Globalization, the Patriarchal State and Women’s Resistance in Singapore

Abstract

This article explores the impact of globalization and the state policies on women in Singapore. It traces the trajectory of the government’s globalizing policies and its deliberate use ofgender to counteract the perceived erosion of traditional social relations in the workplace and the home. Singaporean women have been economically marginalized and remain vulnerable in many respects, as the recent economic crisis has shown. Nevertheless, the pursuit of global integration by the Singaporean government has produced a steadily rising standard of living with increased opportunities for women’s education and employment. This has led to the women’s resistance, and given them leverage to pressure the government to acknowledge women’s social and political claims. This article suggests that globalization has generated new political dynamics, transcending the power of the nation-state, in this case the Singaporean state, with some positive outcomes for women. The article thereby challenges the idea that the effects of globalization are beyond human control, or that any particular outcomes are inevitable.