White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development: Melvin Yong on jobs at home, closer to home, far away from home

Women face "headwinds" at every stage of their professional careers, and more must be done for them to have both a fulfilling family life and a rewarding career, said MP Melvin Yong. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Apr 5), he called for equal opportunities and stronger support for women on the job front. To address these challenges, provide jobs at home, closer to home and away from home, he said. On jobs at home, he urged the Government to move faster, "strike while the iron is hot" and roll out the guidelines when many employers are still fresh from having the majority of their workforce telecommuting. Trade associations and self-help groups can provide better support to help aspiring home-based entrepreneurs kickstart and grow their businesses. He suggested introducing a grant to help defray the start-up cost of equipment. Apart from doing more to help women with jobs closer to home, the Government should also support the aspirations of "millennial women" by providing good mentorship for them to venture overseas.