Press Releases
Remarkable achievements made in advancing women's interests : CS
Hong Kong can look back with pride on the remarkable achievements it has made in promoting the rights of women and enhancing their roles, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, said.
Addressing a cocktail reception hosted by the Women's Commission today (March 1) to celebrate the International Women's Day, Mrs Chan emphasized that the day should be celebrated by both sexes, as the well-being of women is inextricably intertwined with that of the whole society.
She told the gathering that nowadays, girls and boys were given equal opportunities to receive education and hence the opportunity for upward social mobility, citing statistics to show that about 40 per cent of Hong Kong's workforce or some 1.7 million people, are women.
"But promoting women's rights and equal opportunity is an ever-on-going task," Mrs Chan stressed.
"The establishment of the Women's Commission is another development milestone in the advancement of women's rights in Hong Kong. It will develop a long term vision and strategy, and take a holistic view of various policies and initiatives that impinge on women and make sure that they are well coordinated.
Mrs Chan expressed confidence that under the able leadership and guidance of the chairperson and members, the Women's Commission would succeed in advancing women's interests and bring about progress for the community as a whole.
Also speaking at the reception, the Chairperson of the Women's Commission, Mrs Sophie Leung, said that in tandem with the development of the community, women had assumed increasingly important roles in many fields, and many were making significant contributions to the community.
"The International Women's Day reminds us of the need to continue to strive for the realization of women's full potential and the elimination of gender prejudices," she said.
She pledged that the Commission would play a pivotal role by developing a long-term vision and strategies for the development and advancement of women in Hong Kong, make recommendations to the Government on policies and initiatives of concern to women, and work to raise the community's awareness on issues that concern women, particularly women in the more vulnerable groups.
"We would promote cooperation among all parties, so that both genders would respect each other and work in harmony to build a more prosperous and better future for all of us.
"The whole community would stand to benefit from our work, not just the women in Hong Kong," Mrs Leung added.
More than 300 guests attended the reception today. They included ExCo and LegCo Members, senior Government officials, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in HKSAR and Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR, consuls in Hong Kong, and prominent personalities from various sectors of the community.
End/Thursday, March 1, 2001
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