The People’s Action Party (PAP) Women’s Wing (WW) will embark on a series of island-wide Listening Sessions intended to help inform and shape national policy on marriage and parenthood.
The initiative was presented by Women’s Wing Chairperson Sim Ann during a Mother’s Day event (May 9), and aims to gather ground-level insights that will be translated into formal recommendations for the Singapore Government.
Addressing approximately 200 activists and guests, Comrade Sim highlighted the urgency of the initiative following recent statistics.
“Singapore’s total fertility rate has been falling, like in many other cities and countries ,” noted Ms Sim, who is also Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Home Affairs. “It reached 0.97 in 2024, and dipped further to 0.87 in 2025.”
“The PAP Women’s Wing has been tracking these developments. We have been discussing the evolving perspectives of Singapore women on the issues of marriage and parenthood.”
Ms Sim noted that the Women’s Wing submitted recommendations that culminated in the 2023 White Paper on Women’s Development.
A marriage and parenthood reset for Singaporean Families
Feedback and ideas from the upcoming Listening Sessions will complement efforts that the Government is undertaking in this area. A new inter-agency workgroup led by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah was recently announced to help Singaporeans navigate marriage and parenthood.
“We know the issue is complex,” said Ms Sim. “The decision to start a family is deeply personal.”
She acknowledged the wide spectrum of anxieties shared by Singaporeans, ranging from the rising cost of living to the fear of sacrificing a hard-earned career. “These are all valid perspectives,” said Sim Ann. “Our lived realities and expectations are evolving all the time.”
To address these complexities, the listening sessions will dive into four key themes:
- Finding a partner and getting married: Examining the “upstream” barriers to forming meaningful connections in a “time-starved society”.
- Does having children still fit into married life: Engaging with “DINKs” (Double Income, No Kids) and young families to understand how children could fit into their lives.
- Fertility and Career: Supporting women undergoing fertility treatments who are also “seeking to give their best at their careers”.
- Parenting pressures: Confronting the “mental load” and social expectations that revolve around parenting.
“I look forward to all of us taking action together,” said Sim Ann. “Your voices and your lived experiences must form the backbone of our recommendations that we intend to submit to the workgroup and to government.”
Embracing the Realities of Motherhood
The event also featured a panel discussion titled “Supporting Mothers, Embracing Realities,” which brought together diverse perspectives on the practical struggles women face today.
Moderated by PAP activist Ong Jing Jing, the panel included Lorraine Lim, Deputy CEO of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO), and Evelyn Lim, Co-Founder of Madam Ling Bakery.
Lorraine Lim spoke candidly about the work of the SCWO, focusing on those struggling with domestic violence and financial instability. Some of their clients include women who are abused, children who are survivors of domestic violence and single mothers going through divorce or other live-changing situations.
She noted that for every reported case of family violence, approximately seven go unreported.
“Family violence, there’s still a lot of stigma and shame,” said Lorraine Lim. “They just suffer in silence.”
She also gave our party activists a timely reminder. Our frontline roles talking to residents in Meet The People Sessions, or in house visits, affords us a unique responsibility in recognizing and responding to those in need.
“For all of you, in your roles in MPS, you get to speak to these women, and identify the signs and symptoms if they are struggling,” said Lorraine Lim. “Encourage them, that there is actually help and support available.”
From the perspective of a business owner and mother of four, Evelyn Lim challenged the popular notion of “work-life balance”.
“To me balance is definitely a myth,” said Evelyn Lim. “When we are handling, when we are wearing so many hats and when our kids are so young, it’s very difficult to balance.”
Evelyn shared her own experiences of working from her laptop immediately after giving birth to her fourth child, expressing regret over the pressure to perform.
She now implements family-first policies at her bakery, including “family care leave” that allows staff to attend to personal matters, such as medical appointments for parents, without question.
A Call for Community Support
The panel concluded with a shared sentiment that “it takes a village” to support modern mothers. Lorraine Lim suggested that the “village” must include accessible, affordable childcare that mirrors the close-knit community environments of previous decades.
The Women’s Wing Listening Sessions are expected to continue through the coming months, with the next session on fertility scheduled for June 6.
Comrade Sim encouraged all residents to participate, emphasizing that the “reset” requires the involvement of the entire society, including male allies, to be successful.
