Back
About RSIS
Introduction
Building the Foundations
Welcome Message
Board of Governors
Staff Profiles
Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
Dean’s Office
Management
Distinguished Fellows
Faculty and Research
Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
Visiting Fellows
Adjunct Fellows
Administrative Staff
Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
RSIS Endowment Fund
Endowed Professorships
Career Opportunities
Getting to RSIS
Research
Research Centres
Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
Centre of Excellence for National Security
Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
Research Programmes
National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)
Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
Other Research
Future Issues and Technology Cluster
Research@RSIS
Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
Graduate Education
Graduate Programmes Office
Exchange Partners and Programmes
How to Apply
Financial Assistance
Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
RSIS Alumni
Outreach
Global Networks
About Global Networks
RSIS Alumni
Executive Education
About Executive Education
SRP Executive Programme
Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
International Programmes
About International Programmes
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)
International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
Publications
RSIS Publications
Annual Reviews
Books
Bulletins and Newsletters
RSIS Commentary Series
Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
Commemorative / Event Reports
Future Issues
IDSS Papers
Interreligious Relations
Monographs
NTS Insight
Policy Reports
Working Papers
External Publications
Authored Books
Journal Articles
Edited Books
Chapters in Edited Books
Policy Reports
Working Papers
Op-Eds
Glossary of Abbreviations
Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
RSIS Publications for the Year
External Publications for the Year
Media
Cohesive Societies
Sustainable Security
Other Resource Pages
News Releases
Speeches
Video/Audio Channel
External Podcasts
Events
Contact Us
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University
  • About RSIS
      IntroductionBuilding the FoundationsWelcome MessageBoard of GovernorsHonours and Awards for RSIS Staff and StudentsRSIS Endowment FundEndowed ProfessorshipsCareer OpportunitiesGetting to RSIS
      Staff ProfilesExecutive Deputy Chairman’s OfficeDean’s OfficeManagementDistinguished FellowsFaculty and ResearchAssociate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research AnalystsVisiting FellowsAdjunct FellowsAdministrative Staff
  • Research
      Research CentresCentre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)Centre of Excellence for National SecurityInstitute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      Research ProgrammesNational Security Studies Programme (NSSP)Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      Other ResearchFuture Issues and Technology ClusterResearch@RSISScience and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      Graduate Programmes OfficeExchange Partners and ProgrammesHow to ApplyFinancial AssistanceMeet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other eventsRSIS Alumni
  • Outreach
      Global NetworksAbout Global NetworksRSIS Alumni
      Executive EducationAbout Executive EducationSRP Executive ProgrammeTerrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
      International ProgrammesAbout International ProgrammesAsia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
  • Publications
      RSIS PublicationsAnnual ReviewsBooksBulletins and NewslettersRSIS Commentary SeriesCounter Terrorist Trends and AnalysesCommemorative / Event ReportsFuture IssuesIDSS PapersInterreligious RelationsMonographsNTS InsightPolicy ReportsWorking Papers
      External PublicationsAuthored BooksJournal ArticlesEdited BooksChapters in Edited BooksPolicy ReportsWorking PapersOp-Eds
      Glossary of AbbreviationsPolicy-relevant Articles Given RSIS AwardRSIS Publications for the YearExternal Publications for the Year
  • Media
      Cohesive SocietiesSustainable SecurityOther Resource PagesNews ReleasesSpeechesVideo/Audio ChannelExternal Podcasts
  • Events
  • Contact Us
    • Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
      rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
      rsis.sg
      rsissg
      RSIS
      RSS
      Subscribe to RSIS Publications
      Subscribe to RSIS Events

      Getting to RSIS

      Nanyang Technological University
      Block S4, Level B3,
      50 Nanyang Avenue,
      Singapore 639798

      Click here for direction to RSIS

      Get in Touch

    Connect
    Search
    • RSIS
    • Publication
    • RSIS Publications
    • CO13143 | Recruiting More Women: Broadening SAF’s Inclusive Policy
    • Annual Reviews
    • Books
    • Bulletins and Newsletters
    • RSIS Commentary Series
    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
    • Commemorative / Event Reports
    • Future Issues
    • IDSS Papers
    • Interreligious Relations
    • Monographs
    • NTS Insight
    • Policy Reports
    • Working Papers

    CO13143 | Recruiting More Women: Broadening SAF’s Inclusive Policy
    Fitriani Bintang Timur

    31 July 2013

    download pdf

    Synopsis

    The SAF aspires to have more women as career soldiers to tackle the shrinking pool of male recruits. Singapore needs to build the policy infrastructure for women to be fully integrated in the SAF.

