Issues

"Singaporeans have to make a decision. Are we going to remain stagnant and witness the ever widening gap between genders, or come together and champion for gender equality, minimum wage and reshaping the education? These are fundamental yet invisible questions that slip the public eye. Yet SPP is here to bring forth and answer these questions to ensure societal progress." - Radhika Garg

Education

Radhika Garg is determined to rid static education system in Singapore and promote a more dynamic educational system. This promotes learning beyond boundaries of a traditional school day and the physical location of the classroom. Singapore is rapidly improving and thus the current static education system is too rigid and “textbook-based”. With the introduction of a dynamic education system, it will greatly promote and support student’s creativity, communication and critical thinking skills. This will then help our younger generation to better prepare for their future when they step into the working world where these skills will be very useful.

Key actions:
- Strategic teacher-student pairing system: Students will be paired with teachers who share similar personality and interests as them. Garg’s plan will facilitate a comfortable environment for students to open up to their teachers and approach their teachers when in doubt.
- Garg will fund researches that strive to develop an all-rounded education system best suited to the needs of Singaporean in this rapidly changing environment.

Minimum wage

Millions of Singaporeans out of the progressive wage model (PWN) are working hard despite being inadequately paid. Currently, only employees in the cleaning, security and landscape sectors are eligible for minimum wage. Millions of Singaporeans are working for only SGD$7 per hour. Radhika Garg strives to extinguish this and include various other sectors who are equally deserving of minimum wages. We must establish a minimum of SGD$10 per hour for workers above age 25 by 2030.

- Key actions:
  - Introduce national minimum SGD $10 per hour minimum wage
  - Head the movement to include all sectors in Progressive Wage Model

Gender inequality

Although Singapore is a highly developed country, Singapore culture places females at a disadvantage. It could be in the workplace, or at home. Marital rape is not a crime in Singapore. Furthermore, over the course of 11 years (2006 - 2017), gender based remuneration has not improved and a glass ceiling remains evident due to biological demographics (maternal leave, pregnancy). The root cause of such an issue lies in the patriarchal ideologies that have seeped into the modern day society due to tradition. This is one of the core issues that Radhika Garg will be addressing and we intend to tackle this via implemented initiatives and facilitating long-term cultural change through our reshaping of the educational system.

- Key actions:
  - Fight for pay equity for women: Men are paid nearly 20 per cent more than women. Garg supports the Singapore Committee for UN Women and firmly believes in the freedom of choice between careers and family.
  - Ensure quality and fair rights for women: Garg will collaborate with Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), advocate for women’s right in Singapore, to work on initiatives that promote gender equality.