Financial Secretary Mr. Paul Chan delivered the 2025/26 Budget on February 27, 2025. In light of Hong Kong recording a fiscal deficit exceeding HK$100 billion for three consecutive years, the government plans to reduce recurrent expenditure by 7% by 2027/28 to ensure the sustainability of public finances. At the same time, significant efforts are being made to boost innovation and technology development, aiming to seize emerging opportunities in the sector.
We hope that as the government undertakes fiscal consolidation and explores new development directions, it will also adopt a more inclusive approach—considering the needs of women and integrating gender mainstreaming into policymaking and public expenditure. Ensuring equitable access to resources across all genders is crucial, particularly in areas such as women’s participation in innovation and technology, social support, and employment opportunities. A gender-balanced resource allocation is essential to prevent disparities that may further reinforce gender inequality.
Seizing Innovation and Technology Opportunities While Ensuring Women's Digital Inclusion
In recent years, the Hong Kong government has repeatedly emphasized the need to invest in the future and seize opportunities arising from rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and technological innovation. This includes setting aside HK$1 billion to establish the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute, aimed at promoting AI-related technology transfer and application.
As innovation and AI become global development trends, Hong Kong's strategy must not operate in isolation but should instead leverage its unique strengths and actively connect with international markets. However, while expanding the I&T sector, the government must also ensure that women are not left behind. Failing to do so limits the overall potential for innovation in society.
Traditionally, the I&T industry has been male-dominated, and many governments and institutions worldwide are now paying close attention to gender equality in technology. Internationally, organizations such as UNESCO and the 30th Anniversary Review of the Beijing Platform for Action have underscored the importance of women's participation in STEM fields and the need to bridge the gender digital divide to foster a more inclusive and diverse technological future.
According to Hong Kong Women's Statistics, in the 2020/21 academic year, only 28.9% of students in engineering and technology-related disciplines were women. Additionally, government statistics indicate that women accounted for only 30.7% of the workforce in the information and communications sector, reflecting a persistent gender imbalance in the technology field. This disparity stems from multiple factors, including gender roles, education levels, and knowledge accessibility. Such barriers not only limit women's career opportunities but also risk further marginalizing them in an AI-driven economic transformation. Therefore, while embracing technological advancements, it is equally crucial to ensure that women have equal opportunities to participate and thrive in the I&T sector, ultimately fostering a more gender-balanced innovation ecosystem.
To empower women in technology, we propose to leverage the "Women Empowerment Fund" to provide technology training programs, including coding and data analytics courses, from basic to advanced levels, to enhance women's tech skills and encourage them to enter the tech industry; strengthen STEM education support for women of all ages, offering scholarships and internships to increase their participation in I&T careers; ensure Hong Kong's I&T development aligns with global gender equality standards, integrating gender inclusivity while driving innovation and technological progress. By addressing these gender disparities, Hong Kong can embrace technological transformation while ensuring equal opportunities for all, fostering an inclusive and forward-thinking innovation landscape.
Harnessing Women's Capabilities to Boost Local Economic Growth
The 2025-26 Budget has allocated over HK$1.23 billion to the Hong Kong Tourism Board and introduced the "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong" concept under the "Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0". As one of Hong Kong's four pillar industries, tourism has long upheld the city's reputation as a "shopping paradise." However, post-pandemic travelers no longer prioritize shopping alone; they seek authentic cultural experiences. The government's push for "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong" is a positive step toward diversifying the tourism industry, allowing visitors to explore the unique cultural and historical richness of different districts beyond retail experiences.
Beyond "Panda Economy" and "Nezha Economy," the government should tap into the wisdom of women who have lived in and shaped their communities for years. Women are not just community participants—they are custodians of local history, traditions, and cultural heritage. By empowering them to design and lead community-based tours, Hong Kong can showcase authentic district-specific experiences, aligning with the "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong" vision and unlocking new economic opportunities in tourism.
Beyond tourism, women's entrepreneurship plays a critical role in driving economic development. The government can integrate female-led businesses into harborfront development projects by organizing local markets to attract foot traffic. Additionally, by leveraging e-commerce platforms, the visibility of women-led brands can be enhanced, facilitating the growth of micro-businesses.
A key barrier to women's entrepreneurship is the lack of sales channels. Yet, entrepreneurship provides an ideal economic participation model for women, particularly those balancing caregiving responsibilities. According to our Survery of Carers' Employment Situation and Friendly Employment 2023, 73% of female carers stated that inflexible work hours prevent them from returning to the workforce. This highlights the constant struggle between family duties and career aspirations.
To bridge this gap, the government should establish local markets and e-commerce platforms to provide women entrepreneurs with more opportunities to sell their products; promote flexible work options to help women balance family responsibilities while pursuing entrepreneurship; encourage the creation of local women-led brands, enhancing economic participation and fostering greater financial independence for women.
Community-based tourism and women-led businesses represent only a fraction of women's untapped potential. As Hong Kong pushes for economic growth, it must actively incorporate women's capabilities into its development strategies. By providing equal opportunities, women can thrive, contributing innovation, creativity, and economic dynamism to both society and the economy.
