Providing sexual services without payment, being made to work more than 13 hours a day and asked to take “sexy photographs” of themselves – these were some of the ways nine Thai women were used as part of a vice syndicate in Singapore, and these are the types of women the Women’s Charter aims to protect. Outlawed in Singapore are activities include advertising and/or living off the earnings of prostitution. However, tougher penalties alone may not help, said Dr Alistair Cook, a senior fellow at RSIS: “The penalty increase will likely need to be accompanied by greater prosecution and conviction rates.”