Speech by SHYA at 2026 APEC Women and Economy Forum High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and Economy (English only) (with photos)
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Thank you Chair and good morning fellow colleagues.
I would like to first express our sincere appreciation to our country, the People's Republic of China (PRC), for hosting the Women and the Economy Forum (WEF) this year. The theme, "Promoting Women's Economic Empowerment to Prosper Together in the Asia‑Pacific", is both timely and relevant.
Economies across the Asia Pacific are navigating rapid shifts in technology, demography and sustainable development. These changes are reshaping labour markets and creating new demands for skills, adaptability, and innovation. It is essential to ensure women's full and equal engagement in the economy to sustain a long-term and inclusive growth that benefits all.
The PRC hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women held in Beijing in 2025 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, and called for accelerating the new process for women's all-round development. Hong Kong, China (HKC) fully supports the call and is committed to carrying forward the spirit of the Beijing Conference in advancing the high-quality development of the women's cause.
This year's WEF highlights three interconnected issues that are reshaping opportunities across the Asia Pacific and represent the frontiers of a transformation vital to our future generations, including digital and smart development, green and low‑carbon development, as well as employment and entrepreneurship. Women are the drivers of these strategic focus areas and HKC is firmly committed to fostering an enabling environment that enables their meaningful and sustained involvement in our economy. From robust legal protections against discrimination on gender and family status, to enhanced childcare and after‑school care services, as well as efforts to promote family‑friendly employment practices, these measures form the foundation for women to participate fully and equally in our economy.
To fully leverage women's roles as key actors and agents of change in economic development, we root our policy direction in strengthening women's empowerment and capacity building. In this regard, HKC has introduced targeted initiatives that expand women's access to skills, opportunities and resources. Our flagship initiative, the Women Empowerment Fund established in 2023, subsidises community-led projects that equip women with future‑ready capabilities, including digital literacy and technology adoption, entrepreneurial skill-building, such as knowledge to launch and scale businesses, as well as access to digital marketing. We are mindful that this programme must support women in tackling the challenges highlighted in today's high-level forum - the impact of AI on our workforce, our responsibility to preserve the Earth for our children's children, and the pursuit of individual agency and fulfillment.
The Fund has now completed six rounds of applications, approving over 450 projects with a total funding allocation of over HK$66 million, benefitting over 87 000 women in person-times in less than three years. The strengthened efforts will better position women to take up opportunities in new areas of growth and to contribute immensely to HKC's continued economic development. I am pleased to share with you that we have recently increased our annual allocation to the Women Empowerment Fund by 50% from 20 to 30 million Hong Kong dollars a year, a step taken to scale our impact and further empower women's all-round development.
We witness the seeds of future leadership taking root when females account for more than half of our student enrolments in undergraduate programmes today. HKC is investing in the next generation of women leaders through our "She Inspires" Mentorship Programme. The programme pairs local female university students with seasoned female leaders in various areas. Through mentors' guidance and career-focused training, we equip young women with the necessary skills and networks to shatter glass ceilings, and to nurture future women leaders who are represented not only in the workforce, but also in decision-making roles or as trailblazing entrepreneurs who can shape policies, drive innovation and influence the future of our region.
For HKC, we accord high priority to facilitating women's participation in policy-making. We have long adopted a 35 per cent benchmark for women's participation in the statutory and advisory bodies, a target we have consistently met year after year, ensuring women's perspectives are embedded in our policy deliberations. Furthermore, we host flagship events such as the Family and Women Development Summit, bringing together cross-sector stakeholders for meaningful dialogue to explore targeted and effective support for women's advancement.
As HKC continues to navigate economic transformation, we echo the four proposals raised by President Xi at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in advancing women's all-round development, and are committed to turning these visionary proposals into actions. As part of this shared journey, we stand ready to collaborate with fellow APEC economies in championing women's economic empowerment, so that the progress we make today will lay the foundation for a more inclusive and prosperous tomorrow.
Thank you.
Ends/Friday, May 15, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:28
Issued at HKT 12:28
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