Speech by SHYA at 2026 APEC Women and Economy Forum High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and Economy
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, at the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women and the Economy Forum High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy "Promoting Women's Economic Empowerment to Prosper Together in the AsiaPacific" in Shanghai today (May 15):
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 AsiaPacific", 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 lowcarbon 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 afterschool care services, as well as efforts to promote familyfriendly 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 futureready 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.
Speech by SHYA at 2026 APEC Women and Economy Forum High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and Economy Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Speech by SHYA at 2026 APEC Women and Economy Forum High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and Economy Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Office of The Ombudsman holds learning and exchange session to enhance alignment with National 15th Five-Year Plan
The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:
The Hong Kong International Ombudsman Academy (HKIOA) under the Office of The Ombudsman today (May 15) held a learning and exchange session on the National 15th Five-Year Plan for investigation and administrative staff of the Office. The session aimed to deepen staff members' understanding of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and explore how their work can be aligned with and integrated into the Plan.
During the session, the Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, noted, "This year marks the launch of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan. With the steadfast support from the motherland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) must proactively align itself with and integrate into the overall national development strategy, while giving full play to its unique advantage of maintaining close connections with both the motherland and the world. President Xi Jinping has put forward 'four musts' and 'four proposals' for Hong Kong to provide a solid foundation and practical guidance for the implementation of 'one country, two systems', covering priorities such as implementing the principle of 'patriots administering Hong Kong' and enhancing governance standards. As the independent watchdog of public administration in Hong Kong, our Office has consistently adhered to fulfilling its duties with professionalism. We are also committed to driving reform and innovation, while continually reflecting on how our work can better align with national development."
Since assuming office on April 1, 2024, Mr Chan has embraced the spirit of innovation and reform, and guided his staff in gaining a deeper understanding of national affairs and learning from the country's development experience. While fulfilling the Office's supervisory functions, Mr Chan has led it to proactively align with the overarching development strategies under the 15th Five-Year Plan and the integration initiatives of the HKSAR Government, with a view to enhancing public well-being and contributing to Hong Kong's enduring prosperity and stability. To enhance the quality of public administration and governance effectiveness, Mr Chan has championed three strategic focuses: first, making effective use of mediation mechanisms to swiftly resolve conflicts and reduce the internal friction caused by disputes within society; second, promoting inter-departmental communication and collaboration to enhance overall governance standards; and third, cultivating a positive complaint culture by encouraging all sectors of society to engage constructively with social issues, and advocating that government departments and public organisations respond to feedback with open-mindedness, thereby promoting good governance.
Furthermore, the Office has established the HKIOA as a professional training platform to promote the concept of maladministration prevention among public officers, and to encourage them to adopt innovative thinking in responding to new circumstances, turn opportunities arising from national development into real benefits for the public, and genuinely ease the everyday hardships people face. The HKIOA has also set up Mainland and international exchange platforms and organised diverse activities to promote cross-regional sharing of knowledge and experience.
Under the "one country, two systems" framework, the Office has actively expanded international and regional cooperation. On the domestic front, the Office has strengthened ties and collaboration in overseeing public administration with the Mainland and the Macao Special Administrative Region. For instance, the Office received delegations from discipline inspection commissions of several Mainland provinces and cities, and a delegation from Macao. On the external front, the Office hosted the first International Ombudsman Summit in December 2024, gathering representatives of ombudsman institutions worldwide in Hong Kong for exchanges. Memoranda of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation were signed with several international ombudsman institutions to reinforce long-term partnerships. The Office will advance these efforts by co-ordinating the celebration of the Asian Ombudsman Association's 30th anniversary and an international forum as well as hosting the 27th meeting of its Board of Directors later this year, to further strengthen ties and co-operation with international and regional counterparts and showcase Hong Kong's unique advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world.
In addition, the Office stands firmly with the HKSAR Government in safeguarding national security and provides ongoing training to reinforce staff commitment and heighten their awareness of its importance. Mr Chan has set an example by proactively supporting and participating in national security initiatives such as the National Security Education Day, the National Security Legal Forum, and the 5th Anniversary of Promulgation and Implementation of Hong Kong National Security Law Forum. In full support of the comprehensive implementation of the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", the Office formed an election task force last year to promote the 2025 Legislative Council General Election and ensure sound and stable electoral operations.
Mr Chan emphasised, "The 15th Five-Year Plan has charted the course for national development over the coming five years. Our Office fully supports the HKSAR Government in formulating Hong Kong's first five-year plan, seeking to open new horizons for high-quality development, strengthen integration with and service to the overall national development, and contribute to building a stronger country." He reminded and encouraged staff that beyond their investigation duties, they should consider how their work can align with the country's overall development strategy. Upholding reform and innovation as core values, he pledged to lead all his staff in strengthening supervisory functions and advancing institutional reform and enhancement. At the same time, the Office will work to ease conflicts and grievances, foster social harmony, and drive high-quality development, thereby playing a more active role in the overall national development.
Source: AI-found images
Office of The Ombudsman holds learning and exchange session to enhance alignment with National 15th Five-Year Plan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Office of The Ombudsman holds learning and exchange session to enhance alignment with National 15th Five-Year Plan Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Source: AI-found images
