I n my 56 years as a doctor and surgeon, I have learnt that when one part of the body is under constant, unnatural strain, the whole system eventually suffers. Our society operates much the same way.

For decades, we have lived under a social contract that placed men and women into rigid, often restrictive boxes. But as we move from the foundational protections of the 1960s to the bold vision of the 2022 White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development, we are realising a vital truth: gender equality is not a zero-sum game.