Eh, can I just rant for a second? I cannot already, need to get this off my chest.
Why is it that in Singapore, the script for guys is always the same? Work hard, grind, climb the corporate ladder, save money, and provide. From day one, the expectation is on us. But the moment a marriage breaks down? Boom. Half your assets gone, sleep better, bro.
And for what? Because of this archaic concept that the man must “maintain the same lifestyle” for the woman post-divorce. Hello? If she needs to maintain her lifestyle, what about the man’s lifestyle? Who is maintaining for him when his bank account gets completely cratered? It’s always “protect the woman,” but who is protecting the guy who gave his absolute all to the family?
Let’s not even talk about the head start they get. We waste two bloody years in National Service. Two years of our youth serving the nation, drawing a pathetic allowance, while our female peers are already entering the workforce, building their careers, and compounding their savings. We start out later, we chase from behind, we finally build something up, and then the legal system treats our hard-earned money like a public buffet.
The most unfair part? It is exceedingly rare—like winning Toto group 1 kind of rare—for a woman to pay alimony (spousal maintenance) to an ex-husband in Singapore. Under the Women’s Charter, even if the ex-wife is a high-earning corporate high-flyer and the ex-husband is struggling, the law still heavily biases towards the man paying. The only time a man can get maintenance is if he is incapacitated. So what? If we are healthy but financially ruined, we just suck it up and ownself maintenance ownself?
The math just doesn’t math, guys. We live in 2026. Women are highly educated, independent, and making big bucks in the corporate world—sometimes even more than their husbands. Equality should mean equality across the board, not just when it’s convenient. If a marriage ends, both parties should just walk away with what they contributed, fair and square. This double standard is making a lot of brothers out there think twice about even getting married in the first place. High time to review the law, man. CPIBR (Cry Please I Buy Ribbon) to anyone going through this right now.