Singapore's First Full Female Minister in Parliament
Singapore Straits Times
March 31, 2009
Cabinet changes: Lim Hwee HuaMerit, not gender
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong will consider Mrs Lim Hwee Hua to head a ministry of her own if she continues to perform well and when an opportunity arises.
And she was promoted to become a minister because of merit, not gender, he added.
Mrs Lim, 50, the Senior Minister of State at the Finance and Transport ministries, will become Second Minister in both ministries as well as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) from Wednesday.
Said Mr Lee: 'We can't take her out from these two ministries now, but I will consider her to head a ministry on her own if she continues to perform well, which I'm sure she will, and when the opportunity arises.'
He added that she is fully engaged at the two ministries and her being placed in the PMO is 'a technicality because she is a full minister'.
He pointed to labour chief Lim Swee Say as another example of a full minister placed in the PMO but whose responsibilities are elsewhere.
In Mr Lim's case, they are at the National Trades Union Congress, where he is the labour movement's secretary-general.
Mr Lee said that Transport Minister Raymond Lim has told Mrs Lim she will be responsible for maritime and aviation issues at the Transport Ministry.
Asked if Singapore would see more women ministers, he said: 'Well, I hope we will have more female ministers. If you look at the Parliament, we've had more female MPs. I hope that among them, there will be more potential office holders and in due course more ministers.'
There are now 22 women among the 93 Members of Parliament. They include five Nominated MPs and one Non-Constituency MP, a post given to the best loser in a general election.
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'It's just the way things turn out, particularly in politics, that there are more men than women.'
PM Lee
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If it took nearly 40 years for a woman to be appointed as a full minister (not counting Dr. Seet Ai Mee being appointed ACTING minister for health) in Singapore, AND if appointments are made by merit not gender, THEN it follows that women in Singapore perform worse then men in parliament specifically, and in society generally?
March 31, 2009
Cabinet changes: Lim Hwee HuaMerit, not gender
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong will consider Mrs Lim Hwee Hua to head a ministry of her own if she continues to perform well and when an opportunity arises.
And she was promoted to become a minister because of merit, not gender, he added.
Mrs Lim, 50, the Senior Minister of State at the Finance and Transport ministries, will become Second Minister in both ministries as well as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) from Wednesday.
Said Mr Lee: 'We can't take her out from these two ministries now, but I will consider her to head a ministry on her own if she continues to perform well, which I'm sure she will, and when the opportunity arises.'
He added that she is fully engaged at the two ministries and her being placed in the PMO is 'a technicality because she is a full minister'.
He pointed to labour chief Lim Swee Say as another example of a full minister placed in the PMO but whose responsibilities are elsewhere.
In Mr Lim's case, they are at the National Trades Union Congress, where he is the labour movement's secretary-general.
Mr Lee said that Transport Minister Raymond Lim has told Mrs Lim she will be responsible for maritime and aviation issues at the Transport Ministry.
Asked if Singapore would see more women ministers, he said: 'Well, I hope we will have more female ministers. If you look at the Parliament, we've had more female MPs. I hope that among them, there will be more potential office holders and in due course more ministers.'
There are now 22 women among the 93 Members of Parliament. They include five Nominated MPs and one Non-Constituency MP, a post given to the best loser in a general election.
---------------------------------------
'It's just the way things turn out, particularly in politics, that there are more men than women.'
PM Lee
----------------------------------------
If it took nearly 40 years for a woman to be appointed as a full minister (not counting Dr. Seet Ai Mee being appointed ACTING minister for health) in Singapore, AND if appointments are made by merit not gender, THEN it follows that women in Singapore perform worse then men in parliament specifically, and in society generally?
grrrrrrrrr......
Comments
Given a small pool of educated women then men, it's less probable to find a qualified candidate. When Mrs lim started her education, the education system was still in it's infancy, and plus social norms at that time would also see less women entering the system then.
I don't doubt that gender stereotypes would have played a part, just suggesting that education may be a contributing factor. I guess we may well see more change as the larger classes of women of the 70s, 80s reach the age at which they can be considered for ministerial positions.