Women's quest for justice and equality - a short history

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Some Christian denominations bar women from the priesthood or leadership positions. In Islam, women face restrictions on leading public prayers. According to some Buddhist texts, women can attain Buddhahood only by first being reborn as men. In Hindu literature, women are sometimes depicted as being weak, sinful and irresponsible....Confucius taught that a daughter should obey her father, a wife her husband and a widow her son....Confucianism has had a pernicious influence on the status of women in Asia as it continues to influence the behaviour of men towards women in North-east and South-east Asia.

In 1961, the Singapore Government enacted the Women's Charter. It was nothing less than the Magna Carta for women in Singapore.

Our women have achieved parity with men in education at all levels. Women's participation in our workforce is at about 60 per cent but there is still a wage gap between men and women...Most glass ceilings impeding the rise of women in Singapore have been broken. We have a woman as our President. We have several very capable woman ministers, permanent secretaries, judges of the Supreme Court, CEOs of statutory boards and leading corporations...The only two areas which need improvement are the number of women in Parliament and the under-representation of women on corporate boards and in senior decision-making positions.

In 2016, the UN Human Development Report ranked Singapore No. 11 out of 159 countries on its Gender Inequality Index. In 2017, the US News and World Report published a list of the 23 best countries in the world for a woman to live in. Singapore was ranked No. 22.

Qns:  

1. Evaluate the claim that equality of opportunity for females is a desirable, but unrealistic goal. (Cam. 2016)

2. In your society, how far is equality for all a reality? (Cam. 2012)

3. How important is it for people in your society to retain a sense of tradition? (Cam. 2010)