1989. In 1992, Dr. Kanwaljit Soin
Kanwaljit Soin
Dr Kanwaljit Soin is a consultant orthopaedic & hand surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore.She studied in Tanjong Katong Girls' School for her secondary education and Victoria School for her pre-university education, and received her MBBS Hons in 1966 when she graduated top of her class...
became the first female Nominated Member of Parliament
Nominated Member of Parliament
A Nominated Member of Parliament is a Member of the Parliament of Singapore who is appointed instead of being elected into office by the people, and who does not belong to any political party or represent any constituency. There are currently nine NMPs in Parliament...
and played a major role in raising important social issues, such as violence against women, in the parliament. Other notable NMPs include Claire Chiang and Braema Mathiaparanam.
Current women parliamentarians
Since the 1990s, the number of women participating in politics has progressively increased, but women remain significantly underrepresented in government and parliament. There are currently 18 elected women parliamentarians out of a total of 84 elected members, 17 from the ruling PAP and one from the Workers' Party. There are two Ministers of State and one district mayor. There are 5 women of a total of 9 Nominated Members of Parliament, while there is one female NCMP.Elected MPs
The Elected Members are from PAP unless, otherwise stated:- Fatimah Binte Abdul Lateef
- Fu Hai Yien, Grace
- Halimah YacobHalimah YacobHalimah binte Yacob is the Minister of State for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. She was the Deputy Secretary General & Director of NTUC and was responsible for Legal Services, Women and Industrial Relations in the Public Sector...
- Indranee RajahIndranee RajahIndranee Rajah is one of two Deputy Speakers of the Parliament of Singapore. She is a Singaporean Member of Parliament, representing Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency. Rajah is affiliated with the People's Action Party...
- Khor Lean Suan, AmyAmy Khor Lean SuanAmy Khor Lean Suan is the Mayor of South West Community Development Council and a Member of Parliament in Singapore....
, Mayor of South West Community Development Council (CDC) - Lee Bee Wah
- Lee Geck Hoon, Ellen
- Low, Penny
- Neo, Lily
- Ng Phek Hoong, IreneNg Phek Hoong, IreneIrene Ng Phek Hoong is a Singaporean Member of Parliament who represented Tampines GRC since 2001. She is also a Writer-in-Residence at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies .-Political career:...
- Tan Soon Neo, JessicaJessica Tan Soon NeoJessica Tan Soon Neo is a Singaporean Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC.Tan became an MP for the first time after the 2006 general election, when Tan's five man team, representing the People's Action Party, defeated the Workers' Party of Singapore with 63.86% of the votes for East Coast...
- Teo Li Min, Josephine
- Phua Lay Peng, Denise
- Sim AnnSim AnnSim Ann is currently the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Law. She is a Member of Parliament for the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.- Education and early career :...
- Tin Pei LingTin Pei LingTin Pei Ling is a Chinese Singaporean who is one of five Singapore People's Action Party Members of Parliament for the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency. She is in charge of the MacPherson ward....
- Foo Mee HarFoo Mee HarFoo Mee Har is a Singaporean Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC. She is a member of the Government Parliamentary Committees of both: 1) Finance and Trade & Industry; and 2) Manpower....
- Low Yen Ling
- Intan Azura Mokhtar
- Lim Swee Lian, Sylvia, Workers' PartyWorkers' Party of SingaporeThe Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
Women in opposition
In 2003, Sylvia Lim, a lecturer at Temasek PolytechnicTemasek Polytechnic
Temasek Polytechnic is the third polytechnic to be set up in Singapore. The polytechnic was established on April 6, 1990. With a 30 hectare campus overlooking the scenic Bedok Reservoir in the eastern part of Singapore, TP's campus places particular emphasis on the preservation of the natural...
, became the first female Chairman of the Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
. She became the first female elected MP not from the PAP.