A panel of leading local women discussed the 'glass ceiling' that limits women's roles in Hong Kong politics, touching on Margaret Thatcher and even China's Communist Party last night.
'[Former British prime minister] Thatcher is a controversial figure, but the challenges she encountered in her career because she was a woman are really relevant to our conversation,' said Su-Mei Thompson, director of The Women's Foundation (TWF), which organised the panel at the British Council in Admiralty.
TWF is a charity that promotes women's equality.
The panelists, who discussed ways to recruit more women into politics, included Anson Chan Fang On-sang, the first woman and first Chinese person to become chief secretary; lawmaker Tanya Chan, a founding member of the Civic Party; and Scarlett Pong Oi-lan, a district councillor from Sha Tin.
Unless woman candidates sweep the Legislative Council election in September, these women will remain the exceptions in Hong Kong.
Women comprise only 18 per cent of the city's legislature, slightly below the global average of 19 per cent but much below the figure in many developed countries - such as New Zealand, where women comprise 35 per cent of the legislature.
Addressing the topic 'Iron Ladies and Glass Ceilings: Women, Politics and the Construction of Gender', the panellists discussed scenes from the film The Iron Lady, which portrays Thatcher's career.