Although this article may not seem relevant to social entrepreneurship, it is a social issue that i did not know about until recently. Unwed mothers do not receive the same benefits as those who are married even if they have kids. In summary, the article states how single mothers do not receive the same 16 week paid maternity leave but in turn they only receive 8 weeks of leave. The additional paid leave which would greatly help mothers pay for the child expenses. They are also not entitled to the baby bonus cash gift of $6000 for their first child and also parenthood tax rebates. They are only allowed to purchase housing when they are 35 years old and above under the singles scheme. Build-to-order (BTO) flats are not available to them as they and their children are not considered family.
I was very shocked by this article as i assumed that single mothers would have been given privileges because they are the ones who need it the most. I did not expect them to be deprived of it. I agree that the institute of marriage should be practiced, however that does not entail the children of unwed mothers to also be subjected to this. The first few months of a child's development is incredibly vital and it is important that they attain constant support and guidance from their parents. They did not choose this or have a say in this, therefore they should not be deprived or penalized. Single mothers are already suffering with the high costs that come together with having a child but not being able to get the benefits that help other parents use bring up their child is unfair and uncalled for. Every child is a Singaporean child and should be taken care of the same way. All the additional incentives will be especially useful in bringing up a child and unwed mothers are especially those who need it most with only one income provided,
So far, little efforts have been made to improve their situation, What single parents find most unfair currently seems to be the 8 weeks maternity leave that they receive. They want the same 16 weeks as other parents in order to spend more time with their children during their early years and i think that it is totally acceptable. We should not punish them in this manner, just for being unwed. Every case and scenario is a different one that we know nothing about and thus we should not judge them too quickly. Practically, housing and a roof over a family's head is extremely vital. They should not be deprived to live together as a family instead of struggling. Benefits and subsidies should come more to unwed mothers who have families as they need it more then married couples. We should treat every child as a Singaporean child and think of their needs first.
In conclusion, I hope that the Singapore government can do more to ease the situation of unwed mothers. Through this way, hopefully their children will also receive the same benefits as every other child. With the support and guidance, children are sure to grow far. They should never be penalized in any way regardless of their situation because it is not out of choice. I hope the government looks into these matters to help Singaporeans move forward as a whole.
References:
Kok, X.H. (August 9, 2015). Don't penalise children of unwed mothers. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/dont-penalise-children-of-unwed-mothers on 11 August 2015.
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