In advance of the upcoming 2019 Policy Address, TWF has responded to the public consultation with a comprehensive series of recommendations for the Government to address gender inequality in Hong Kong for the long term. We believe that many of our proposals can be actioned at minimal cost for immediate benefit to the women and girls of Hong Kong and our city overall.

It should be a matter of deep disappointment and concern to all of us that Hong Kong lags behind our regional and international neighbours in relation to gender equality.

Along with business and civil society, the Government has a critical role to play and can take immediate action to address these imbalances. There is an urgent need for gender equality to be included in the Executive Council agenda and considered in all Government initiatives – as an equality issue but also because tackling some of these issues will help build happier families, a more stable society and a thriving economy.

Here are some of our specific recommendations to address gender inequality in Hong Kong:

Holistic approach needed to boost female workforce participation and to increase the number of women in leadership positions: Women’s workforce participation rate is well below regional averages, exacerbated by overt discrimination against working mothers and limited childcare / flexi-work options.

Actions to close Gender Pay Gap: Hong Kong’s gender pay gap is worse than ten years ago. There is insufficient disclosure and organisational commitment to close our gender pay gap which also reflects the low level of female workforce participation and women’s stalled progress as they progress through their careers.

Greater support for women in poverty and address female inequality: Women are still disproportionately employed in lower status jobs and earn lower incomes compared to men. There is a lack of specific consideration of women in Government welfare policies, including the MPF scheme.

Wholesale change around the government mechanism to support women and girls’ advancement in Hong Kong: The Women’s Commission is inadequately staffed, resourced and positioned to drive the integration of gender in legislation, public policies and programmes.

Greater protections and preventative measures around sexual harassment and sexual assault: Laws provide insufficient protection, sexual education curricula are outdated and there are many inhibiting factors for women to utilise existing services.

Stronger, targeted protections for vulnerable groups of women and girls: Ethnic minorities, Foreign Domestic Workers, and LGBT+ communities

Increase the availability and accessibility of gender disaggregated data: Gender-segregated data maintained by government departments and bureaus are not comprehensive, consistent or always accessible.

Much remains to be done before Hong Kong can be said to be pursuing a comprehensive policy of eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and actively advancing the interests of women and girls in our city.

Hong Kong is actively looking for signals that it still has a capacity for greatness and can maintain a central position on the world stage. Gender equality is one area where we can fulfil that potential, and the momentum from actions towards that goal will allow us to harness the innovation, creativity, cooperation and compassion needed to ensure our city and all its residents can flourish.

Get in touch Fiona.Nott@twfhk.org