On 3 November 2022, EOC Chairperson Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin attended the event “#SheMeansBusiness: Women Connect” hosted by the Meta Hong Kong office to deliver the keynote speech, “Gender (In)equality in Hong Kong: Issues and Solutions”.

Launched by Meta in 2016 as a global initiative, #SheMeansBusiness seeks to promote women’s economic empowerment by supporting female entrepreneurs to enter and thrive in the digital economy.

As the keynote speaker, Mr Chu presented some sobering statistics about the current status of women in Hong Kong, including the difference in labour participation rates between women and men, the gender pay gap across different industries, and the fact that a much higher percentage of women than men drop out of the workforce after getting married, often citing household duties as a reason. 

While recognising that in some cases the decision to drop out of work may be an informed and conscious choice, Mr Chu questioned if society really is giving women sufficient autonomy to take the path they pick, especially when stereotypes of women as carers and homemakers still persist. 

He called on employers big and small to take more active steps to create a family-friendly workplace. From flexi-time and hybrid working to quarter-day leave and job sharing, family-friendly practices can enable employees to better juggle their work and family responsibilities, the latter of which continue to fall disproportionately on women’s shoulders.

This will in turn allow more women to prove their ability at work and rise through the ranks, ultimately improving the gender balance in leadership and decision-making.

Besides Mr Chu, the speakers at the event include: Ms Cheryl NG, Founder and CEO of Lemi; Ms Winsy LEUNG, Registered Dietitian (USA); and Mr Gregory CHANG, DEI Lead and Director of Mid-Market, China Export at Meta.

• About the event
• Download the EOC’s factsheet about gender inequality in Hong Kong