While some Hong Kong women have broken the glass ceiling in the Government, much still needs to be done in the private sector, an American campaigner for women's rights has said.
Irene Natividad, director of the Washington-based Global Summit of Women, was in the territory last week to sound out women's groups and leaders about the Global Summit for Women 2001 - to be held in Hong Kong in September.
Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang, who will retire in April, has agreed to be a speaker at the three-day summit, said Ms Natividad.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be the keynote speaker. Commenting on remarks by the new Women's Commissioner, Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fun, that sex discrimination was not a major problem in the SAR, Ms Natividad said no country had yet achieved a level-playing field for women.
'I think Hong Kong is ahead of many other cities or many other regions in terms of participation of women in government, but there is still room to grow in terms of private companies,' she said. 'The number of women executives could still be improved upon - there is enormous room for growth.'
Ms Natividad said women represented 'significant economic clout' that had not been recognised in government policies throughout the world.