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Member of Parliament (MP) Louis Ng raised the question of whether fertility leave can be introduced, after it was confirmed that Singapore’s total fertility rate (TFR) dropped to a historic low of 1.05 in 2022.

TFR on the decline for years

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Indranee Rajah pointed out during the Committee of Supply (COS) debate on Feb. 24, 2023, "This was partly due to the Tiger year in the lunar calendar, which is generally associated with lower births among the Chinese."

Indranee said that Singapore, like other advanced societies, has observed a decline in TFR for many years, which she attributed to more people getting married at a later age, postponing having children, and having fewer children.

The government will provide more support for Singaporeans to encourage them to have children. Among the measures they are taking is the increase of the Baby Bonus Cash Gift (BBCG).

First-Timer families with children, as well as younger married couples, will receive greater priority in their Build-To-Order (BTO) flat applications.

Louis Ng on childcare leave and fertility leave

Ng pointed out that the government has urged employers to be more sensitive to couples undergoing In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

However, he thinks the government can and should do more.

"The government can do more to help employers be more sympathetic by introducing gender neutral fertility leave," he averred.

"This will support couples, send employers a clear signal and trigger mindset shifts in the workplace," Ng added.

IVF is a physically and emotionally painful journey

Ng has three children, all of whom were conceived through IVF.

Calling IVF a "physically and emotionally painful journey", he said that it is "extremely stressful for both husband and wife".

He shared that a doctor shared with him about women who were not given time off work for their fertility appointments, and men who broke down because they could not accompany their wives for treatments without their respective employers' support.

In a follow-up, Ng suggested a pilot programme where public servants will be given fertility leave, and that the effectiveness of such an initiative be assessed thereafter.

In response, Indranee said that the government will look into these suggestions seriously.

Gender neutral leave

Another MP, Louis Chua of the Workers' Party, also called for gender neutral parental leave.

He spoke of a new mother who was on maternity leave, who felt that she was lacking the intellectual stimuli and adult social interaction that came with work.

At the same time, her husband, who had returned to work, felt that he had returned to work too soon and kept thinking about the time he was not spending with his young daughter.

Chua said: "Let us push for longer, gender neutral parental leave at a policy level for the country and empower new parents with the choice to share parental responsibilities."

Top photo by Charlein Gracia via Unsplash