Big boost for gender equality

THE government vows to push gender equality in various aspects.

The proportion of women appointed to government advisory and statutory bodies will be raised to 35 percent from 30 percent from next month, Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (林鄭月娥) said.

The government also plans to increase places under the Social Welfare Department’s (社會福利署 ) extended hours service and pilot a civil service childcare centre in the mid-term.

At a reception to mark International Women’s Day at the Central Government Offices (政府總部) in Tamar (添馬), Lam said that from 1 April all bureaus and departments will be required to stick to a gender-mainstreaming checklist when formulating major government policies and initiatives.

The two initiatives were proposed by the Women’s Commission (婦女事務委員會) and announced in Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s (梁振英) policy address in January.

Lam and Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung (張建宗) said the government is studying the provision of childcare services for civil servants in the new Tseung Kwan O (將軍澳) government office, which will be completed in 2022.

Cheung encouraged private corporations to provide on-site childcare places for their own staff.

Lam added: “The government will launch a pilot project to help grandparents become well-trained child carers in a home setting.”

(The Standard, 9 March 2015)