From TODAY, Voices
Wednesday September 3, 2008
Stay-at-home mothers
Incentives for full-time mothers could lead to discrimination
Letter from Yeo Eng Wah
I REFER to “Hail the mothers who stay home” and “The childcare job is not for everyone” (Aug 29).
Ms Sarah Sum-Campbell wrote that it “smacked of hypocrisy and double standards” and that if stay-at-home mothers (Sahms) were to rejoin the working world as a childcare teacher, “their work is probably valued only so that they could free up other women to do more ‘noble’ and productive jobs out of their homes”.
Is she saying that childcare work is less noble and productive than the jobs that highly-educated women may have?
The writer may be able to remain a Sahm, but the purpose of my original letter “The ideal teacher” (Aug 27) was to highlight the fact that there are Sahms who want to rejoin the workforce.
These women may have difficulty in finding jobs due to the years they had spent at home, or that they now need a job to support their families.
My letter also sought to highlight the fact that the Government has schemes in place to help lower-educated Sahms. There are no such schemes for higher-educated Sahms. This is a pool of talent that should not be wasted or ignored.
Not all Sahms are suited for childcare jobs. If such a scheme to train such women is set up, I am sure there will be safeguards to pick the most deserving and suitable women.
To Sahms who feel that “their work is not given any thoughts by policy makers”, I say, think again! I am a Sahm. I gave up my job voluntarily, so why should I be rewarded?
The Government is constantly extolling us to work as long as we can so that we have enough to live on in the future. Women’s groups worry that some Sahms might be left poor and helpless in their old age, or if something untoward happens to the family’s breadwinner.
So do you think the Government will reward Sahms? Do you want companies to discriminate against married women who may drop out of sight because of the incentives given to Sahms?
We made our choice to be Sahms without any incentives given, so we should live with it.
Wednesday September 3, 2008
Stay-at-home mothers
Incentives for full-time mothers could lead to discrimination
Letter from Yeo Eng Wah
I REFER to “Hail the mothers who stay home” and “The childcare job is not for everyone” (Aug 29).
Ms Sarah Sum-Campbell wrote that it “smacked of hypocrisy and double standards” and that if stay-at-home mothers (Sahms) were to rejoin the working world as a childcare teacher, “their work is probably valued only so that they could free up other women to do more ‘noble’ and productive jobs out of their homes”.
Is she saying that childcare work is less noble and productive than the jobs that highly-educated women may have?
The writer may be able to remain a Sahm, but the purpose of my original letter “The ideal teacher” (Aug 27) was to highlight the fact that there are Sahms who want to rejoin the workforce.
These women may have difficulty in finding jobs due to the years they had spent at home, or that they now need a job to support their families.
My letter also sought to highlight the fact that the Government has schemes in place to help lower-educated Sahms. There are no such schemes for higher-educated Sahms. This is a pool of talent that should not be wasted or ignored.
Not all Sahms are suited for childcare jobs. If such a scheme to train such women is set up, I am sure there will be safeguards to pick the most deserving and suitable women.
To Sahms who feel that “their work is not given any thoughts by policy makers”, I say, think again! I am a Sahm. I gave up my job voluntarily, so why should I be rewarded?
The Government is constantly extolling us to work as long as we can so that we have enough to live on in the future. Women’s groups worry that some Sahms might be left poor and helpless in their old age, or if something untoward happens to the family’s breadwinner.
So do you think the Government will reward Sahms? Do you want companies to discriminate against married women who may drop out of sight because of the incentives given to Sahms?
We made our choice to be Sahms without any incentives given, so we should live with it.
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