A Singaporean Woman’s Rights under the Women’s Charter
What are the rights of a Singaporean woman under the Women’s Charter?
- The wife shall have the right to use her own surname and name separately.
- The husband and the wife shall have equal rights in the running of the family home.
- A married woman can own her own property. Her property is not necessarily her husband’s.
- A wife is not liable for her husband’s debt.
- Housekeeping allowance given by the husband to the wife shall be treated as belonging to both parties in equal shares, unless there are exceptional agreements proving otherwise.
- In the event that the wife loans money to her husband for his business, and the husband becomes bankrupt, the wife can reclaim the loan as a creditor, but remains last in priority after other creditors.
- Gifts given by the husband to the wife may be treated as attempts to defraud creditors, and may be claimed by creditors, if the husband becomes bankrupt.
- Under section 68 of the Women’s Charter, parents have a duty to maintain their children.
- Under section 69 of the Women’s Charter, any married woman whose husband fails to provide her reasonable maintenance may apply for her maintenance of either a monthly allowance or a lump sum to the Court.
- Divorce cannot be filed within 3 years of a marriage and can only be for the sole reason that marriage has irretrievably broken down. The Court would accept the following as grounds for divorce:
- One party has committed adultery;
- One party has behaved in a way that the other cannot be reasonably expected to continue living with him or her;
- One party has deserted the other for at least 2 years;
- The parties have separated for at least 3 years, and the defendant consents to divorce
- The parties have separated for at least 4 years, and whether the defendant has consented to the divorce is irrelevant
- Judicial separation can also be filed, allowing both parties to stop cohabiting, for the above mentioned reasons.
- The court can order for the division of matrimonial assets upon divorce.
- The court can order a man to pay maintenance to his wife upon divorce, separation or annulment of marriage.
- Pimping (living on the earnings of a prostitute), as well as the trafficking of women and girls, are all offences under the Women’s Charter, in addition to other acts.
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