Speech by CE at International Women’s Day Reception 2025

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the International Women's Day Reception 2025 today (March 8):

劉光�副主任（中央人民政府�香港特別行政��絡辦公室副主任）�潘雲�副特派員（外交部�香港特別行政�特派員公署副特派員）�王志學副主任（中國人民解放��香港部隊政治工作部副主任）��志祥副局長（中央人民政府�香港特別行政�維護國家安全公署�絡局副局長）���彥主席（立法會主席）�葉劉淑儀�集人（行政會議�官守議員�集人）���嘉賓���朋�：
 
     å¤§å®¶å¥½ï¼�我很高興今日出席由特å�€æ”¿åºœå’Œå©¦å¥³äº‹å‹™å§”員會舉辦的酒會，與大家一å�Œæ…¶ç¥�國際婦女節。

     ä»Šæ—¥çš„酒會群芳薈è�ƒï¼Œé›†å�ˆå�„界別的女性精英。《詩經》有å�¥å��å�¥æ˜¯ã€Œçªˆçª•æ·‘女，å�›å­�好逑ã€�，今日應該講是「英姿巾幗，香江好逑ã€�ï¼�婦女是香港發展的é‡�è¦�力é‡�，我在此å�‘全港女士致敬，ç¥�大家婦女節快樂ï¼�
      
     ä»Šå¹´æ˜¯è�¯å�ˆåœ‹ç¬¬å››æ¬¡ä¸–界婦女大會在北京å�¬é–‹30周年。一ä¹�ä¹�五年，來自全ç�ƒ189個國家和地å�€çš„代表齊è�šåŒ—京，共å�Œé€šé�Žäº†å…·æœ‰é‡Œç¨‹ç¢‘æ„�義的《北京宣言》和《行動綱領》，在教育ã€�經濟ã€�貧窮ã€�防止暴力等12個é‡�è¦�領域æ��出行動目標，切實æ��高婦女地ä½�和實ç�¾æ€§åˆ¥å¹³ç­‰ã€‚這次大會在當時是è�¯å�ˆåœ‹å�²ä¸Šè¦�模最大ã€�人數最多的盛會，將國際社會的性別平等事業帶上新å�°éšŽã€‚

     30載春雨潤澤，全ç�ƒå�„地在婦女權益ä¿�éšœã€�性別平等方é�¢å�–得顯著進展。國家作為《北京宣言》和《行動綱領》的堅定支æŒ�者和實è¸�者，始終將婦女事業放在國家發展的é‡�è¦�ä½�置，堅æŒ�男女平等基本國策，推動女性全é�¢ç™¼å±•ã€‚今個星期åˆ�，第å��四屆全國人民代表大會第三次會議在北京å‹�利開幕，會上æ�Žå¼·ç¸½ç�†ä½œå‡ºæ”¿åºœå·¥ä½œå ±å‘Šï¼Œäº¦æŒ‡å‡ºè¦�ä¿�障婦女ã€�兒童等的å�ˆæ³•æ¬Šç›Šã€‚

     é¦™æ¸¯æ˜¯åœ‹éš›å¤§éƒ½æœƒï¼Œä¸�論男女都有平等的發展機會。女性佔香港的人å�£ç™¾åˆ†ä¹‹äº”å��四，是大多數。她們多年來ä¸�å�ªæ“”當家庭的支柱，更是社會進步的é‡�è¦�推動者，在å�„個領域都展ç�¾çŸšç›®çš„風采。
      
     æˆ‘的管治團隊中有七ä½�女局長，佔15ä½�局長近å�Šæ•¸ï¼Œæ¯”例是歷屆å•�責ç�­å­�之中最高。女性文è�·å…¬å‹™å“¡çš„比例已é�”百分之四å��ä¹�，而政府公務員級別最高的常任秘書長當中，更有六æˆ�是女士，所以我很感è¬�女性公務員。香港在「政府效率ã€�排å��中多年來ä½�列全ç�ƒä¸‰ç”²ï¼Œå¥³æ€§å…¬å‹™äººå“¡çµ•å°�功ä¸�å�¯æ²’。

     åœ¨ç§�人市場，ç�¾æ™‚有五æˆ�的專業人員由女性擔任，更有超é�Žä¸€å�Šçš„執業律師和註冊會計師為女性，亦有近四æˆ�的經ç�†ç´šåˆ¥æ˜¯å¥³æ€§ã€‚女性多年來為香港的ç¹�榮貢ç�»ï¼Œæˆ‘們é�žå¸¸æ„Ÿè¬�這股「巾幗力é‡�ã€�，請大家以最熱烈的掌è�²ï¼Œæ„Ÿè¬�廣大女性的勤勞和付出。為女性鼓掌ï¼�

