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These new initiatives aim to give workers facing discrimination or harassment clearer support, while testing practical solutions for women re-entering the workforce.
The Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) will launch a new Workplace Counselling and Support Service for workers who experience discrimination or harassment at work.
Announced at the SCWO SAGE Summit 2026 on 18 September (Friday) by Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau, the service is intended to provide a trusted avenue for individuals who may be unsure how to respond to difficult workplace experiences, or reluctant to come forward because of concerns about the impact on their careers.
Workers who face discrimination or harassment will be able to seek counselling and support in considering their next steps. SCWO will also help individuals recognise what they may be experiencing, better understand their feelings and options, and build confidence to seek help.
The initiative comes as concerns remain over under-reporting of workplace discrimination. In her opening address at the summit, Ag Min Lau cited the Ministry of Manpower’s 2023 Fair Employment Practices Survey, which found that only about 29% of employees who faced discrimination at work sought help, down from 35% in 2022.
Many workers stay silent because they fear being marginalised or worry about the potential cost to their careers, she said.
“Having the right protections on paper is not enough if people don’t feel safe using them."
The new SCWO service will complement existing support and the wider national effort to build fairer, more supportive workplaces. It comes alongside measures such as the Workplace Fairness Act, which makes it unlawful to discriminate against individuals on the basis of sex, caregiving responsibilities, or pregnancy, as well as the development of a new Tripartite Standard on Preventing Workplace Harassment.
Turning policy into practical support
The summit also highlighted the challenges faced by women whose careers have paused or changed direction due to caregiving responsibilities, health issues, or other life circumstances.
While women today have greater opportunities to study, work and lead than previous generations, meaningful progress should not be measured solely by how many women work or how far they rise, but whether women have genuine choices about work, and whether they have the support to make those choices, at every stage of their lives, Ag Min Lau pointed out.
For many women, returning to the workforce after a career break can be especially difficult. SCWO’s engagements with women have surfaced experiences of repeated job applications without a response, doubts over whether previous experience remains relevant, and a growing loss of confidence as the employment gap lengthens.
“A career does not need to be uninterrupted, to be meaningful,” she stated, adding that workplaces need to reflect the reality that careers do not always follow a straight path.
To build on its work in this area, SCWO will also launch its first SCWO CoLab, which aims to test and scale ground-up ideas that support women returning to work.
The CoLab is expected to help translate policy ambitions into practical workplace and community solutions, drawing on the experiences of women navigating re-entry into employment. It follows SCWO’s Women’s Workforce Re-entry: Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities study, which mapped barriers and opportunities for women seeking to resume their careers.
A shared role for employers, families and the community
Ag Min Lau acknowledged that supporting women at work cannot rest on policy alone – highlighting the role of employers and families in doing so.
Employers play an important role in ensuring that flexibility does not come with an unspoken career penalty. Flexible work arrangements can include more than working from home; staggered hours, part-time roles and job-sharing arrangements may also help workers balance employment with caregiving, training or other responsibilities.
Families also have a role to play in sharing caregiving and household responsibilities more equitably, Minister Lau highlighted. Greater sharing at home can create more room for both women and men to participate fully in work and family life.
READ MORE: MOM outlines support for firms in managing manpower needs following expanded childcare leave
Lead image / Ag Min Lau's Facebook
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