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The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) has proposed amendments to the Women's Charter to enhance enforcement of maintenance orders and address divorce-related matters. -- PHOTO: MCYS

MEMBERS of public can help shape the Women's Charter by giving feedback to the proposed changes to enhance enforcement of maintenance orders and address divorce-related matters.
Details of the proposed new measures are contained in a consultation paper, which was released by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) on Monday to seek public feedback.
Some measures to deter defaulters include ordering financial counselling, and ordering a banker's guarantee. Defaulters will also be reported to the credit bureau.
There are also changes to make the enforcement of a maintenance order easier.
In light of rising divorce rates, MCYS has also included measures to facilitate marriages, and protect children in the event of divorce.
For example, once a divorce is filed, parents will have to attend mandatory counselling and mediation. The court will also order parents to deposit money into a Children's Development Account, which can be used for childcare and education among other things.
The public can send their feedback to www.reach.gov.sg by Sept 26, 2010.
MCYS said the Women's Charter (Amendment) Bill addresses some emerging social trends on civil marriages and divorce-related matters.
'With rising globalisation, it is necessary for us to update our laws to deal with trans-border issues, to help an increasing number of overseas Singaporeans, as well as deal with the increasing number of marriages between citizens and foreigners,' said MCYs in its consultation paper.
It also views with concern the rising number of civil divorces in Singapore, which has been going up steadily by 4 per cent yearly over the last two decades.
'The costs of divorce are not only borned by individuals, but also the comm unity and the state in cases where divorce results in adverse economic and social consequences,' says the paper.
'Compounding the problems of divorce is the many defaults on court-ordered parental support.
'Much feedback has been received on the difficulties encountered by claimants of maintenance, ranging from the process for claims, to the need for more deterrent measures against multiple defaults.'