Proportion and Career Progression of Female Foreign Service Officers, and Request for Publication of Gender-disaggregated Appointment Data

19 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in each year since 2022 (a) how many Ministry of Foreign Affairs officers have been women; (b) how many percent of officers at superscale grades have been female; and (c) at which career stage does the sharpest gender divergence occur.

20 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) in view of previous statements that overseas postings are especially disruptive for women officers, what specific changes to posting and appointment processes have resulted from the Ministry’s reviews; (b) whether selection criteria such as willingness of a diplomat's spouse to relocate have been assessed for gender impact; and (c) whether the Ministry will publish annual gender-disaggregated appointment data.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Since 2022, about half of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) employees are women. The proportion of women in senior appointments has remained stable at about a quarter.

We recognise that overseas postings are disruptive for officers with families, especially female officers who bear greater caregiving responsibilities. The Ministry regularly reviews human resources policies to better support officers' career aspirations and family obligations, including considering personal circumstances for overseas postings and providing support for spouse and children accompanying officers overseas. All new hires are fully aware that an MFA career involves periodic relocations.

The Ministry selects and deploys the best candidate for each position based on merit. We remain committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that provides equal opportunities for all officers.