    Commentary

    SINGAPORE HAS clear examples of embracing diversity in its armed forces. It has gradually built generations of multi-racial troops since the early days of nation building. Currently, the country has broadened its policy of inclusivity to recruit more women as the number of males is forecast to decline nearly 29 percent (from 21,000 to 15,000 recruits) due to Singapore’s declining birth rate. Despite not having any female general to date, the forces have voiced support for women to “go the distance”.

    One good example is Gan Siow Huang, the first female colonel in the Republic of Singapore Air Force who was promoted in 2010 with experience in drafting policies and commanding RSAF 203 Squadron, as well as the Air Surveillance and Control Group. Singapore’s National Day Parade (NDP) in 2011 proudly brought the first female combatant to reach the rank of Master Warrant Officer, Jennifer Tan, as the first female regimental sergeant-major on stage. This year’s NDP arena will witness the first woman parachutist, 3rd Warrant Officer Shirley Ng, in Singapore’s 48 year national history.

    More than being inclusive

    Singapore introduced the SAF Merit Scholarship for women in 1997. The scholarship provides support for outstanding women, with strong leadership qualities, who passed basic military and officer trainings, to gain overseas undergraduate studies. They take up SAF senior command and management positions upon their return. Col Gan was one of its best graduates.

    The SAF recruited its first female combatants in 1986, allowing them to serve as artillery gunners, pilots and intelligence analysts. In 2004, Singapore began to assign women as mortar platoon leaders in infantry units. Singapore’s achievement in allowing women into combat roles has been praised by Jennifer Mathers, an American expert on women in the military, for being ahead of the United States. The US had fierce debates on whether women can enter combat roles until early 2013 when they decided to drop barriers for women to access all military roles. However, Mathers noted that most women in SAF are still confined primarily in support roles with few managing to attain senior command positions.

    Challenges for women in military

    It is difficult for women to be in the armed forces. They gain more visibility as a minority in a masculine institution. Thus they are required to perform even better than their male peers to avoid being labelled as “poster women” or tokens. Cynicism meets both the women enrolling into SAF and the institution’s sincere intention to improve the country’s defence posture, thus creating a barrier for women to be fully integrated.

    The instant-integrationist approach also has side effects in that the male majority envy the minority getting limelight and leniency. Nevertheless, Singapore is known for its merit-based society and has performed well in keeping its heterogeneous society together. Surely this challenge of replenishing its human resources with the best persons for these military roles, whether men or women, will be tackled with similar attitude.

    Within the security sector globally, the critical mass of 30 percent minority representation, adopted at the United Nations 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing 1995, has been difficult to attain. Even the UN Peacekeeping Operations (UN PKO) keep their modest goal of female police peacekeepers at 20 percent by 2014. This goal seems far away because by March 2013 women police force comprised less than 10 percent while women military forces stood at only three percent – and this after mainstreaming efforts were done to raise the number from one percent in the 1990s.

    The UN PKO has acknowledged that they face difficulties to meet quota goals for women peacekeepers because there is a gap in data and analysis about women participation in national security institutions globally, as well as the existing social biases that perpetuate gender inequality within the security sector.

    Still the UN PKO stresses the important roles of female peacekeepers to act as role models, inspire women and girls, address specific needs of female ex-combatants and survivors of gender-based violence, mentor female cadets in military and police academies, as well as interact in societies where women are prohibited from speaking to men.

