Speech by Minister Indranee Rajah at Daughters Of Tomorrow Mother's Day Gala Dinner

Distinguished guests
Partners of Daughters of Tomorrow
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a pleasure to be here with you at this gala dinner.

On the eve of Mother’s Day, we gather to honour and celebrate remarkable mothers, two of whom we saw just now. Let us give them a big hand.

Mothers are role models to their children and the wider community, demonstrating core family values of love, care, concern and commitment, all of which are values that contribute to the foundation of a strong and compassionate society. Mothers juggle multiple roles and responsibilities, often sacrificing their own welfare for the well-being of their children and families. Tonight, we recognise the resilience of these strong women and celebrate the milestones of motherhood.

Singapore’s Social Compact

The Forward Singapore exercise was launched two years ago with the aim to refresh and strengthen our social compact – the glue that holds our society together and our shared values and aspirations as a people. One key chapter of Forward Singapore is to empower those in need.

The Government has been doing more to support disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and will continue to do so. We will do more to provide equal opportunities to uplift lower-income families, and shift our approach from social assistance to social empowerment. This requires a collective effort by all of us – the Government, professionals, corporates, community groups, families, and individuals.

With ComLink+, we are moving beyond episodic short-term assistance to providing longer-term support where family coaches co-develop action plans with families, and coach and motivate them towards achieving their goals and aspirations. Through community partnerships, ComLink+ families that work with their family coaches can also receive support from volunteer befrienders and ComLink+ programmes run by social service agencies. They can also receive financial top-ups under the ComLink+ Progress Packages to help accelerate their progress, if they take active steps towards their goals.

The role of the community in this shift towards social empowerment is key and the good work done by our social service agencies like DOT are integral to Singapore’s social fabric. Over the last 10 years, DOT spearheaded multiple initiatives that facilitate livelihood opportunities for thousands of women and mothers from lower-income families. For example, some ComLink+ families benefited from DOT’s career preparation programme and skills preparation workshops. This supports them in achieving financial independence and enabling upward social mobility for their families.

Support for Stable Employment

Mothers make up over 80% of the community that DOT serves, and many of them are constrained by challenges and circumstances that limit their employment potential. One of DOT’s most important work is the provision of employment support, forged through partnerships at multiple levels. Last year alone, DOT helped 149 women secure employment. Close to 60 percent of these women stayed employed for more than 6 months, marking a significant milestone in their journey towards stable employment and financial stability.

I am heartened by DOT’s efforts and successes in working with numerous employers to provide job opportunities with CPF contributions, and that is very important because you can use that towards home ownership. Many of these partners are here with us tonight, and I want to thank the partners for giving these job opportunities. Such community efforts complement Government efforts such as the ComLink+ Package for Employment, which will encourage adults in ComLink+ families to secure and sustain employment.  

Support for Childcare

To meet the needs of these working mothers, in 2018, DOT introduced a pilot home-based childminding programme in Punggol and Bedok. A 28-year-old mother of two young children was previously unemployed due to caregiving duties. When she re-entered the workforce, the home-based childminding programme allowed her to tap on affordable childminding that catered to her shift working hours or on days when childcare centres were closed or when her children were unwell. The mother was also able to take on additional shifts, and more importantly, complete her skills training to obtain the Workforce Skills Qualification in Patient Service. Since October 2023, she secured stable employment as a Patient Service Associate with a 70% salary increase from her previous full-time job.

I want to commend DOT’s efforts in this. The pilot programme has not only helped many working mothers, it has also been beneficial to their children’s psychosocial development as they can now be engaged in meaningful activities with the childminders. In 2023, the programme expanded its services island wide, allowing more families to benefit from this support.

Looking Ahead

DOT remains committed to supporting mothers in their journey towards financial independence for themselves and their families. In 2024, DOT aims for 70 percent of their women to secure employment for at least six months, with 20 percent of them earning wages of $2,900 and above. Looking across the ballroom, I believe this can be achieved with the support from everyone here tonight.

A big thank you to all corporate and community partners for your important work and support in this space. Please give yourselves a big hand.

We look forward to the continued partnership to help working women from lower-income families live connected and productive lives.

Conclusion

In closing, I would like to once again congratulate DOT women and all mothers for their unwavering perseverance, resilience, and dedication towards their families.

This year's theme for International Women’s Day is “Inspire Inclusion”. Women in Singapore deserve equal inclusion in our society and workforce, regardless of backgrounds. I urge everyone to step forward tonight and generously contribute to uplift and empower mothers from lower-income families. Together, we can foster a strong social compact to ensure that no one is left behind.

I wish you all a Happy Mother’s Day and hope you enjoy the evening. Thank you very much.