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Letters | Carrie Lam’s ‘pro-child’ push could deliver benefits for Hong Kong
- Readers discuss the Hong Kong chief executive’s pro-family stance, the benefits of open banking, and the importance of young people contesting Legco elections
Reading Time:3 minutes
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I refer to the article, “Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam in ‘pro-child’ push for flexible employment for working mothers in public, private sectors” (October 30).
It is good to hear that the chief executive is making an effort to fulfil her promise to support families raising children. Applying her pro-child philosophy to social policy can benefit society in several ways.
Support for working mothers could help reduce discrimination against them in the workforce. Employers often deem working mothers “troublesome” as work is no longer their top priority and they need more personal time to take care of their children, which it is assumed will affect their work efficiency. A social policy that takes this into account will better protect working mothers’ rights.
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Lam’s campaign also aims to keep women in the workforce. According to data from the Census and Statistics Department, the female labour force participation rate in Hong Kong has remained low compared with other advanced societies.
Given that the education level of women in Hong Kong is relatively high, the city needs to retain women in the labour force to enhance competitiveness. It will be the city’s loss if women no longer contribute to our workforce after they get married, especially when our labour force is shrinking.
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Moreover, the policy could encourage couples to have more children. Dual-income families are not uncommon in places like Hong Kong where the cost of living is high. This results in a low birth rate as couples are not confident they have enough money and time to raise children, which is not a good sign for our ageing society.
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