Welcome Progress for Hong Kong’s Gender Equal Future

Yesterday, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive delivered the 2026 Policy Address and announced Hong Kong’s First Five Year Plan. We welcome the clear recognition of the importance of empowering women at every stage of their lives.

We also commend the commitment in Hong Kong’s First Five Year Plan to creating an environment that better supports women's development, protects their rights, promotes their well-being and reduces barriers to employment.

In the Policy Address in particular, we welcome the following developments:

• Expanding childcare support through additional childcare centres, the regularisation of the After School Care Service Scheme, and strengthened professional services support
• Supporting young women’s development through a three-year extension of the "She Inspires" Mentorship Programme
• Increasing carer allowances to better recognise the financial pressures faced by informal carers, many of whom are women
• Supporting family planning through bonuses, tax allowances, IVF quotas, and mortgage concessions
• Expanding women’s health screening at Family Medicine Clinics, with a focus on women from underprivileged backgrounds
• Commitment to tackling deepfakes through the exploration of potential legislation to regulate the production of pornographic materials
• Establishing a dedicated taskforce on minors’ use of social media including their interactions with AI

These welcome measures are an important step forward for women, families and communities across Hong Kong. Building on this progress, we look forward to continued collaboration across sectors to strengthen Hong Kong’s long-term competitiveness and inclusion including on women’s leadership, equal pay, age discrimination, parental leave, support for diverse families, protections against gender-based violence, and gender-impact reporting, among others. Our full set of recommendations can be found here.

TWF is committed to working constructively with the Administration, business, education and community stakeholders to support the effective implementation of these measures and advance longer-term reforms.

Gender equality is not a standalone social issue. It is integral to Hong Kong’s competitiveness, resilience, innovation, health, inclusion and long-term sustainability.

As Hong Kong strengthens its position as an international financial, innovation, and talent hub and deepens integration with the Greater Bay Area, we all have a role to play in ensuring that women and girls can participate fully, safely, and equally in shaping and benefiting from Hong Kong’s future.