Chief Executive John Lee and his wife Janet Lee today officiated at a reception to celebrate International Women's Day 2023 hosted by the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau and the Women's Commission.

Speaking at the reception, Mr Lee said that women play a leading role in all walks of life in Hong Kong and have made significant contributions to social development.

He noted that among the 26 principal officials of the current-term Government, six of them are women, accounting for nearly a quarter of the team, which is the highest among all previous terms of Government.

Among the 18 permanent secretaries, which are the highest echelons of the civil service, more than 60% of them are females. Women now account for 36% of the non-official members of government-appointed advisory and statutory bodies, which is 10% higher than 20 years ago.

The Chief Executive highlighted that the Government has all along been committed to promoting women's development and providing them with support.

“To this end, I announced in my Policy Address that we will set up a Women Empowerment Fund to support women in balancing job and family commitments.

“The Government has also decided to set aside $100 million in this year's Budget to promote women's development further.”

Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak said at the reception that the bureau will set up the Women Empowerment Fund this year, adding that it will continue to work with members of the community, making ways for Hong Kong women to unleash their full potential in different roles of the community and live a happy life.

The reception was attended by commission members and representatives from women's groups, non-governmental organisations and the business sector.