AWARE and the TSAO Foundation held a press conference and released a joint position paper entitled "Beyond Youth: Women Growing Older and Poorer" on 14th February 2005. The position paper, based primarily on data obtained from public sources, highlights the threat of income insecurity facing older women and their particular vulnerability compared to older men. The paper is for sale and the key concerns is online.

AWARE and the TSAO Foundation take the view that Singapore's older women are in a particluarly vulnerable position in their later life due to:

• a lack of income over their lifetime;
• an old age income security system (i.e. CPF) that is not structured to include women (and others not in formal employment);
• a lack of an adequate and inclusive health care financing mechanism (i.e. Medisave) that covers those not in formal employment; and
• a family situation that can no longer sustain its care giving and providing roles for its older relatives.

Till now, financial insecurity of older Singapore women has been largely invisible. This paper aims to draw the attention of Singapore policy makers and the public to the situation of this sub-group of our elders and to invoke further deliberation and debate on what can and should be done to address the situation. AWARE president Braema Mathi hopes that the awareness raised will encourage all women to be more "pro-active when it comes to health and wealth." Dr Mary Ann Tsao reiterates the same point: "Income and CPF disparities show that younger women will still face money problems, because of how they age differently from men" (Give housewives a cut of spouses' CPF, says report, Straits Times, 15 February 2005, pg H4).

The widening CPF gender gap on page 1 and 2 of Today newspaper, 15th February 2005 can be found at the following website: http://pdf.todayonline.com.index.pdf.htm

A copy of the position paper can be purchased from the AWARE Centre at S$20.00 (inclusive of postage and packing). To order please call the office at 6779 7137 or send an email to aware@pacific.net.sg 

 Download Key Concerns of the Paper.