Looking back to the last ten years since the establishment of
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's (HKSAR), Peggy Lam,
the leader of the most influential women organization in Hong Kong,
felt more confident of the future of Hong Kong women in a
used-to-be male-dominated society.
Peggy's memory of the day when Hong Kong returned to its
motherland on July 1, 1997 was the rising national flag, the
exciting tune of the national anthem and the guard of honor of the
People's Liberation Army, a vivid picture lasting almost a decade
but still making her feel proud.
However, being the chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of
Women, Peggy Lam felt more proud of the growing confidence of Hong
Kong women, which is apparently shown in the past ten years through
their increasing participation in public affairs, capable
management of transnationals, and large share in government
leadership.
A high degree of autonomy, rapid economic development and the
successful implementation of the principle "one country, two
systems" are very important achievements of the HKSAR since its
establishment, Peggy Lam told Xinhua Friday, adding that the past
decade since Hong Kong's return to the motherland is also a mirror
of Hong Kong women's progress in pursuing both professional and
social development.
According to latest statistics, the proportion of female
employment as managers and administrators has significantly grown
from 19.5 percent ten years ago to 31 percent in 2006.
More significantly, the government is taking the lead in
eliminating all forms of discrimination in employment, such as sex,
marital status, pregnancy and family status. As a result, more
women have assumed leadership positions in the government. Female
officials now constitute around 30 percent of the directors in the
civil service, said a report from the Economic Development and
Labor Department.
Peggy said besides the achievement of career women, the number
of women's organizations has also increased from 80 in 1997 to 140
in 2007, which is a dependable strength for women who need a help
in protecting their rights in education, employment and family
crisis.
"Before Hong Kong's return to its motherland," Peggy said, "a
lot of people worried about the future of Hong Kong, not to mention
protecting women's rights." "But now facts have proved that we can
win through a lot of crises and keep moving forward under the 'one
country, two systems' principle, and above all, women are enjoying
a more balanced society with more equal social and economic status,
an important benchmark of highly civilized society," she added.
(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2007)