Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) President–cum–Women and Children Affairs Committee Vice President Wilson Hon Wai told reporters yesterday that Macau’s gender pay gap* has narrowed to within five percent. He did not elaborate.
Hon made remarks during a discussion on achievements at a meeting at the Macau Science Centre (MSC) in Nape.
Yesterday’s meeting was also attended by Jiang Zhenyu, deputy director of the Social Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau; Leong Veng Hang, advisor at the office of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Wallis O Lam; All-China Women’s Federation Standing Committee Member–cum–Macau Women’s General Association (commonly known as Fu Luen) Permanent Chairwoman Tina Ho Teng Iat; IAS Deputy Director Daniel Tang Iok Wa; and Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) Deputy Director Wong Ka Ki.
Hon noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, which adopted the “Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.”
Early this week, China hosted the two-day Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women in Beijing.
Hon said that Macau’s Women and Children Affairs Committee would continue to actively support women in breaking through barriers in their respective fields, encouraging local women to integrate into national development and contribute “She Power” to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the whole nation, thereby “collectively writing a new chapter in the advancement of women’s causes”.
Teng introduced the framework of the Second Macau Women’s Development Goals, the implementation of which will begin next year and run until 2032, during the two-hour meeting, pointing out that the plan was formulated with reference to internationally recognised issues concerning women’s development and also “The Outline for Women’s Development in China.”
She stressed that the development goals aim to continuously foster a better environment for the advancement of women.
Han said that the second development goals will focus on four key areas – physical and mental health development, family friendly policies, social participation, and gender equality. Hon said he hopes all sectors of civil society will continue to collaborate in advancing women’s development initiatives in Macau, striving to build a social environment that respects and supports the holistic development of women.
Hon mentioned that in 2018 the committee formulated its first “Macau Women’s Development Goals,” with the overarching objective of “Gender Equality and Holistic Development.”
Over the past seven years, according to Hon, through the active efforts of multiple entities of the local government, as well as the participation of civil society organisations and all sectors of the community, public awareness of gender equality has been widely enhanced.
Hon said that the proportion of women in Macau with higher education qualifications has continued to rise, robust healthcare safeguards have significantly improved women’s health outcomes, and equitable labour policies have fostered a fair and upwardly mobile employment environment for women.
These achievements fully demonstrate Macau’s solid progress in advancing women’s development and gender equality, Hon said.
According to official demographics, females accounted for 53.9 percent of Macau’s population of 685,900 at the end of the second quarter.
* The gender pay gap is the average difference in pay between men and women who are working. It is typically expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. For example, if women earn 85 cents for every US dollar a man earns, the gender pay gap is 15 percent. – DeepSeek
Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) President–cum–Women and Children Affairs Committee Vice President Wilson Hon Wai addresses yesterday’s meeting at the Macau Science Centre (MSC) in Nape. – Photo: Armindo Neves
