Beijing’s top official on women’s affairs lays out 3 goals for Hong Kong

Hong Kong should adopt measures that better meet the needs of women and family development in its first five-year plan and take pragmatic steps to create a fair and inclusive society, the country’s top official on women’s affairs has said.State Councillor Shen Yiqin made the remarks at the Hong Kong Family and Women Development Summit on Tuesday, when Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also met her and pledged to advance work on family and women’s affairs and contribute more to national development.Shen laid out three goals for Hong Kong in advancing women and family development, with the first focused on enhancing their welfare through the city’s five-year plan.“I hope Hong Kong can grasp the new trends and new requirements under the 15th five-year period and better incorporate the needs of women and family development as it drafts its first five-year plan,” Shen said in her speech at the summit, which is organised by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Women’s Commission and the Family Council.Shen is president of the All-China Women’s Federation and head of the State Council’s National Working Committee on Children and Women.“In areas of safeguarding the rights and interests of women, supporting their employment and [enhancing] caretaking services and family education … [the government should] introduce more pragmatic measures to better foster a fair, inclusive and family-friendly society,” she said.