Speech by President Halimah Yacob at NUHS Women in Science and Healthcare IWD Conference 2022

Professor Yeoh Khay Guan, Chief Executive, National University Health System

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning. I am pleased to join the National University Health System (NUHS)’s Women in Science and Healthcare (WISH) International Women’s Day Conference 2022.

Last year, we commemorated the Year of Celebrating SG Women. While there has been significant progress, more can be done to support, empower, and advance women. In the science and healthcare sector for example, we need to continue championing the representation and recognition of women, particularly in areas like research.

Women in science and healthcare have played a critical role in the pandemic response. Take for example, Katherine Leong, who is Assistant Director of Nursing at National University Hospital (NUH). I met her virtually last year, when she was conferred the President’s Award for Nurses. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Katherine led a nursing team to set up NUHS’s first community care facility in Tuas South, housing approximately 1,600 migrant workers. Despite the language barrier and possibility of contracting the virus, Katherine and her team remained committed to caring for the migrant workers. This was even as she was the primary caregiver to her late father who suffered from Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

Another example is Dr Sophia Archuleta, who leads the NUHS Women in Science and Healthcare team. As Head and Senior Consultant of the Division of Infectious Diseases at NUH, she played an important role when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, mobilising the members of the infectious diseases unit to care for COVID-19 patients. She was involved in formulating strategies to manage COVID-19 patients and co-ordinating with doctors across the NUHS cluster. Her contributions ensured that COVID-19 patients received appropriate medical care in a safe and timely manner. She too is the primary caregiver to her elderly father.

Women like Katherine and Dr Sophia illustrate the extensive contributions that women have made, and can make, in science and healthcare. But we need more of such examples. Organisations must recognise that women and men bring on board different but equally valuable skillsets, experiences, and perspectives. Like Katherine and Dr Sophia, many women also balance caregiving with their careers.

Family-friendly workplace policies such as flexible work arrangements will help. The challenge with the current flexible work arrangements is that they are voluntary and depend a great deal on employers’ support to introduce them. No doubt many enlightened employers have already done so, as they see the value of flexible work arrangements in attracting and retaining employees who would otherwise leave the workforce. This is particularly important in the current labour market where, despite the pandemic, some sectors still suffer from manpower shortage.  Moreover, during the pandemic many people are already working from home, one component of flexibility that will benefit many workers. With the experience gained over a number of years, I certainly think that it is possible for us to do more to make flexible work arrangements take stronger roots in our workplace. We also need to change perceptions among some workers who worry that availing themselves of such schemes will be bad for their career progression, a real problem in some cases. We know too that smaller employers who have very lean workforces or lack HR skills to manage a more flexible and diverse workforce need more help. The issue is often not whether employers in principle support flexible work arrangements, but they may lack the capabilities to implement them.

As we strive to further women’s development, it is also important to take stock of the strides we have made thus far. Today, it is not uncommon for our daughters to dream of becoming doctors. At NUHS, the proportion of female doctors was 43.7 per cent as at end 2021. This is the result of sustained efforts in eradicating preconceived notions on women’s roles, and can also be attributed in part to the Government’s decision in 2003 to abolish the quota capping female enrolment in medicine at the National University of Singapore. So we have seen change happen, and we must continue to shift mindsets and norms to facilitate greater inclusion and progression of women in the workplace.

In closing, I hope that the discussions at this conference will contribute to the larger discourse on how we can collectively make meaningful progress on women’s place in society. The Government and our wider community must remain committed to building a fairer and more inclusive society, where Singaporeans have equal opportunities to achieve their aspirations. Beyond policies, it is important to deepen and grow the partnership between our women and men, founded in respect, to create a fairer and more inclusive society. Our consultative partnership and approach have been one of our greatest strengths, as seen from the year-long, nation-wide Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development last year.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank and commend all our frontline healthcare workers, many of whom are women. Your courage and selfless service have kept us safe during this pandemic. Some of you have spoken about the fatigue and exhaustion you face in your determination not to let the virus win. You put your own safety on the line to protect the rest of us, even as you worry about your own family and loved ones. I urge Singaporeans to show greater appreciation and respect for our healthcare workers who are currently dealing with the Omicron variant. Their work is not easy and we can do our part to support our hospitals and healthcare workers, including alleviating the pressures on our emergency departments.

Thank you once again and I wish you a fruitful conference.