Senior officials on Wednesday hailed Hong Kong's achievements in women's development, saying it was "blossoming with a unique charm of the times". 

They pledged that the city will continue to leverage its strengths to facilitate global exchanges on women and family affairs.

The fourth edition of the Women Power Forum on Wednesday brought together hundreds of distinguished women from six countries and regions, as well as 10 overseas women's organizations. Delegates shared their stories and expertise in politics, science, academia, business, finance, and sports.

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Senior officials, including State Councilor Shen Yiqin, who is also head of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, attended the forum.

Addressing the forum, Huang Xiaowei, vice-president and first member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, said that Chinese women have contributed significantly to the nation's development and modernization, particularly with their outstanding achievements in sci-tech.

 Hong Kong women, in the city's stable and inclusive development environment, have also "blossomed with a unique charm of the times", Huang said.

She cited significant gains in women's political participation, as over half of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's bureau directors and permanent secretaries are women. Women also account for over half the city’s certified public accountants and lawyers, while almost all listed companies have female board members. 

Hong Kong has also seen a rise of outstanding female scientists helping build the city into an international innovation hub, she said.

Addressing the event, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said advancing women's development is a shared responsibility of the international community, and a move that aligns with the nation's advocacy.

He also noted that the second Hong Kong Family and Women Development Summit held on Tuesday, brought together family and women policy makers from central and local authorities, international organizations representatives, and prominent figures in related fields as speakers, attracting over 1,200 participants.

Wednesday’s forum, themed on strengthening cooperation between Chinese and foreign women for common development, also provided global women leaders a platform for exchange.

“These events fully reflect Hong Kong's cohesion and influence in advancing women and family issues,” Lee said.

He said that under the "one country, two systems” framework, Hong Kong enjoys unique advantages in connecting the Chinese mainland with the rest of the world, and pledged that the SAR will continue to play a bridging role in facilitating exchanges between the nation and the international community on women and family affairs, making greater contributions to the country's development.

Contact the eriter at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com