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Nov 4, 2010
WOMEN'S CHARTER
Men need protection too
I REFER to the reports ('Making defaulters pay', Nov 1; and 'Judge throws out 'secret wife' case', Oct 27). The Women's Charter rightfully accords protection to women against irresponsible men and ensures financial support for them and their children after a divorce.
But what if a woman deceitfully enters into a marriage with a hidden agenda. Is there any legal recourse for the husband concerned to protect himself?
There are women who do not take the marriage vows seriously, but see it as a legitimate means to circumvent immigration rules to gain residency status or as a quick way to escape poverty. With more Singaporean men marrying foreign wives, cases of abuse of this nature will rise.
Women who are out to exploit the marriage process may, after a few years of matrimonial life, either initiate a divorce or behave unreasonably so that their husbands would have little choice but to opt for a divorce.
Under such circumstances, through no fault of theirs, ex-husbands will be required by law to continue to maintain their ex-wives and divide matrimonial assets.
The Women's Charter, in its current form, does not distinguish between women who faithfully carried out their roles as wives/mothers and those who entered into a marriage with the wrong intent and abused the marriage system for their selfish gains.
Unless appropriate provisions to deal with such abuses are added to the Women's Charter, they will become more prevalent. We need to send out a strong signal to all that marriages have to be taken seriously as a long-term commitment and not be exploited for one's short-term, selfish gains.
Oo Choon Peng
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_599050.html
WOMEN'S CHARTER
Men need protection too
I REFER to the reports ('Making defaulters pay', Nov 1; and 'Judge throws out 'secret wife' case', Oct 27). The Women's Charter rightfully accords protection to women against irresponsible men and ensures financial support for them and their children after a divorce.
But what if a woman deceitfully enters into a marriage with a hidden agenda. Is there any legal recourse for the husband concerned to protect himself?
There are women who do not take the marriage vows seriously, but see it as a legitimate means to circumvent immigration rules to gain residency status or as a quick way to escape poverty. With more Singaporean men marrying foreign wives, cases of abuse of this nature will rise.
Women who are out to exploit the marriage process may, after a few years of matrimonial life, either initiate a divorce or behave unreasonably so that their husbands would have little choice but to opt for a divorce.
Under such circumstances, through no fault of theirs, ex-husbands will be required by law to continue to maintain their ex-wives and divide matrimonial assets.
The Women's Charter, in its current form, does not distinguish between women who faithfully carried out their roles as wives/mothers and those who entered into a marriage with the wrong intent and abused the marriage system for their selfish gains.
Unless appropriate provisions to deal with such abuses are added to the Women's Charter, they will become more prevalent. We need to send out a strong signal to all that marriages have to be taken seriously as a long-term commitment and not be exploited for one's short-term, selfish gains.
Oo Choon Peng
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_599050.html