Officials highlight female power, pledge support for gender equality initiatives

Officials from the central and Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday emphasized the importance of prioritizing women’s development and family values in the special administrative region’s inaugural five-year plan.

The remarks were made at the 2026 Hong Kong Family and Women Development Summit, held by the city’s Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Women’s Commission, and the Family Council to highlight women’s crucial role in social progress and family harmony.

State Councilor Shen Yiqin, who is also chairwoman of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council and president of the All-China Women’s Federation, told the summit that the SAR government must incorporate the needs of women and families into their development road maps, particularly considering the new circumstances and priorities outlined in the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period.

Opening the summit, Shen said she hopes Hong Kong’s first five-year plan will include measures on women’s rights protection, employment support, care services and family education, all pivotal to fostering a fairer, more inclusive, and family-friendly society.

Shen recognized the SAR government’s efforts in strengthening women’s growth and family cohesion, citing a rise in workforce participation and women’s expanding presence in decision-making and managerial positions across the city.

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She called these trends “important for economic development and social stability” and a “brilliant chapter” in the implementation of the “patriots administering Hong Kong” principle.

Riding this wave of progress, Shen urged women in Hong Kong to lend their full support to the chief executive and the SAR government in law-based governance. She emphasized that personal ambition and domestic harmony are inextricably linked to the vitality of the city and key national strategies.

She also expressed her hope that women will champion Hong Kong’s role in advancing the integrated growth of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Drawing on the city’s unique strength as a global gateway, women and families in the city must take a greater part in global discussions and governance, with intensified efforts to tell the story of “Chinese women”, including those from Hong Kong, in the pursuit of development.

Addressing the event, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said his vision is to build Hong Kong into a “home founded on care and inclusion”.

“Family is at the core of a caring, inclusive, homelike Hong Kong,” he said, likening it to “a great tree that shelters all its members”.

Women who are self-reliant, self-empowered and play a central role in society can “make that tree more resilient and deeply rooted”, Lee added.

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Addressing the event, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said his vision is to build Hong Kong into a “home founded on care and inclusion”.

“Family is at the core of a caring, inclusive, homelike Hong Kong,” he said, likening it to “a great tree that shelters all its members”.

Women who are self-reliant, self-empowered and play a central role in society can “make that tree more resilient and deeply rooted”, Lee added.

Meanwhile, the government will work harder to embed the concepts of “family, family education and family values” into the fabric of society, Lee added.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said empowering women and promoting family development will be fully reflected in the city’s inaugural five-year plan, expected to be completed before the end of the year.

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Mak said that initiatives like the government-run Women Empowerment Fund have long played an instrumental role in supporting women in the city. The fund has backed over 450 projects, disbursing more than HK$66 million ($8.41 million). Its annual allocation was boosted to HK$30 million under the 2025 Policy Address.

The half-day summit featured keynote speeches from female leaders, alongside two panel discussions exploring women’s roles and opportunities across industries, as well as their experiences with responsibility, marriage, and child-rearing.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com