May 25, 2023

The news segment ‘Push for flexible work arrangements as fertility rate hits record low ‘ (Channel NewsAsia, May 2023) discusses the Singapore government’s urge for employers and workers to adopt flexible working arrangements to make it easier for working adults to start and raise families. This was an issue discussed at a conference titled ‘Building Singapore’s Population Towards a Better Future’, jointly organised by the Population Association of Singapore and the NUS Centre for Family & Population Research.

Professor Jean Yeung (NUS Sociology and Anthropology, Centre for Family & Population Research, and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine), in an interview, emphasises that there is space for Singapore’s paternity leave policy to improve so that fertility and family wellbeing outcomes can be better met. She highlights that her research shows that granting paternal leave can improve family dynamics and is beneficial to the cognitive and emotional well-being of children.

Watch the news segment here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPm10qNgEqs