Family and Divorce Partner and Co-Head Koh Tien Hua comments in Zaobao article titled "When women’s names are no longer the weak, the 60-year evolution and prospects of the Women’s Charter"

Harry Elias Partnership Family and Divorce Partner and Co-Head Koh Tien Hua commented in Zaobao article titled "When women’s names are no longer the weak, the 60-year evolution and prospects of the Women’s Charter". The article was first published on 30 May 2021.

When women’s names are no longer the weak, the 60-year evolution and prospects of the Women’s Charter

In an era when polygamy was still prevalent, the Women's Charter, which advocated that husbands and wives be an "equal and cooperative partnership", was at the forefront of the times and laid an important foundation for protecting the rights and interests of women in Singapore. Today, the "Women's Charter" has gone through 60 years and has been given a certain modern meaning after many amendments. In terms of promoting equality between men and women, the PAP government has continuously released signals in the latest round of reviews, showing that it intends to seek new breakthroughs, and has also given new expectations to activists in social organizations that are concerned about the rights of both sexes.

Below is an excerpt from the article which features comments by Tien Hua:

Harry Elias Partnership LLP attorney pointed out that in the divorce process, the two parties use constant legal mutual litigation as a means of retaliation, or blame the other party, which will bring more harm. "The correct approach is to minimize the number of steps to dissolve the marriage, so that divorce is less painful."

Koh Tien Hua also reminded that striving for equality between men and women is not within the scope of the "Women's Charter". The core of the charter is the family based on marriage and the responsibilities of couples to each other and to their children. They should not be confused with the pursuit of equality between men and women.

Full article can be found here.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao

Authors: Ng Wai Mun, Poh Lay Hoon