The Women Empowerment Fund is open for the second round of applications this year starting from today (October 30) until November 30. The Fund subsidises projects that empower women, support women in balancing their career and family commitments, raise awareness of women's physical and mental health, and unleash their potential.
Set up in June 2023, the Fund aims to empower women from different age groups, occupations and backgrounds to unlock their full potential in their respective roles, thus advancing women's development in Hong Kong. From this year onward, the annual allocation for the Fund has been increased to $30 million to strengthen support initiatives for women.
The Fund is divided into general and thematic projects. The funding cap of each one-year and two-year general project is $400,000 and $800,000 respectively. The three current thematic projects under the Fund include the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Exchange Programme, the Programme on Women's Participation in Community Services and the Programme on Women's Career Development.
The exchange programme will enable women to broaden their horizons, deepen their understanding of national affairs, and interact with local residents, thereby promoting women's development. Each exchange project shall be completed within one year and the funding cap is $120,000. The community services programme aims to encourage women to make use of their own strengths to plan and launch community service projects, thereby promoting care and inclusion. Each community services project shall be completed within one year and the funding cap is $400,000.
The newly launched Programme on Women's Career Development this year focuses on providing employment-related support to women and empowering them to re-enter the workforce, make a career transition, and start their own careers. The funding cap of each one-year and two-year career development project is $500,000 and $1,000,000 respectively.
The Fund accepts two rounds of applications each year. The Guide to Application and the application form have been uploaded to the Fund's website (www.wef.gov.hk). Interested eligible women's groups and non-governmental organisations may submit an electronic or paper application.