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The Director of Social Welfare, Mr Patrick Nip, today (March 6) unveiled the Hong Kong booth at the "Exhibition on the Achievements of Chinese Women and Children in the Past Decade" in Beijing. The booth showcases the progress that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has made in recent years. Chairperson of the Women's Commission, Mrs Stella Lau, also attended the event.
"Women have played a very important role in Hong Kong. They serve as the core of their families in taking good care of their children and other family members, and also participate more and more in the labour force and social issues, making enormous contributions to the economic and social development of Hong Kong," Mr Nip said.
"As for children, as they are our future, nurturing them and helping them develop their potential to the fullest is both the hope of parents and the common vision of the community.
"The HKSAR Government has attached great importance to family and child welfare services and is fully committed to promoting women's development and advancement. Over the past decade, we have enhanced family support by setting up integrated family service centres (IFSCs) across the territory, promoted the development and advancement of women by establishing the Women's Commission and better served our children by introducing more flexible child care services and the Child Development Fund. These are just a few examples of the achievements that we have made," he added.
"In 2012/13, the Government has made an estimated provision of $2.121 billion for family and child welfare services, up 12.9 per cent against last year. Enhancement measures include the provision of three more IFSCs to bring the total to 65, providing more residential care places for children, and increasing foster care allowance rates.
"In the meantime, the Government has also increased the provision for women's interests by 16.6 per cent to nearly $29 million with a view to enabling women to fully realise their due status, rights, and opportunities in Hong Kong."
Mr Nip hoped that with the concerted efforts of the Government, social welfare agencies and all parties concerned, women and children could have more opportunities for further development and enjoy a better life in the future.
The "Exhibition on the Achievements of Chinese Women and Children in the Past Decade" is hosted by the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council and the All-China Women's Federation. In addition to the national comprehensive exhibition hall, the event also features more than 30 booths from various provinces, regions and municipalities, as well as from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Social Welfare Department joined forces to set up the Hong Kong booth and, along with the support of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and Po Leung Kuk, presented the main theme of "equality, care and inclusion" for women and children. "A Symphony of Lights" was chosen as one of Hong Kong's highlights to serve as a backdrop symbolising the prosperous development of women's and children's affairs in the HKSAR.
The HKSAR Government has all along upheld the principles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, such as enhancing women's status and enabling them to best utilise their potential, caring for and nurturing children as well as strengthening family solidarity and preventing family violence.
The exhibition is currently held at the National Museum of China in Beijing between today and March 15.
Ends/Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:04
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