Carer Support Cannot Be Overlooked – Urgent Need for Long-Term Planning
In recent years, public awareness of carer issues has grown, prompting the government to introduce initiatives such as the "Designated Hotline for Carer Support" and "Information Gateway for Carers." However, according to a survey conducted by the Care for Carers, nearly 50% of respondents believe that existing government support remains insufficient. Despite this, the latest Budget lacks concrete measures to enhance carer support or implement long-term plans to alleviate their burdens.
Traditional gender roles have long placed caregiving responsibilities primarily on women. According to the 2021 Hong Kong Census, 92.7% of household carers and 86.5% of unpaid carers are women. This reflects women's dominant role in family caregiving and the immense pressure they face.
Although the Designated Hotline for Carer Support was launched in 2023, it only serves carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities, excluding childcarers. A 2023 survey by the Care for Carers found that childcarers spend an average of 11.8 hours per day on caregiving duties, a burden as heavy as carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities.
The hotline was initially designed with 30 professional staff handling over 300,000 calls per year. However, between September 2023 and December 2024, the hotline received only 62,000 calls, suggesting that it has the capacity to expand its coverage. We recommendate to expand hotline services to include childcarers and high-risk female carers, and enhance staff training to provide tailored support for different carer groups.
While the Carer Allowance was regularized in October 2023, its focus remains poverty alleviation rather than recognizing carers' contributions. The strict eligibility criteria—which require care recipients to be on a service waiting list and receive an invitation from the Social Welfare Department (SWD)—exclude many deserving carers. Many elderly individuals prefer aging at home and avoid formal assessments due to cultural beliefs, preventing their caregivers from accessing financial support. The low approval rates of the Carer Allowance further highlight the issue. The approval rates in 2023-24 was 9.3% for carers of elderly persons (37,634 invitations, only 3,489 approvals) and 19% for carers of persons with disabilities (15,254 invitations, only 2,896 approvals). We recommendate to review application criteria to assess carers' actual caregiving needs; decouple the allowance from service waitlists, allowing more caregivers to benefit; consider phased relaxation of eligibility requirements, ensuring fairer distribution of support.
Caregiving is a complex and pressing issue. We urge the government to engage district-level organizations and carer advocacy groups for policy insights; optimize limited resources for maximum social impact; recognize women's unpaid caregiving contributions through community education and stronger social support systems. By addressing these gaps, Hong Kong can foster a more inclusive, sustainable, and gender-responsive caregiving system.
Streamlining Divorce Procedures & Supporting Single Mothers to Boost Workforce Participation
The 2025 Budget prioritizes fiscal prudence, yet supporting divorced and single women is essential and does not require extensive resources.
Hong Kong's divorce procedures are complicated and lengthy, involving family law litigation that disproportionately affects women with lower financial capacity. The 2022 Further Study on the Phenomenon of Divorce in Hong Kong by the Family Council found that divorce cases can be delayed for up to two years due to legal complexities, increasing the emotional and financial stress on women. In 2023, the Legal Aid Department set up a special task force to fast-track emergency applications for domestic violence cases, introducing new guidelines in July 2023 to support victims and shorten approval times. Furthermore, the Family Procedure Bill, submitted to LegCo in March 2023, aims to streamline family litigation processes and improve cost-effectiveness. We recommendate to accelerate the approval of the Family Procedure Bill to reduce prolonged litigation and minimize financial hardships for women; enhance legal aid access for economically disadvantaged women facing divorce; lower judicial costs by simplifying legal procedures.
With Hong Kong's labor shortages, single mothers—if properly supported—could fill workforce gaps. The lack of childcare services remains a key employment barrier for women. A proportionate increase in childcare services based on child population would enable women to work and improve their financial independence. Gendered family roles often put women at an economic disadvantage in marriage, leaving them dependent on alimony post-divorce. For single mothers, the financial burden is even heavier, making employment access crucial—especially during economic downturns. We recommendate to expand affordable childcare services to enable single mothers to re-enter the workforce, and ensure stable employment for single mothers to prevent labor shortages from worsening economic decline.
Enhancing Protection for Abused Women & Children
The government has allocated HK$160 million to expand emergency shelters for abused children and enhance professional support for victims and families, including the implementation of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance. We recommendate to extend training for social workers, teachers, and healthcare professionals to improve child abuse detection and response; expand protection programs to include abused women, ensuring comprehensive shelter, counseling, legal aid, and job training; increase shelter capacity for women and children escaping domestic violence.
The rise of AI has amplified digital threats against women—including cyberstalking, digital harassment, and deepfake exploitation. These new forms of online abuse have serious real-world consequences, requiring urgent policy intervention. We recommendate to strengthen legislation to combat deepfake exploitation and online harassment; enhance cybersecurity enforcement to protect women from digital abuse; educate the public on technology-driven gender-based violence and empower women with digital safety tools. By addressing these critical issues, the government can safeguard women's rights, support their economic independence, and build a more inclusive society.
Conclusion
Amid fiscal pressures and economic transformation, women should not be overlooked but rather recognized as a vital force in driving social and economic development. The government must ensure that women's development opportunities remain unhindered, continuously investing in their growth and empowerment. This will enable them to seize new economic opportunities, enhance their competitiveness, and alleviate the structural burdens imposed by traditional gender roles. Only by upholding gender equality principles in fiscal adjustments can society achieve true inclusivity and sustainable development.