    One country that encounters similar problems in recruiting and retaining more women in its armed forces is Norway. The country’s goal is 25 percent female armed forces by 2025 where last year it was at 12.4 percent. The Norwegian Defence Department identified three reasons for this. First, Norwegian women viewed military as a launch pad to other careers. Second, they perceived family relationships as a priority. Third, they felt that the military has an exclusionary culture that is male-dominated and hard to break. Yet, acknowledging these weaknesses and keeping the commitment are good ways to plough ahead. In 2012, Norway was the only UN member state that promoted a senior female candidate for the leadership position of force commander in UN PKO military component.

    Action for integration

    As a top-down organisation, leadership is important in the national armed forces, including Singapore’s. Thus, any reform should be supported by leaders’ commitment and this is particularly crucial for integrating women into the forces. Therefore the first strategic action needed is for the military top brass to demonstrate their confidence in women’s ability to take on military roles both in a public setting as well as within military training. This attitude will induce open-mindedness and remove the image that SAF recruits only a token few, but instead is committed to both genders being equally respected.

    Secondly, a strategic plan is required to better recruit and retain women personnel. Gender-sensitive and specific force generation strategy to promote gender equality is needed as it will better address the underlying issues that cause women to have reservation about entering SAF. Creating female military personnel role models, establishing gender-coaching programmes, conducting outreach initiatives and having gender advisers are some of the policies that can be implemented. Last but not least, research also plays an important role as the study of social norms and equality engineering will also be required.

    When all the foundation works are complete, Singapore will be in better position to reach its goal of 10 percent women career soldiers who can then be pushed to their maximum potential. So far, good marks have been attained. Greater female contribution to the SAF will help make the future look better for all Singaporeans.

    About the Author

    Fitriani Bintang Timur is an Associate Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She was formerly a researcher at the Institute for Defence Security and Peace Studies, Indonesia, and a Research Fellow at Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany.

    Categories: RSIS Commentary Series

    Synopsis

    The SAF aspires to have more women as career soldiers to tackle the shrinking pool of male recruits. Singapore needs to build the policy infrastructure for women to be fully integrated in the SAF.

    Commentary

    SINGAPORE HAS clear examples of embracing diversity in its armed forces. It has gradually built generations of multi-racial troops since the early days of nation building. Currently, the country has broadened its policy of inclusivity to recruit more women as the number of males is forecast to decline nearly 29 percent (from 21,000 to 15,000 recruits) due to Singapore’s declining birth rate. Despite not having any female general to date, the forces have voiced support for women to “go the distance”.

    One good example is Gan Siow Huang, the first female colonel in the Republic of Singapore Air Force who was promoted in 2010 with experience in drafting policies and commanding RSAF 203 Squadron, as well as the Air Surveillance and Control Group. Singapore’s National Day Parade (NDP) in 2011 proudly brought the first female combatant to reach the rank of Master Warrant Officer, Jennifer Tan, as the first female regimental sergeant-major on stage. This year’s NDP arena will witness the first woman parachutist, 3rd Warrant Officer Shirley Ng, in Singapore’s 48 year national history.

    More than being inclusive

    Singapore introduced the SAF Merit Scholarship for women in 1997. The scholarship provides support for outstanding women, with strong leadership qualities, who passed basic military and officer trainings, to gain overseas undergraduate studies. They take up SAF senior command and management positions upon their return. Col Gan was one of its best graduates.

    The SAF recruited its first female combatants in 1986, allowing them to serve as artillery gunners, pilots and intelligence analysts. In 2004, Singapore began to assign women as mortar platoon leaders in infantry units. Singapore’s achievement in allowing women into combat roles has been praised by Jennifer Mathers, an American expert on women in the military, for being ahead of the United States. The US had fierce debates on whether women can enter combat roles until early 2013 when they decided to drop barriers for women to access all military roles. However, Mathers noted that most women in SAF are still confined primarily in support roles with few managing to attain senior command positions.

    Challenges for women in military

    It is difficult for women to be in the armed forces. They gain more visibility as a minority in a masculine institution. Thus they are required to perform even better than their male peers to avoid being labelled as “poster women” or tokens. Cynicism meets both the women enrolling into SAF and the institution’s sincere intention to improve the country’s defence posture, thus creating a barrier for women to be fully integrated.

