Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and Women’s Commission celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 (with photos)
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The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and his wife, Mrs Janet Lee, today (March 8) officiated at a reception to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 hosted by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) and the Women’s Commission (WoC).
The reception was attended by members of the WoC, and representatives from women’s groups, non-governmental organisations and the business sector. Thematic panels were set up at the reception this year to showcase the work done by the Government and the WoC on promoting women’s development.
Speaking at the reception, Mr Lee said that women play a leading role in all walks of life in Hong Kong. Among the 26 Principal Officials of the current-term Government, six of them are women, accounting for nearly a quarter of the team, which is the highest among all previous terms of Government. Among the 18 Permanent Secretaries, which are the highest echelons of the civil service, more than 60 per cent of them are females. Women now account for 36 per cent of the non-official members of government-appointed advisory and statutory bodies, which is 10 per cent higher than 20 years ago. This marks the significant contribution that Hong Kong women have made to social development.
He said, “Promotion of women’s development is an important task. In the future, the Government and the Women’s Commission will continue their concerted efforts in promoting women’s rights in various fronts.”
The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, said at the reception that the Government will, as always, contribute more to women’s development. The HYAB will set up the Women Empowerment Fund as announced in the Chief Executive’s Policy Address this year. From 2023-24, the funding will be increased to $20 million a year to strengthen the support for women’s development and the related tasks.
She said, “The HYAB will continue to work with members of the community, making ways for Hong Kong women to unleash their full potential in different roles of the community and live a happy life.”
Also officiating at the reception were Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Ms Lu Xinning; Deputy Director General of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Mr Wang Wenxian; Deputy Director of the Political Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison Senior Colonel Wang Zhixue; the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the President of the Legislative Council, Mr Andrew Leung; the Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council, Mrs Regina Ip; and the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Ms Shirley Lam.