Women's Charter
| Women's Charter | |
|---|---|
| An Act to provide for monogamous marriages and for the solemnization and registration of such marriages; to amend and consolidate the law relating to divorce, the rights and duties of married persons, the protection of family, the maintenance of wives and children and the punishment of offences against women and girls; and to provide for matters incidental thereto. | |
| Citation | Ordinance No. 18 of 1961; now Cap. 353, 2009 Rev. Ed. |
| Enacted by | Legislative Assembly of Singapore |
| Date commenced | 15 September 1961 |
| Legislative history | |
| Bill | Women's Charter Bill |
| Bill citation | Bill No. 126/61 |
| Bill published on | 3 March 1961 |
| First reading | 22 February 1961 |
| Second reading | 22 March 1961 |
| Third reading | 24 May 1961 |
| Committee report | Select Committee on the Women's Charter Bill [L.A. 10 of 1961] (1961), Official Report, Singapore: Government Printer |
The Women's Charter was an Act of the Singaporean Parliament passed in 1961. The Act was designed to improve and protect the rights of females in Singapore and to guarantee greater legal equality for women in legally sanctioned relationships (except in the area of Muslims marriages, which are governed separately by the Administration of Muslim Law Act). Among other things, the Act provides for the institution of monogamous marriages, the rights of husbands and wives in marriage, the protection of the family, and the legal potentialities with regard to divorce and separation. The Women's Charter was successfully campaigned for by Madam Chan Choy Siong, wife of Ong Pang Boon, a former Cabinet Minister of Singapore.[1]
In January 2011, the latest amendments to the Charter were passed. These amendments introduced provisions to facilitate marriages in Singapore, address divorce and its impact and strengthen the enforcement of maintenance orders.
As of October 2015, the Ministry of Social and Family Development is proposing four other amendments, as well as extending the mandatory Marriage Preparation Programme to all marriages in which at least one party is below the age of 21.
- Mandatory parenting programme for divorcing parents
- Maintenance for men incapacitated by physical and mental disability
- Greater protection for those affected by family violence as well as the staff of homes and shelters
- Voiding of marriages of convenience as defined under the Immigration Act[2]
References
- ↑ Mukunthan, Michael. "Chan Choy Siong". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ↑ Abdullah, Zhaki. "Views sought on proposed changes to Women's Charter". Straits Times. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
External links
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