Better Hong Kong child care services and maternity benefits in two years, new Women’s Commission chief vows
Newly appointed head wants less red tape for advisory body, which was previously criticised for its ineffectiveness in pushing for real changes
Providing more land for child care facilities and improving maternity benefits in Hong Kong within two years would be top priorities for the Women’s Commission, its newly appointed chairwoman said on Saturday.
Speaking on a radio programme, Chan Yuen-han said the government should consider setting a minimum standard and designating more land for community child care services.
Chan, a former lawmaker and long-time unionist, was named the head of the advisory body on January 12.
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Women in the city had just up to 10 weeks of maternity leave while being paid four-fifths of their monthly salaries, Chan said, adding that this was far from sufficient.
“Better support in child care and elderly care can enable women in all fields to go back to work confidently,” Chan said. “This untapped female labour force is one of the direct solutions to the lack of manpower in Hong Kong.”
A total of 530,000 women could be brought back into the work force if better social policies and supporting facilities were in place, Chan said.
