Government should lead way in supporting families
Families are the heart and soul of Hong Kong and Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has rightly pointed out that more care and effort needs to be taken with them. In opening public discussion on the subject, however, he has to be aware that the government is as much a part of the solution as the community it serves.
Hong Kong puts a lot of stress on families - with long working hours, low pay, the need for both parents to be employed to make ends meet, a growing number of single parent households, cramped living conditions and limited government support taking their toll.
There is a big demand for child and aged care services. Children are being increasingly left to their own devices, which is affecting their behaviour, nutrition and well-being. Spouse violence is on the rise. More and more grandparents are being put into homes for the elderly rather than living out the autumn years of their lives with their families.
A crisis is not looming because filial values remain strong in our society. But, as Mr Tsang highlighted in his speech yesterday at a conference on strengthening families, traditional family functions are being outpaced by social changes. His message was clear: what we have is being eroded and attitudes must change before it is too late.
Mr Tsang has to be applauded for taking the lead on the issue. He seemed to make it clear, though, that the bulk of the onus was on families themselves, community groups and businesses - when, in fact, the government has a significant role to play.
Telling us that men and women should share household burdens, especially child-rearing, is well and good, but it cannot be done unless the government insists on equality between the sexes as well. Maternity leave has to be accompanied by paternity leave, as it is in other developed societies. Similarly, with a rapidly ageing population, the government may have to consider measures to encourage the elderly are taken care of by their children.
Social workers dealing with children and the elderly are also in short supply and their numbers are decreasing as more reach retirement age. Government regulations are hampering the deployment of resources to needy groups and greater effort could be taken to develop volunteer networks.
The chief executive took a bold step by implementing a five-day working week for civil servants on July 1 and recommending that companies follow suit. Although not legally binding, the move sends the right message: that the most basic foundation of our society, the family, has to be given more time together.
Mr Tsang has taken another move in that direction by raising awareness of the problems families face. He must ensure that the government continues to take the lead and do its best to help.
