SINGAPORE : Nearly one-third of women baby boomers in Singapore have never worked, according to preliminary findings of a survey conducted in 2007.

The survey involves 3,000 Singaporean women baby boomers.

Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, announced the findings at the launch of the Women Interactive Series (WISE) on Wednesday.

This series of events aims to deepen the engagement and increase the interaction with women on various topics that affect them.

Launched by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), WISE will cover various topics such as dialogue series on CPF Minimum Sum top-ups for spouses in April, continuing education and training, healthcare, and ageing.

Legal aspects such as the Penal Code and Employment Act will also be covered.

Mrs Yu-Foo said the Women's Register, an online database resource aimed at increasing the level of female representation in leadership positions, saw an "impressive educational and occupational profile that reflects the talent pool".

As at 31 December last year, there were 306 registrants. Of this, four percent have PhDs, 28 percent Master's degrees, 44 percent bachelor's degrees and 11 percent diploma holders.

In terms of occupation, 42 percent are managers, 18 percent executives, 3 percent doctors, 7 percent entrepreneurs and 14 percent trainers/teachers.

Another trend noted in a recent study by Mastercard is a significant gender gap in entrepreneurial activity of 8.76 percent. Women are also less able to sustain their business beyond 42 months - only 2.5 percent compared to 7.49 percent for men.

Improved education and training opportunities for women also means more dual-career couples.

The latest figures showed that dual-career married couples increased to 44 percent, up from 41 percent in 2000 and 27 percent in 1980.

Women are also increasing their monetary contributions to the family income. The average income share of working wives grew from 42 percent in 2000 to 44 percent in 2005. - CNA/de