POSC 308: EXCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT:

GENDER POLITICS

Gender Brief

Representing AWARE Singapore

Prepared for the Ministry of Social and Family Development

Done By:

Wong Boon Keng George

S8910604D

3307 words, (Excluding cover page and references)

Introduction

Rani, then aged 26, came into Singapore as a foreign bride and married her 46 year-old Singaporean

husband in 1997. She was constantly abused both physically and mentally and marital rape was common

in their relationship. She was persuaded by her mother to carry on for the sake of her daughter and that

this was her lot in life. Her husband only got worse as he eventually lost his job and the only livelihood

the family was relying on as the abuse intensified. When he finally passed away in 2007, her marital woes

did not end. She was left stranded without a house as she had always been under a social visit pass and

she was not qualified to receive PR status despite living in Singapore for over 10 years and having a

daughter. This also excluded her from free or subsidized healthcare and job opportunities because she is

seen as a foreigner in the eyes of the law. Rani only finally obtained her PR status on compassionate

grounds through the continued efforts of social workers in 2008 but without qualifications, she could only

work as a cleaner with salary of $600 to support both her daughter, her family in India and herself.1

The tale of Rani is not exclusively her lot in life. Similar stories are becoming commonplace among

the growing numbers of foreign brides in Singapore, some of which unlike Rani’s case, ends in tragedy.2

National statistics shows a sharp rise in marriages among Singapore citizen (SC) grooms and foreign

(Non-SC) brides, with figures around 6,360 in 2008, making up about three quarters of the total marriages

between SC and Non-SC.3 SC-grooms aged 40 and up make up over 30% of these marriages and about

27% of these marriages involved non-SC brides under 40.4 These numbers are set to increase as

Singapore increasingly becomes an attractive immigration spot for these foreign brides, joining countries

1 Genevieve Jiang. “More foreign brides suffering in silence.” The New Paper, March 13, 2009. Last accessed at 20th March 2013. http://www.divaasia.com/article/26562 Channel NewsAsia. 13 November 2005. Last accessed at 20th March 2013. http://unwomen-nc.org.sg/resources/2005/13Nov2005_AWARE%20believes%20some%20foreign%20brides%20mum%20on%20spousal%20abuse.pdf3 National Population Secretariat. “Marriages between Singapore citizen and non-Singapore citizens, 1998-2008.” Last accessed at 20th March 2013. https://www.nptd.gov.sg/content/NPTD/news/_jcr_content/par_content/download_4/file.res/Marriages%20between%20citizens%20and%20non-citizens,%201998-2008.pdf4ibid

such as Japan and South Korea.5 The local demand for these brides has also encouraged a proliferation of

foreign bride matchmaking agencies in Singapore, with about 70 of such agencies in operation since

2006.6 Reported cases of marital violence in these marriages however remain elusive and often

underreported but analysts estimate that foreign women are three times as likely to face domestic violence

than the general public7 while non-government organizations such as Archdiocesan Commission for the

Pastoral Care of Migrant and Itinerant People (ACMI) have reported receiving up to 30 of such cases in

Singapore during 2011.8 Other local NGOs have also reported similar increase in trends of foreign brides

seeking refuge over domestic abuse cases in the last few years.9

Aim

The aim of this paper is to highlight the urgent concerns of the foreign bride arena on three areas and

provide modest policy recommendations to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to

address them. One, the current patriarchal arrangements in these marriages breeds a highly hostile

environment for these foreign women, leaving them extremely vulnerable to abuse and marital rape by

their spouses without any avenues to seek justice. Second, the foreign bride market is not adequately

regulated to prevent manipulation and malpractices that exploits both foreign brides and the local grooms,

putting them at greater risks of marital problems and promotes human trafficking. Lastly, the current

policy framework in place is not sufficient or even detrimental in addressing the issues listed in the first

two areas, allowing more victims to fall through the social security “nets”. As an organization that

