Editorial | Hong Kong must do more to unlock women’s full economic potential
The city can take pride in women’s progress across different fields. Yet there is also room for cultural and policy improvement
International Women’s Day, celebrated on Sunday, is not just an occasion for a gender equality stocktaking. It enables assessment of social well-being and prompts directions for improvement. Take Hong Kong for example. The city has good reasons to take pride in the progress women have made across different fields. Yet there is also room to do better in terms of birth incentives, childcare, workplace culture and other policy support.
The achievement is not only a result of gradual changes in social values. It reflects decades of investment in policies promoting equal opportunities. From classrooms to boardrooms, the rise in women’s status has enriched decision-making and helped Hong Kong remain a competitive, outward-looking and resilient economy.
However, the glass ceiling in some sectors is still preventing women from shining. More often than not, men still have an advantage in leadership roles and promotion, while wage disparity remains the norm. The so-called motherhood penalty still puts women in a disadvantaged position in the workplace.
Beneath the positive figures in boardroom representation and public service are bias and expectations, meaning women are still held back by family duties such as child-rearing and caring for the elderly. This is not helped by existing gaps in policy and support, which leave women juggling demanding and sometimes conflicting roles and duties at home and at work. The city needs to move beyond celebrating women’s success and tackle the institutional and cultural constraints that still stop many from reaching their full potential and contributing to economic development.