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Change Your Life! |
Singaporean women making professional inroads |
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News
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April 14, 2000
SINGAPORE, APR 13 (AP) - The number of Singaporean women working in traditionally male-dominated professions is increasing, the government said in a study released Thursday.
Between 1991 and 1999 the female share of these occupations rose to 15 percent from 11 percent, or from 42,100 to 85,600, the Ministry of Manpower said in its Occupation Segregation study.
The most notable rise was in the corporate managerial field, where women made up 27 percent of all corporate managers in 1999, compared to 19 percent in 1991.
Women also made significant inroads in the professional fields of engineering and information technology.
In 1999, 22,600 women operated in these fields, compared to 7,500 women in 1991.
"Females' representation in higher skilled occupations in Singapore still lagged that of developed countries," the report said.
The government's goal of turning Singapore into a knowledge-based economy will allow more women to enter managerial positions, said Tan Leng Leng, director of research at the ministry.
"Given the kind of skills needed in the new economy we think female representation in high-skilled jobs will improve further," she said.
The study was based on figures from the 1999 Labor Force Survey.
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