I began to look deeper into Singapore’s migration laws after learning about one foreign woman’s struggles to be independent of her abusive husband in Singapore. As her right to stay in the country was dependent on her Singaporean husband, she faced many dilemmas as she sought to be independent from him yet still maintain the rights to her child. 

Finding women to speak to for this piece was a challenge - many were afraid to speak with me as they worried their right to stay in the country might be jeopardised. Some others did not want to recount their experiences and relive their trauma, understandably so. 

For the few who spoke to me, listening to their stories was emotionally difficult. After completing this written piece, I met the two women in-person (interviews were done via phone call) to thank them for sharing their stories with me. I am moved by their strength and determination to get back on their feet, yet could not help but also feel a sense of anger and injustice towards the patriarchal systems that landed them in their predicaments.