THE working environment in Singapore is not supportive enough for women, and as a result, many sacrifice their careers.

'There is a lot of scope for us to progress further,' National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Lim Swee Say said at a work-life seminar yesterday.

He was referring to Singapore's labour force participation rate (LFPR) for females, which was 55.6 per cent in June 2008 compared with 54.2 per cent in 2007.

This was still lacking compared with Scandinavian countries. Sweden had a female LFPR of 81 per cent in 2007, while Denmark had 74.8 per cent and Norway 80 per cent.

With a supportive work environment, the best of the workforce can be retained, said Lim Cheng Teck, honorary treasurer of Singapore National Employers' Federation.

Arni Hole, director-general of Norway's Ministry of Children and Equality, said, for example, that there is a lot more scope for women to sit on boards: 'So many men are on boards when there are educated and well-qualified women.'

Singapore aims to take a cue from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, where higher numbers of women in the workforce are said to equate to higher fertility rates and greater levels of happiness.

The reasoning is that by ensuring equal access to the labour market for women, public policies and programmes such as childcare facilities and a supportive corporate culture, families will feel more secure and women would not need to give up their careers.

With 200 more childcare centres expected over the next five years, it seems that Singapore will follow suit.

But not all methods can be adapted, as the Scandinavian countries impose a high taxation to support families with subsidies.

This article was first published in The Business Times .