Hong Kong women are 'pathfinders' who can shape the future of Asia, First Lady Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told the SAR's most distinguished female minds.
Today's women can make choices which will sculpt the 21st century and help lift Asia from its present economic mire - if they can overcome certain obstacles to their progress, Mrs Clinton said.
Fewer than 100 'elite' invited guests were at the Convention and Exhibition Centre meeting, where Mrs Clinton and Ms Albright heard from a panel of nine women including Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang.
'The contributions of women have to be recognised at the highest levels of government, business and society,' the First Lady told the gathering.
Women at all levels could start the engine to drive an economic revival with their consumer choices, career decisions and small business plans.
'One of the ways to work out an economic downturn is to increase economic activity in the lower end - and that is often overlooked,' Mrs Clinton said.
Despite overwhelming evidence that women are better credit risks - 92 to 99 per cent of women worldwide repayed their loans - banks weren't backing them accordingly, she said.
