Singaporean Carolyn Teo's letter to Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong, which was posted to Facebook over the weekend, has gone viral with close to 900 shares and about 1,800 Likes.
In the letter, Ms. Teo appeals to the PM for equal treatment for all mothers in Singapore, including those who are unmarried.
Though Ms. Teo has a partner, she reveals in the caption accompanying her post that she still finds motherhood "a struggle sometimes" and knows that "life is already tougher" for single mothers.
In mid-January, questions were raised in Parliament about policies such as maternity leave, that were not applicable to unmarried mothers. In response, Minister of Family and Social Development Mr. Chan Chun Sing said that such policies exist "to promote parenthood in the context of marriage".
Ms. Teo's letter begins by addressing this: "I really can't think of any Singaporean woman who goes out of her way to get a child if she didn't think of setting up a happy family." "But sometimes, things happen. Have you heard of pregnant women who find out their husbands-to-be are cheating on them? Or have you heard of a woman who ends up pregnant, but realises the child shouldn't be paying for her mistake even if the man decides to walk away?" she asks.
She notes the issue of maternity leave in detail in a later part of the letter: "...a mom should be a mom to her child, even when the father isn't present. A working mom, whether single or married contribute to the same systems, and contribute to providing one headcount to our Nation. So why, may I ask, should we be treated differently?"
Response to Ms. Teo's Facebook post has been largely positive, with many thanking her for her sound support and proactive move.
Read Carolyn Teo's letter on Facebook.
Singaporean Carolyn Teo's letter to Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong, which was posted to Facebook over the weekend, has gone viral with close to 900 shares and about 1,800 Likes.
In the letter, Ms. Teo appeals to the PM for equal treatment for all mothers in Singapore, including those who are unmarried.
Though Ms. Teo has a partner, she reveals in the caption accompanying her post that she still finds motherhood "a struggle sometimes" and knows that "life is already tougher" for single mothers.
In mid-January, questions were raised in Parliament about policies such as maternity leave, that were not applicable to unmarried mothers. In response, Minister of Family and Social Development Mr. Chan Chun Sing said that such policies exist "to promote parenthood in the context of marriage".
Ms. Teo's letter begins by addressing this: "I really can't think of any Singaporean woman who goes out of her way to get a child if she didn't think of setting up a happy family." "But sometimes, things happen. Have you heard of pregnant women who find out their husbands-to-be are cheating on them? Or have you heard of a woman who ends up pregnant, but realises the child shouldn't be paying for her mistake even if the man decides to walk away?" she asks.
She notes the issue of maternity leave in detail in a later part of the letter: "...a mom should be a mom to her child, even when the father isn't present. A working mom, whether single or married contribute to the same systems, and contribute to providing one headcount to our Nation. So why, may I ask, should we be treated differently?"
Response to Ms. Teo's Facebook post has been largely positive, with many thanking her for her sound support and proactive move.
Read Carolyn Teo's letter on Facebook.