Help divorcees who were stay-at-home mums
Sadly in Singapore, the value of a stay-at-home mother is often not recognised. (“What’s a stay-home mum worth?”; Talking Point)
It is worse in the case of a divorce where a stay-at-home mother must fight for her maintenance. Does Singapore law even give more recognition to these divorcees?
A stay-at-home mother does various jobs — caretaker, tutor, cleaner and cook, among others — but does not get paid. Her pay is a happy family.
But a divorcee whose spouse has cheated on her shoulders the trauma of the divorce, the spouse’s affair and the children’s pain. Moreover, one who was a stay-at-home mother loses out on Central Provident Fund savings and her career.
Depending on her age and whether employers view her as having lost touch, she may be unable to get a job even if she has the qualifications.
Or she loses her market value when she re-enters the workforce and must start all over again.
She would also lose her savings to living expenses and legal fees unless she is given sufficient maintenance.
I hope the Government can help divorcees who are stay-at-home mothers, and can make adjustments to the law so they need not have to fight so hard for maintenance in divorce proceedings. Subsidised legal fees would help, for example.