fundamentally believes in achieving gender equality through the removal of gender based barriers, we 5 Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM). “Psychological Profile and Perspectives of Foreign Brides.” Last accessed at 20th March 2013. http://www.childtrafficking.com/Docs/psychosocial_profile_0807.pdf6 Patricia Gauthier & Adelyn Lim. “Beyond ‘Happily Ever After’: Making A Match Between Singapore Grooms and Foreign Brides.” AWARE Position Paper, November 2006. Accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.aware.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/Beyond-Happily-Ever-After.pdf7 April Thomson. “Love For Sale: The mail order bride industry.” Asian Geographic No.6, 2007. Pp 68-77. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.aprilwrites.com/articles/community/LoveforSale.pdf8 Amanda Phua. “Brides are not commodities” The New Paper, February 24, 2012. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://acmi.sg/Files/Documents/TNP%20Article%2024022012.pdf9AWARE Singapore. “General Recommendation 19: Violence against women.” AWARE CEDAW Shadow Report 2011. Pp 1-16. Last accessed on 19th March 2013. http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/ips/docs/events/CDD_CEDAW%20Report_050312/CEDAW%20Shadow%20Report%20GR19%20AWARE_2011.pdf

(AWARE Singapore) assert that the more can and should be done in this marital arena, especially towards

the women.

Issues and Concerns

The patriarchy of “mail-order” marriages leading to domestic violence in Singapore

The nature of such marital arrangements is often highlighted as willing parties within a social

exchange arrangement seeking out the best for themselves. SC-grooms seek the demure, traditional and

family-oriented foreign brides in exchange for an easy opportunity for the women to escape poverty and a

chance at a better standard of living. Stereotypical images of Singaporean men being more faithful to their

wives and hardworking breadwinners than their local counterparts also contribute to foreign women

seeking Singaporean men.10 In reality however, the current issues in these marital unions go beyond just

mere willing social exchanges and puts the sanctity of these families at serious risk.

The first issue is the element of slavery in these marriages. The demands of the SC-grooms of

their foreign brides are often regarded as commodities that are “justified” by the price paid for the marital

union. Thus, by paying a mere $10,000 for the expenses11, the men often think they are “buying” the

womb of the woman for offspring, the body for sexual pleasures and her labor for his care.12 To the SC-

groom, he views his spouse as his woman which he has “alleviated” from the misery of poverty back in

her hometown. Thus, the power relations in the relationship is often already skewed in favor of the SC-

groom and when their spouses resists in the demands, the men may not feel guilt or even feel “entitled” to

force his will upon her. Thus, the social exchanges may not even exist between the two individuals and in

place instead is more akin to an economic exchange between the SC-groom and an agent for the bride.

10 Theresa Tan. “More Singapore men marrying foreign Asian brides.” The Straits Times, 02 October 2013. Last accessed on 19th March 2013. http://www.divaasia.com/article/1855811 Youtube “Vietnamese Mail-Order Bride #2” : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FScBxMqC9cI#!12 Amanda Phua. “Brides are not commodities” The New Paper, February 24, 2012. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://acmi.sg/Files/Documents/TNP%20Article%2024022012.pdf

The second issue follows the power relations from the first but in the perspectives of the women.

The primary concern is that despite knowing that they are in desperate conditions, these women often feel

that it is a normal outcome and their “lot” in lives, reflecting the situation in Rani’s case earlier. This is

the result of the patriarchal bargain mechanism that is prevalent in many of these Southeast Asian regions,

especially in areas such as rural China or Vietnam.13 Many of these foreign brides are brought up in

societies that are highly patriarchal as well as patrilineal, and are not accustomed to resist violence and

abuse from both male and more senior female actors in their societies. 14,15 In many of these societies, the

significance of the bride price also functions as a legitimate exchange for the obedience of these women

to be subjugated to the lower ranks in the family.16 As such, these foreign spouses are more tolerant of