     ç‰¹å�€æ”¿åºœé‡�視婦女權益和ç¦�祉。ç�¾å±†æ”¿åºœåœ¨äºŒâ—‹äºŒä¸‰å¹´æˆ�立「婦女自強基金ã€�，å�ˆåœ¨åŽ»å¹´èµ·èˆ‰è¾¦å®¶åº­æš¨å©¦å¥³ç™¼å±•é«˜å³°æœƒã€�推出一站å¼�家庭å�Šå©¦å¥³è³‡è¨Šå¹³å�°ï¼Œä¸¦å°‡åœ¨ä»Šå¹´ä¸Šå�Šå¹´æŽ¨è¡Œã€Œã€Žå�‹ã€�妳啟導ã€�å�‹å¸«è¨ˆåŠƒï¼Œå½°é¡¯æˆ‘們å°�支æŒ�婦女發展的決心和承諾。

     è—‰ç�€ä¸‰å…«å©¦å¥³ç¯€ï¼Œæˆ‘以三種花朵，å�‘香港女性é€�上美好ç¥�願。

     ç¬¬ä¸€ï¼Œç¥�願你們如紫è�ŠèŠ¬èŠ³ï¼Œå¼˜æ�šå®¶åº­ç¾Žå¾·ã€‚å�„ä½�在家庭中擔當æ¯�親ã€�妻å­�ã€�女兒等角色，發æ�®ç�¨ç‰¹ä½œç”¨ã€‚我相信你們會繼續以言傳身教培育下一代，以溫暖和愛心構建和諧家庭，讓良好的家教家風æˆ�為社會進步的基石。

     ç¬¬äºŒï¼Œç¥�願你們如木棉挺拔，在崗ä½�上勇闖高峰。香港正處於經濟轉型期，å�„è¡Œå�„業都è¦�識變求變，開闢新發展領域。女性是推動社會進步的é‡�è¦�引擎，希望大家繼續以自強ä¸�æ�¯çš„堅韌精神，變é�©å‰µæ–°ï¼Œç‚ºåœ‹å®¶å’Œé¦™æ¸¯çš„高質é‡�發展作出貢ç�»ã€‚

     ç¬¬ä¸‰ï¼Œç¥�願你們如åƒ�紅梅傲雪，說好香港故事。女性剛柔並é‡�，能以ç�¨ç‰¹çš„智慧和魅力，ç©�極貢ç�»ç¤¾æœƒäº‹å‹™ã€‚我鼓勵你們繼續發æ�®å»£é—Šçš„人際網絡，善用香港內è�¯å¤–通的特質，在國際舞å�°ä¸Šè®“世界è�½è¦‹é¦™æ¸¯å¥³æ€§çš„è�²éŸ³ã€‚

     ä¿ƒé€²å©¦å¥³ç™¼å±•çš„工作任é‡�é�“é� ã€‚政府與婦女事務委員會繼續全力å�ˆä½œï¼ŒæŽ¨å‹•å©¦å¥³ç™¼å±•ï¼Œæ›¸å¯«å©¦å¥³ç™¼å±•çš„新篇章。

     æœ€å¾Œï¼Œæˆ‘å†�次ç¥�ç¦�廣大婦女國際婦女節快樂，ç¥�你們身體å�¥åº·ï¼Œå®¶åº­å¹¸ç¦�ï¼�
      
     ç�¾åœ¨æˆ‘用英語å�‘說英語的朋å�‹é€�上ç¥�ç¦�。
      
     Now, I would like to turn to our English-speaking friends.

     Today, as we celebrate International Women's Day, we also mark the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Adopted at the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, in 1995, this milestone document became the key global policy agenda on gender equality.

     It's been a remarkable 30 years since then, in human development, in economic progress and, most importantly, in promoting women's development.

     Today, Hong Kong is home to some 4.1 million female – that's over 54 per cent of our population. Seven of my 15 Directors of Bureau are women – that's almost half of them – and a whopping 60 per cent of our top civil servants are female. Over half of Hong Kong's accountants and lawyers are female, while some 40 per cent of our managers are women.

     Yes, women are the backbone of our society – they include leaders, innovators, caregivers, change-makers, and more. From boardrooms to classrooms, from workspaces to marketplaces, the women of Hong Kong continue to break barriers and inspire future generations. Your resilience fuels our progress. Your vision shapes our future. And your leadership drives our success.

     The Government is dedicated to promoting gender equality, and empowering women in every facet of life. Since taking office, I have established the Women Empowerment Fund in 2023, turning ideas into action, and aspirations into achievements.

     The Government launched the first Family and Women Development Summit last year, igniting discussions that will shape policies for the years to come. We created a one-stop family and women information portal, ensuring easy access to essential resources.

     This year, we are proud to introduce "She Inspires" – a mentorship programme led by female leaders, designed to nurture the next generation of female trailblazers and pioneers.

     But that's not the half of it. When women rise, society thrives. Together with the Women's Commission, we will foster an inclusive, opportunity-filled Hong Kong, where every woman, every girl can dream big, aim high, and realise her full potential.

     I wish you all a joyous, inspiring and empowering International Women's Day. Keep rising. Continue to make history. Thank you!