Women’s Charter 1961 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 1 · Preliminary
2. Interpretation
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2023. 5 amendments in all.
In this Act —[Deleted by Act 3 of 2022 wef 30/12/2022][Deleted by Act 3 of 2022 wef 25/09/2023][Deleted by Act 3 of 2022 wef 25/09/2023]
In criminal proceedings for an offence under Part 11 in relation to any place —
a court may rely on circumstantial evidence to find that the particular place is used as a brothel; and
a court may make such a finding without direct evidence that the particular place is used as a brothel.Examples of circumstantial evidence 1.Evidence relating to persons entering and leaving premises (including number, gender and frequency) that is consistent with the use of the premises for prostitution. 2.Evidence of appointments with persons for the purpose of prostitution that are made through the use of telephone numbers or other contact details that are publicly advertised. 3.Evidence of the arrangement of, or other matters relating to, the place or the furniture, equipment or articles in the place, that is consistent with the use of the place for prostitution.
“brothel” means any place —
habitually used by any 2 or more women or girls (whether or not at the same time or at different times) for the purpose of prostitution;
that has been used by any 2 or more women or girls (whether or not at the same time or at different times) for the purpose of prostitution and is likely to be used again for that purpose; or
that —
has been expressly or implicitly advertised (whether by advertisements in or on the place, newspapers, the Internet or by other means) or represented as being used for the purpose of prostitution; and
is likely to be used for the purpose of prostitution;
“club” means any place which is used by an association of 2 or more persons for any purpose or object;
“conciliation officer” means a conciliation officer appointed under section 139C(1);
“court” —
for the purposes of sections 20, 21A and 56 and Parts 8, 9, 9A, 10, 10A and 10B, means the General Division of the High Court or a Family Court; and
for the purposes of Parts 7 and 10C, means a Family Court;
[Deleted by Act 18 of 2023 wef 16/01/2025]
“Director‑General”, except in Part 7, means the Director‑General of Social Welfare and includes any person who is authorised by the Director‑General to perform any of the duties or exercise any of the powers of the Director‑General under this Act;
“fit individual” means an individual whom the Director‑General, having regard to the character of the individual, thinks competent to provide care and protection to another individual;
“incapacitated former husband”, in relation to a dissolved or an annulled marriage, means a former husband to the marriage who —
during the subsistence of the marriage, was or became —
incapacitated, by any physical or mental disability or any illness, from earning a livelihood; and
unable to maintain himself; and
continues to be unable to maintain himself;
“incapacitated husband” means a husband who —
during the marriage, is or becomes —
incapacitated, by any physical or mental disability or any illness, from earning a livelihood; and
unable to maintain himself; and
continues to be unable to maintain himself;
“licensed solemniser” means a person licensed under section 22(2) to solemnise marriages;
“marriage licence” means a marriage licence issued by the Registrar under section 17;
“married woman” means a woman validly married under any law, religion, custom or usage;
“messaging system” means any system that enables the transmission of short text messages, or of any visual communication, voice communication or electronic mail —
from a digital mobile telephone to another digital mobile telephone; or
from an electronic mail address to a digital mobile telephone, and the other way around;
“notice of marriage” means a notice of marriage under section 14;
“occupier” of a place means the tenant, subtenant or lessee thereof or any other person in charge of the place, whether or not in actual occupation and whether or not having powers to let or sublet;
“owner” of a place means a person who, for the time being, has power or authority to let, hire, sell or convey the place to another person, or who receives the rent of the place whether on the person’s own account or as an agent or a trustee for any other person;
“permanent resident of Singapore” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Immigration Act 1959;
“place” means any building, house, office, flat, room or cubicle or any part thereof, and any open or enclosed space and includes a ship, boat or any vessel, whether afloat or not, and any vehicle;
“place of assignation” means any place where communication is established with any woman or girl, either directly or through an intermediary, for any immoral purpose;
“place of public resort” means any place to which the public for the time being has access;
“place of safety” means any place of safety established under section 177;
“prostitution” means the act of a female offering her body for sexual penetration for hire, whether in money or in kind;
“record”, in relation to the State Marriage Register, includes —
a certificate of marriage created under section 30(2)(a); and
a certificate of marriage contained in the State Marriage Register before the date of commencement of section 19 of the Women’s Charter (Amendment) Act 2022;
“Registrar” means the Registrar of Marriages appointed under section 26 and includes an Assistant Registrar of Marriages;
“sexual penetration” means the penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth of a woman or girl by a man’s penis, or the sexual penetration of the vagina or anus of a woman or girl by a part of another person’s body (other than the penis) or by anything else;
“solemnisation” includes the contracting of a marriage or effecting a marriage in accordance with the law, religion, custom or usage of the parties or any of the parties thereto;
“special marriage licence” means a special marriage licence granted by the Minister under section 21;
“State Marriage Register” means the State Marriage Register maintained under section 27.