Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki and Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak officiated at the kick-off ceremony of the first cohort of the "She Inspires" Mentorship Programme today.

Launched by the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, the programme matches female university students with female leaders as their mentors in the professional and business sectors, offering the students training and activities to enhance their skills, build confidence and network to thrive in their future career.

For the first cohort of the scheme, over 50 women leaders participated as mentors, and more than 250 applications from students were received, with more than 80 of them selected as mentees.

Noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women, Mr Chan said the two milestone documents have laid the foundation for the advancement of women's causes globally.

Hong Kong as the international gateway for the country has consistently taken concrete action to promote women's development. The programme’s launch represented a significant step forward in this endeavour, he added.

Giving encouragement to the programme mentees, the Chief Secretary said: "I hope all of you will not only possess professional expertise, but also resilience and a heart that cares for our country and gives back to society.

“Today, you benefit from the selfless guidance of your mentors. I hope that when you become leaders in the future, you will also be beacons for the next generation, your juniors, passing on the power of women."