SINGAPORE — Employers should “set their eyes” on single mothers becoming part of the workforce so that these women can earn their keep and build up their confidence, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said yesterday.

At the launch of a handbook that highlights the problems faced by low-income Indian single mothers, Mr Tharman said the problems faced by this group are manifold, such as finding a job, getting retrained and finding support for their children.

“Their biggest need is, of course, emotional — recovering from their trauma, or divorce or the passing of their spouse ... but it helps them so much if we can help with their practical problems and give them the confidence that day-to-day problems can be solved, and they can look towards a better life,” Mr Tharman said.

The handbook is a result of research and work by Project Athena of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) Family Services Centre (SFSC). It will be a resource for professionals and volunteers in the social service sector.

Apart from the book launch, the event featured a panel discussion on the challenges single mothers face.

A member of the audience, Dr Kanwaljit Soin, former president of the Women’s Initiative for Ageing Successfully, asked if there could be an organisation that looks into the informal employment of these mothers, as they often find it hard to get people to buy their home-made products, particularly when there are regulatory constraints.

In response, panellist Nooraini Mohamed Razak from the PPIS As-Salaam Family Support Centre noted that “the idea is about selling (the products) to friends and family”.

Nevertheless, she acknowledged that there are single mothers “who do not have the money to start a company but would have the skills and are unable to leave home”.

Piloted in 2009, Project Athena has helped some 300 single mothers address the underlying issues they face and cope with their challenging circumstances through programmes on confidence-building and anger management techniques as well as parenting workshops.

About 400 children have also benefited through the project’s activities, such as taekwondo and creative writing lessons and intensive coaching for those undertaking their Primary School Leaving Examination.

The handbook was based on a survey of 441 women who are single mothers or who do not have adequate support from their husbands.

Among the respondents, about 14 per cent of the Indian single mothers surveyed said they do not have access to three meals a day for their family.

More than half said they were unable to hold simple birthday celebrations for their children or fulfil religious obligations.