Dec 28, 2010
Narrow the gender gap
AS SINGAPORE becomes a highly globalised First World country, more should be done to narrow the gender gap.
Much effort has been made to protect the rights of women, but little has been done for the men.
The use of corporal punishment on males and not females for the same offences - including in schools - is but an example of the unfairness. If corporal punishment is indeed effective, why aren't both genders made equally liable?
When feminists insist that women are capable of doing what men can, and maybe even better, it is only appropriate that they are made equally liable for national service (NS).
If there is concern about their physical strength, they may be enlisted to serve the nation in other ways.
For example, all girls could be made to do community work for the period that boys do NS.
With the gender ratio tipping towards females, it does not make sense that a larger proportion of the population need not contribute to the security of the country.
The other alternative is to raise the tax rates for women - as their contribution to the country in lieu of the military service men are required to do.
If NS is a rite of passage where boys become men, why do our girls not need one to become women?
Let us work towards a fair system where no one is penalised for the gender he or she is born as.
Xavier Lur
Now he is AWARE Public Enemy No 1.
Narrow the gender gap
AS SINGAPORE becomes a highly globalised First World country, more should be done to narrow the gender gap.
Much effort has been made to protect the rights of women, but little has been done for the men.
The use of corporal punishment on males and not females for the same offences - including in schools - is but an example of the unfairness. If corporal punishment is indeed effective, why aren't both genders made equally liable?
When feminists insist that women are capable of doing what men can, and maybe even better, it is only appropriate that they are made equally liable for national service (NS).
If there is concern about their physical strength, they may be enlisted to serve the nation in other ways.
For example, all girls could be made to do community work for the period that boys do NS.
With the gender ratio tipping towards females, it does not make sense that a larger proportion of the population need not contribute to the security of the country.
The other alternative is to raise the tax rates for women - as their contribution to the country in lieu of the military service men are required to do.
If NS is a rite of passage where boys become men, why do our girls not need one to become women?
Let us work towards a fair system where no one is penalised for the gender he or she is born as.
Xavier Lur
Now he is AWARE Public Enemy No 1.
