Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, economists now use the letter K to describe their recessions and recovery. Some industries ascend, but the rest decline. That’s the main reason why Singapore nearly reached the poverty line. Now that vaccines are available, the country started to recover. Some issues remain unsolved, such as urban poverty, destructive politics, and inequalities.
Aside from the social inequality in Singapore, there are other types of inequalities the country is facing.
WAGE INEQUALITY
Low-income earners were hardly affected by the pandemic. Essential work was also affected, like food and beverage, cleaning, and healthcare industries. However, the government took care of the low-earning households, rolled out multiple aid supplies, and delivered food packages.
DIGITAL INEQUALITY
COVID-19 brought urban poverty in digital aspects, too. Some children from low-income households need to attend their classes, especially now that most classes are remote. They are unable to attend classes due to lack of resources– laptops, internet access at home, or don’t know how to use one. That’s why the number of volunteer opportunities and organisations in Singapore increased, mostly educational or tutorial volunteering.
RESIDENCY STATUS INEQUALITY
Singapore’s way of handling the COVID-19 pandemic is undeniably commendable. However, to prevent the virus from spreading, restrictions on migrant workers were harsher than Singaporeans. Migrant dormitory residents were restricted to go out of their rooms until the last month of 2020.
GENDER INEQUALITY
According to some findings, nearly millions of women were laid-off in the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some restrictions from COVID-19 have also increased the uneven distribution of household chores and increased the frequency of domestic violence for women and children.
In today’s society, the privileged are people who have money and have high status. Those who belong to low-income households would always experience social inequality not only in Singapore but also in other countries.
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