It’s 2018, and women can be anything they want. So why do we still feel bad about ourselves when asked when we’re going to find a man, settle down, and have babies? Can we ever be 100 per cent okay with being single? Clara How explores the issue and meets three women who wear their singlehood super well.
I’m 29 years old, and all things considered, the world is my oyster. I have fulfilling hobbies. I have a wide social circle. I enjoy my career as a writer. And (because I refuse to say “but”) I am single, and have been for the last four years.
Just shy of 30, I know that I’m on the younger spectrum of adulthood. In 2016, the average age for Singapore women to get married was 28, according to the Singapore Department of Statistics, so I shouldn’t be fussed. But with six weddings and two baby showers to attend this year, at one point I started to feel rattled. Why did everyone seem to be moving on with their lives? Was I being left behind? And then I got frustrated with myself for feeling this way.
I recall a speech that actress and Golden Globe winner Tracee Ellis Ross made at Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year summit last year that resonated with me. Tracee, 45, is the queen we all aspire to be – she’s got a great career, she’s confident and fun, she’s woke and speaks up for women and people of colour, and she’s got what looks (on Instagram) like loads of fun hobbies. She has, as she aptly puts it, built an “incredible life” for herself, and is a woman she’s proud of. Oh, and she’s single. Yet, for a woman who seems to have it all going for her, she too is subject to comments that imply her life would be way more meaningful with a husband and kids. “My worth gets diminished, as I am reminded that I have ‘failed’ on the marriage and carriage counts,” she exclaims indignantly in the video. “Me! This bold, liberated, independent woman.”
Denne historien er fra August 2018-utgaven av Her World Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra August 2018-utgaven av Her World Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Dressing For Success
Today's workplace dress codes are more varied than ever, but as the lines blur, we're left wondering: Is dressing down impacting how we show up - and how confident we feel at work?
Power Puff
This '80s skirt trend is popping up on our social media feeds and on the streets.
Is Social Media Really Necessary For Career Success?
Social media platforms are powerful job-hunting and networking tools, but if you don't use them for professional reasons or aren't comfortable posting online, don't worry - there are other ways to improve your career prospects.
PAYING IT FORWARD
When she noticed that women in developing countries were not getting the funding they deserved, Laina Raveendran Greene started Angels of Impact.
FIRING UP SINGAPORE'S INDIE CINEMA SCENE
Nothing makes Karen Tan, co-founder of The Projector, more happy and fulfilled than making a difference to a film-goer's experience. For her, that spells \"f-u-n\" and brings people together. In the third instalment of the \"HER WORLD, HER SPARK\" series, presented in partnership with DBS, we speak to Karen about her journey.
WILLA BELLE
ONG is intentional about building the next blocks of her career
Back For Good
Get ready we are now in the halterneck era.
Stick Sunscreen
Using sunscreen is extremely important to protect our skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays.
Beyond The 9-To-6
According to Her World's annual What Women Want survey, a staggering seven in 10 women in Singapore are willing to take a pay cut for a job that offers better perks and benefits, with a flexible work schedule being a top priority. Are employers here ready to accept flexible arrangements as part of our lexicon?
Leading Singapore's Sustainable Innovations
In this second instalment of the "HER WORLD, HER SPARK" series, presented in partnership with DBS, we speak to Oh Chu Xian, founder of deep tech start-up Magorium. Determined to make the construction sector a more sustainable one, she's revolutionising it with a new technology that turns plastic waste into sustainable building materials.