Press Releases
WoC celebrates International Women's Day 2007 (with photos)
The following is issued on behalf of the Women's Commission:
The Women's Commission (WoC) hosted a cocktail reception today (March 8) to
celebrate the International Women's Day 2007 with guests from women's
organisations and various sectors of the community.
Speaking at the reception, the WoC chairperson, Ms Sophia Kao, pointed out that
although the status of women had been advanced considerably, sustained effort
and commitment from the entire community were still necessary before gender
equality could be fully achieved.
"The mission of the WoC is to enable women to fully realise their due status,
rights and opportunities in all aspects of life. To achieve this goal, in
addition to the efforts of the Commission and the Government, the support and
participation of different sectors of the community will be of paramount
importance. I earnestly hope that the Commission will continue to work together
with all of you in the advancement of women's development in Hong Kong," Ms Kao
said.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). To commemorate this occasion, the Women's
Commission has organised a series of special activities, collectively named "Colourful
Lives of Women" to give recognition to the contribution of all sectors, in
particular women's groups, in empowering women.
"The first character 'hua' in the Chinese title of 'Colourful Lives of Women'
refers to the 10th anniversary of the return of sovereignty of Hong Kong to our
Motherland," Ms Kao said. "The second character 'cai', which means colourful,
represents the boundless potential of women. The title 'Colourful Lives of
Women' means that at the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR,
women in Hong Kong are making sustained efforts to improve themselves, realise
their full potential, and serve the community in all aspects of life."
"We have also produced a special TV series with the same title of 'Colorful
Lives of Women' to introduce the achievements and contributions of local women's
groups and NGOs in helping women to build up self-confidence and independence
and to have a more colourful life. The exhibition held today also highlighted
the different roles and achievements of modern Hong Kong women in society."
Today also marked the third anniversary of the "Capacity Building Mileage
Programme" (CBMP). Initiated by the WoC, the CBMP is aimed at removing barriers
to women's learning opportunities and helping women to build up inner strength
so that they could fully realise their potential and are well-equipped to deal
with life's challenges.
Ms Kao noted that the views collected from different channels indicated that the
participants had developed an interest in learning and acquired more knowledge
after joining the CBMP. They became more confident in tackling problems in daily
life and their change in mindset had also brought a positive impact to their
families and children.
"There was broad support and recognition for the CBMP, thanks to the concerted
efforts of our partners including the Open University of Hong Kong, Commercial
Radio and the participating women's groups and community organisations. The CBMP
was initially funded by the Lotteries Fund for three years. The Government will
continue to provide funding to the CBMP in the next three years, helping women
to continue their study and enhance themselves."
The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, and the Permanent
Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food (Health and Welfare), Ms Sandra Lee, also
officiated at the reception.
Ends/Thursday, March 8, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:58
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