domestic violence and regard atrocities such as marital rape as their husband’s “rights”. Their importing

of patriarchal marital union standards from their societies into Singapore puts these women at greater risk

of accepting abuse and not seeking help beyond the private sphere because they may be seen as shameful

or undutiful.17

The third issue involves the mismatch of networks available for the foreign women to seek

support or refuge once she arrives into Singapore. Most of these women do not know who to turn to

during distress nor do they know their rights.18 Language barriers also often become an issue when the

women are unable express their situations.19 At the same time, these women are often not aware of the

profiles of their spouses during the time of the marriage nor do they remain in connection with the agents

13 Nazli Kibiria. “Power, Patriarchy, and Gender Conflict in the Vietnamese Immigrant Community.” Gender and Society, vol. 4, No. 1, March 1990. Pp 9-24. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.udel.edu/anthro/psw/kibria.pdf14 ibid15 Deniz Kandiyoti. “Bargaining with Patriarchy.” Gender and Society, Vol. 2, No. 3, September 1988. Pp 274-290. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.smi.uib.no/seminars/Pensum/kandiyoti,%20Deniz.pdf16 ibid17 Nazli Kibiria. “Power, Patriarchy, and Gender Conflict in the Vietnamese Immigrant Community.” Gender and Society, vol. 4, No. 1, March 1990. Pp 9-24. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. 18 Amanda Phua. “Brides are not commodities” The New Paper, February 24, 2012. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://acmi.sg/Files/Documents/TNP%20Article%2024022012.pdf19 April Thomson. “Love For Sale: The mail order bride industry.” Asian Geographic No.6, 2007. Pp 68-77. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.aprilwrites.com/articles/community/LoveforSale.pdf

that brought them into Singapore.20 Thus they are at a severely disadvantaged position when the spouses,

who are supposed to be their only local financial and legal guardian, become the primary perpetrators of

domestic violence and abuse.21 These women are forced to endure abuse for fear of being repatriated

through divorce and returning home in shame.22 Moreover, their application for PR status, social visit pass

and daily subsistence is solely under the control of their spouses.23 The combination of all these factors

creates even greater inertia towards reporting against or resisting their spouses even if the legal system

offers equal protection for foreign wives.

Malpractices in matchmaking agencies

Inadequate regulation of the foreign bride matchmaking market in Singapore has also exacerbated

the issues listed above. To date, regulations towards the industry have only been categorized under the

Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and Advertising Standards Authority of

Singapore (ASAS) jurisdictions.24 Regulations that aim at accrediting best practices in these foreign

matchmaking agencies are not legally required or are enforced, even when a framework is available from

the Social Development Network agency (SDN).25 In the foreign bride industry, matchmaking agencies

remain absent in associations such as the Association for Dating Agencies and Matchmakers (ADAMS).26

Compared to other similar migrant-related industries such as domestic help agencies, the foreign-bride

matchmaking agencies are far more prone to exploitation and in certain cases have already breached laws

concerning human trafficking-related issues in overseas.27 These agencies also act as potential instruments

20 Amanda Phua. “Brides are not commodities” The New Paper, February 24, 2012. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://acmi.sg/Files/Documents/TNP%20Article%2024022012.pdf21 April Thomson. “Love For Sale: The mail order bride industry.” Asian Geographic No.6, 2007. Pp 68-77. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.aprilwrites.com/articles/community/LoveforSale.pdf22 Channel NewsAsia. 13 November 2005. Last accessed at 20th March 2013. http://unwomen-nc.org.sg/resources/2005/13Nov2005_AWARE%20believes%20some%20foreign%20brides%20mum%20on%20spousal%20abuse.pdf23 Immigration and Checkpoint Authority Singapore. http://www.ica.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=175&secid=17124 Ministry of Social and Family Development: Media Queries. http://app.msf.gov.sg/PressRoom/Marriagemediaqueries.aspx25 ibid26Association of Dating Agencies and Matchmakers (ADAMS). http://www.adams.org.sg/27 Crystal Chan. “We’re bride brokers, not human traffickers.” The New Paper, December 28, 2009. Last Accessed on 17th March 2013. http://www.divaasia.com/article/6731

in sham marriages and sex-trafficking cases in Singapore due to the lack of proper corporate governance

in these areas.28,29 This puts foreign brides at greater risks of sex-related exploitation by their spouses and

agencies when they are rejected and sent away after being taken advantaged without legal protection.30

