New Gender Studies Programme at CUHK!

Today I was a guest speaker at the inauguration ceremony for the new Gender Studies Undergraduate Programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. This is the first programme of its kind in Hong Kong and marks an important milestone for gender studies in the Territory.

Here is an extract from my speech:

We know from our work at TWF that the talent pool in Hong Kong is very small if you are looking for gender experts who can join the dots between data and trends on the one hand and on the other hand, formulate effective long-term policies that can break the cycle of poverty for women, provide ethnic minority girls with equal access to education and other opportunities, afford women and girls enhanced protection from violence and harassment, and create a more level playing field for women in the workplace. While the current Administration is to be commended for this year's Policy Address and directing all Government bureaux and departments to apply gender mainstreaming when formulating major Government policies and initiatives, at TWF we are concerned about the paucity of talent in Hong Kong that is familiar with gender research, gender budgeting and other gender concepts. 

This is why a few years ago, we launched a scholarship programme to send Hong Kong students to Cambridge to pursue the M Phil in Gender Studies. I am very hopeful that some of the students from CUHK's new undergraduate programme will be our future scholarship recipients and have the opportunity to further their studies at Cambridge before returning to work in Hong Kong. Our very best wishes go to the 20 undergraduates (including 4 male students!) who are embarking on this exciting new course of study and we salute CUHK for shining a beacon on the field of gender studies and its importance in this part of the world.

********************

To contribute to our scholarship schemes which are supporting deserving Hong Kong students to pursue their dreams at Cambridge, HKUST and other leading institutions, please email me at su-mei.thompson@twfhk.org. No amount is too small, we would love to hear from you!

05
09
2015

Written by

The Women's Foundation