Starting this month, commuters on the Northeast Line have been seeing a progressive new campaign in support of single parents in Singapore. A collaboration between AWARE, Kinetic Singapore and Daughters of Tomorrow, the posters are part of the larger #asinglelove campaign, which includes a moving video (see bottom) and a picnic which took place on March 12. Here, we speak to Jolene Tan from AWARE about the importance of the campaign.

Why is this campaign important?

Single parents are parents like any other, trying to do right by their children. Yet they face unequal access to necessities like housing and maternity leave, despite having twice the responsibilities of a married parent. #asinglelove calls on us all to stand up for single parents, promoting more supportive and equitable policies towards them, and empowering them through services and programmes. More details on the policies and resources can be found on the campaign's website, www.asinglelove.sg

Why do you think the public needs to be convinced?

Many people already believe in equal support for single parents, but some prejudices and stereotypes still persist, harming both single parents and their children. Single parents may face negative attitudes in the employment market, and children may face painful stigma because of the view that their families are incomplete or dysfunctional.

The posters also include a single father. Can you tell us a bit about the situation in Singapore for single fathers? 

Experiences of single fathers in Singapore are not as visible. In part, this is because divorced mothers often get care and control of their children. But all single parents with care and control of their children face similar challenges after divorce—lack of affordable housing, keeping or obtaining employment, juggling work with parenting or living off one income. Single fathers may be financially better off after divorce because of their employment history: more CPF savings, stable employment and higher salary all contribute to stable financial status for the single fathers and their children. But this does not apply to single fathers who have been in low-paying jobs, are self-employed (with unstable income) or did not work prior to divorce.

What changes would you like to see in policy to make single parents’ lives easier?

​We hope to see the end of all discrimination based on marital status in all policies that affect parents, whether it is in terms of maternity and paternity leave, HDB purchases and grants, or other support such as Baby Bonus. Divorced parents with care and control also need more support to immediately access HDB rental on sale of the matrimonial flat. We also hope employers can offer flexiwork schemes that will especially be of great help to single parents in the labor force. ​