Assessing other policy measures

Apart from the various policies mentioned above, the current policies involving subsidized/free

healthcare services, employment regulations and finance related issues has created further implications to

the plight of these foreign women and the couple’s family. Although the introduction of the Long-Term

Visit Pass-Plus promised greater coverage31, the bureaucratic process and discretionary approval rates

often leave affected families with uncertainties, frustrations and lost economic opportunities. 32 These

women are also often excluded from financial instruments such being able to open a bank account, or

acquire legal loans and personal insurances because of their foreign status with little to no income,

depriving them of the means to savings and protection for them and their children.33 Current policies have

also not attempted at addressing the social stigmas which many of these foreign brides face during their

residence that often undermine their rights as a woman.34 Meanwhile on the international stage, the lack

of a serious consideration within the policies to tackle issues of potential trafficking, domestic violence

and marital rapes in the foreign brides’ arena puts Singapore at risk of being seen as not only condoning

modern slavery, sexual exploitation, trafficking and double standards in rights compared to local women,

28 Crystal Chan. “Sham marriage ring exposed” The New Paper, June 14, 2010. Last accessed on 19th March 2013. http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20100614-222065.html29 AWARE Singapore. “Article 6: Trafficking and Exploitation of Women.” AWARE CEDAW Shadow Report 2011. Last accessed on 19th March 2013. http://www.aware.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/ARTICLES-6.pdf30 Patricia Gauthier & Adelyn Lim. “Beyond ‘Happily Ever After’: Making A Match Between Singapore Grooms and Foreign Brides.” AWARE Position Paper, November 2006. Accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.aware.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/Beyond-Happily-Ever-After.pdf31Immigration and Checkpoint Authority Singapore. http://www.ica.gov.sg/news_details.aspx?nid=1266532 Straits Times Singapore. February 12, 2013. http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-letters/story/dilemma-foreign-bride-no-long-term-pass-2013021233AWARE Singapore. “Article 4: Special Measures.” AWARE CEDAW Shadow Report 2011. Last accessed on 19th March 2013. http://www.aware.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/ARTICLES-4.pdf34 April Thomson. “Love For Sale: The mail order bride industry.” Asian Geographic No.6, 2007. Pp 68-77. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.aprilwrites.com/articles/community/LoveforSale.pdf

but in fact supporting these atrocities, in regards

to the treatment of foreign brides in Singapore.35

Policy Recommendation

The recommendations brought forward

to the MSF aims at providing the following

resolutions: (1) Empowering foreign women in

such marriages through awareness, education,

legal protection and enforcement as well as a proper social support strategy through the “Many Helpings

Hands” (MHH) approach. (2) Increased regulations within the foreign-bride matchmaking industry with

an added legal enforcement and persecution complying with the strict anti-trafficking stance in Singapore.

(3) Adequately address the issues of access to healthcare, employment and financial instruments through

a revamp on the current areas of exclusions and discriminations in several policies, including the Long-

Term Visit Pass-Plus.

Empowerment strategies through the “Many Helping Hands” approach.

