Policy Address
Women Affairs
127. The current-term Government has implemented a number of measures to promote women’s development. These measures include extending statutory maternity leave to 14 weeks, strengthening child care services, providing more babycare rooms in government premises, and amending legislation to make discrimination against and harassment of breastfeeding illegal. I am also pleased to see that our efforts in promoting women’s participation in public affairs in my term of office are gradually bearing fruit. The percentage of female members in advisory and statutory bodies (ASBs) has reached 35% in June this year, meeting the target set in earlier years.
Strengthening Support for Ethnic Minorities
128. The Government places great emphasis on creating an equitable and caring society for our culturally diverse groups. The current-term Government has implemented around 30 measures to enhance support for ethnic minorities, covering the areas of education, employment support, healthcare, social welfare and social inclusion. As a next step, the Government will set an example by taking the lead in providing ethnic minorities with more employment opportunities.
Labour Welfare
129. The current-term Government has made all-out efforts to respond to the long-standing demands of the labour sector. We have extended statutory maternity leave to 14 weeks, with the Government subsidising the additional four weeks of maternity leave pay. From next year onwards, we will also increase progressively the number of statutory holidays to 17 days to bring them on par with general holidays. We have acted resolutely to abolish the “offsetting” arrangement under the MPF system and are going to introduce the relevant bill into the LegCo in the next legislative year. We also attach great importance to occupational safety and health. We are preparing to raise the relevant penalties through legislative amendment. Moreover, we will launch a Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work next year to help injured employees recover and return to work early.