    The instant-integrationist approach also has side effects in that the male majority envy the minority getting limelight and leniency. Nevertheless, Singapore is known for its merit-based society and has performed well in keeping its heterogeneous society together. Surely this challenge of replenishing its human resources with the best persons for these military roles, whether men or women, will be tackled with similar attitude.

    Within the security sector globally, the critical mass of 30 percent minority representation, adopted at the United Nations 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing 1995, has been difficult to attain. Even the UN Peacekeeping Operations (UN PKO) keep their modest goal of female police peacekeepers at 20 percent by 2014. This goal seems far away because by March 2013 women police force comprised less than 10 percent while women military forces stood at only three percent – and this after mainstreaming efforts were done to raise the number from one percent in the 1990s.

    The UN PKO has acknowledged that they face difficulties to meet quota goals for women peacekeepers because there is a gap in data and analysis about women participation in national security institutions globally, as well as the existing social biases that perpetuate gender inequality within the security sector.

    Still the UN PKO stresses the important roles of female peacekeepers to act as role models, inspire women and girls, address specific needs of female ex-combatants and survivors of gender-based violence, mentor female cadets in military and police academies, as well as interact in societies where women are prohibited from speaking to men.

    One country that encounters similar problems in recruiting and retaining more women in its armed forces is Norway. The country’s goal is 25 percent female armed forces by 2025 where last year it was at 12.4 percent. The Norwegian Defence Department identified three reasons for this. First, Norwegian women viewed military as a launch pad to other careers. Second, they perceived family relationships as a priority. Third, they felt that the military has an exclusionary culture that is male-dominated and hard to break. Yet, acknowledging these weaknesses and keeping the commitment are good ways to plough ahead. In 2012, Norway was the only UN member state that promoted a senior female candidate for the leadership position of force commander in UN PKO military component.

    Action for integration

    As a top-down organisation, leadership is important in the national armed forces, including Singapore’s. Thus, any reform should be supported by leaders’ commitment and this is particularly crucial for integrating women into the forces. Therefore the first strategic action needed is for the military top brass to demonstrate their confidence in women’s ability to take on military roles both in a public setting as well as within military training. This attitude will induce open-mindedness and remove the image that SAF recruits only a token few, but instead is committed to both genders being equally respected.

    Secondly, a strategic plan is required to better recruit and retain women personnel. Gender-sensitive and specific force generation strategy to promote gender equality is needed as it will better address the underlying issues that cause women to have reservation about entering SAF. Creating female military personnel role models, establishing gender-coaching programmes, conducting outreach initiatives and having gender advisers are some of the policies that can be implemented. Last but not least, research also plays an important role as the study of social norms and equality engineering will also be required.

    When all the foundation works are complete, Singapore will be in better position to reach its goal of 10 percent women career soldiers who can then be pushed to their maximum potential. So far, good marks have been attained. Greater female contribution to the SAF will help make the future look better for all Singaporeans.

    About the Author

    Fitriani Bintang Timur is an Associate Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She was formerly a researcher at the Institute for Defence Security and Peace Studies, Indonesia, and a Research Fellow at Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany.

    Categories: RSIS Commentary Series

    Popular Links

    About RSISResearch ProgrammesGraduate EducationPublicationsEventsAdmissionsCareersVideo/Audio ChannelRSIS Intranet

    Connect with Us

    rsis.ntu
    rsis_ntu
    rsisntu
    rsisvideocast
    school/rsis-ntu
    rsis.sg
    rsissg
    RSIS
    RSS
    Subscribe to RSIS Publications
    Subscribe to RSIS Events

    Getting to RSIS

    Nanyang Technological University
    Block S4, Level B3,
    50 Nanyang Avenue,
    Singapore 639798

    Click here for direction to RSIS

    Get in Touch

      Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
      Privacy Statement / Terms of Use
      Help us improve

        Rate your experience with this website
        123456
        Not satisfiedVery satisfied
        What did you like?
        0/255 characters
        What can be improved?
        0/255 characters
        Your email
        Please enter a valid email.
        Thank you for your feedback.
        This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
        OK
        Latest Book
        more info