Resources and public awareness

Aligning with the current stance of the Singapore Government’s in addressing social issues as an

enabler, we first propose that the concerns of these foreign brides and their family be incorporated into

MHH approach as an entity with its own funds set aside instead of being categorized under the low

income or VWO donations segment of the amount in the budget.36 This creates the much needed

35United Nations General Assembly. “Women Anti-Discrimination Committee Commends Singapore on Progress, but presses it to withdraw reservations to convention, strengthen domestic legal framework.” http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/wom1647.doc.htm36 Braema, Mathi & Sharifah Mohamed. “Unmet Social Needs in Singapore.” Lien Centre for Social Innovation Social Insight Series. October 2011. Last accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.lcsi.smu.edu.sg/downloads/Unmet_Social_Needs_in_Singapore.pdf

resources for the various bodies in the MHH approach to step up in its research and program coverage

specifically in this area. Government agencies such as the National Council of Social Service should

coordinate with Voluntary Welfare Organizations (VWOs) that are already dealing with such marital

violence to collect more data and analysis so as to further understand this phenomenon, especially in

severely underreported areas such as marital rape. This fund allocation also creates the much needed

emphasis for this issue to be raised into public discussions as well as parliamentary debates.

Additionally, the MSF should take a leading example by setting an agenda for a campaign aimed

at raising awareness, dispelling stigmas and providing avenues of social support for families with foreign

brides within this year. This campaign will go hand-in-hand with the United Nation’s mission of ending

violence against women through action37, signaling a positive attempt by the Singapore government to

take matters concerning human rights and the dignity of women seriously. At home, this move will help

to raise the general level of awareness among Singaporeans to further curb passivity towards reporting

domestic violence of their neighbors and friends.

Reconnecting relevant agencies under the MSF

Many of these couples in such marriages are not exposed nor informed about the importance and

the availability of marriage courses provided by agencies such as the Marriage Central and other Family

Service Centers (FSCs) even though they are the target group that often require such services. We

recommend a mandatory free marriage preparation program scheme for all couples who wish to

solemnize their wedding in Singapore as long as one of their partners is a foreigner. This would also

apply to foreign marital solemnization when the couple returns to Singapore. This course should focus on

an integrative approach in helping the couples to understand their roles in this marriage as two proper

individuals in the cultural context of Singapore.

37 United Nations. International Women’s Day 2013. Last Accessed on 20th March 2013. http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/

The Social Development Network (SDN) must also play an integral role in extending its focus to

the nature of the courtship phenomenon within such marriages. As an agency that promotes marriages in

Singapore,38 the SDN must work alongside with matchmaking agencies to ensure that these marriages are

properly introduced with the information of the bride and groom readily and accurately accessible for

both parties. Both parties should also sign an undertaking with the matchmaking agencies held legally

liable as a proper intermediary in regards to disclosure of personal information such as personal health,

financial status, criminal record and other personal obligations. Also, the SDN should carry out a

mandatory information session for newly arrived foreign women on the Women Charter as well as their

rights and how they can access legal aid. The SDN is also capable of building up new social support

networks by bringing together couples in these similar circumstances to share their experiences through

the list of activities available. The purpose is to naturalize the process of these arranged marriages to

reflect courtship habits similar to the mainstream standards so that these couples do not feel excluded

from society.

The FSCs available also play a significant role in providing social assistance and refuge. We

recommend that major FSCs or FSCs that has experience dealing with such cases in their vicinity to be

equipped with a translator or social worker capable of conversing in Thai, Vietnamese and Burmese

language. This lifts the language barriers that often discouraged the foreign brides to seek redress.

Additionally, FSCs can work closely with grass-root organizations and activities such as the Meet-The-

People session volunteers to collate and identify households that have requested appeals for social visit

passes. From there, they can work with VWOs to conduct personal visits as well as provide a listening ear

and advice to these families. These visits help to curb opportunities of domestic violence from occurring

or managing them before it is too late. FSCs could also work with community centers to provide English

language and basic skill courses for the foreign women to better equip them with the skills needed for

communication in Singapore.

38 Social Development Network. http://app.sdn.sg/AboutSDN.aspx

Increased regulation for foreign bride matchmaking agencies.

Corporate governance in agencies

We recommend the MSF to bring forward the issue of the lack in corporate governance in these

agencies to other relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in relations to the

monitoring the movement of foreign brides. We advise to disallow matchmaking agencies to bring in

“awaiting” foreign brides under any circumstances unless a reliable prospect is willing to undertake a

meeting. With the increasing availability of computers and the internet use in emigrating countries, we

propose that agencies can first set up an online meeting between the two individuals before applying for

the woman’s trip into Singapore. The woman should also have access to the man’s profile before

consenting to come to Singapore. Agencies should also declare the backgrounds of the foreign women

which they are arranging the marriage from and undertake legal liabilities for their declaration. This will

motivate agencies to be more stringent in their selection process of both males and female candidates.

Legal persecution associating with trafficking

Matchmaking agencies that flout the law regarding matters of foreign matchmaking should be

handled as a trafficking offence. This will serve as a stern reminder of the serious stance the Singapore

government takes in breaking down trafficking syndicates in the region and send strong signals against

potential malpractices.39 Also, the MSF should support foreign bride matchmaking agencies to adopt the

best practices in accordance with prominent agencies in the region so that a proper legal framework can

be achieved where agencies are committed to ensuring honesty and due diligence in matching individuals.

Policy Review: Healthcare, employment and residence

Healthcare

39 Ministry of Manpower. “National Plan of Action Against Trafficking in Persons: 2012-2015.” http://www.mom.gov.sg/Documents/tip/tipbooklet_080812.pdf

We recommend a policy to include foreign women that are not under the LTVP+ (long term visit

pass-plus) to be eligible for healthcare services and subsidies similar to LTVP+ holders if the following

clauses are met: (1) if the woman is receiving medical treatment associating with fertility related issues,

(2) if the woman has suffered physical or mental injuries during her residence in Singapore and, (3) if the

woman has declared a pre-existing condition that requires medical attention during her residence in

Singapore. Additionally, the women should be given autonomy to decide her access to healthcare as her

own sponsor instead of her spouse. Financial assistance schemes and support should be made available

for the foreign women so that they are not fully reliant on their spouses and that it helps these families to

alleviate costs.

Employment

We recommend the MSF to advocate for an employment scheme catered towards allowing these

foreign women to seek work with benefits accorded to an employee. For those who choose to be

homemakers, we recommend periodic visits by social workers to ensure that these women are well

adjusted into their roles. By allowing these women to work, it will help to provide greater economic

opportunities for the families and alleviate some financial burden from their spouses.

Residence

We recommend the MSF to explore arrangements such as other than the spouse, VWOs can act

as a sponsor for the application of the long term visit passes. In applying for PR status, VWOs could work

with spouses as co-sponsors to increase the chances of success and prevent abusive spouses from

manipulating their wives by withholding PR status. We also recommend the application process of the

LTVP+ to be more transparent and collaborate with VWOs to hasten the application process. This is to

provide greater protection for these women who do not need to live in fear under their spouses.

Conclusion

Singapore is increasingly becoming a major player in the foreign bride market and international

marriages are set to increase ahead.40 Despite the growing trends, the chronic lack of support, research and

advocacy towards protecting the rights of foreign brides remain alarmingly problematic. Many of these

women often bear untold suffering in the comforts of their own homes by the spouses that were supposed

to be their only chance at a better life. The acts of slavery, commoditization of marriage and family and

the cries of sexual exploitations must stop now. As advocates in AWARE Singapore condemn these

practices, we believe the MSF has both a moral and a legal duty in protecting these women from

inhumane standards of living. Only by condemning such acts through the nation-level initiatives

recommended will Singapore redeem itself as a nation that preserves and respect the basic rights and

liberty of women in Singapore regardless of nationality.

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Youtube “Vietnamese Mail-Order Bride #2” : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FScBxMqC9cI#!