SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1981
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SOCIETY FOR NEW TERRITORIES WOMEN INAUGURATED
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A SOCIETY TO HELP EQUIP NEW TERRITORIES WOMEN FOR A BETTER MODERN LIFE WAS INAUGURATED TODAY (SATURDAY).
IT IS THE YIN NGAI SOCIETY WHICH A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP, DR MARGARET NG, AID HAD TO BE TRACED TO A VAGUE IDEA+
IN THE MIND OF THE SECRETARY FOR CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, DAVID AKERS-JONES, 18 MONTHS AGO.
TR NG SAID MR AKERS-JONES CONCEIVED THE IDEA THAT SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO MAKE MORE TOLERABLE THE LIFE OF WOMEN IN THE GROWING NEW TOWNS.
+IN MOVING TO THE NEW TOWNS MANY OF THESE WOMEN ARE SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT, FROM THE SUPPORT OF THE OLDER GENERATION, LONG-STANDING NEIGHBOURS AND FRIENDS,+ SHE SAID.
+MANY OF THEM ARE SOCIALLY ISOLATED, AND FEEL THE HELPLESSNESS OF THE IR ISOLATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE TO SPEND THE GREATER PART OF THE DAY LOOKING AFTER SMALL CHILDREN WHEN THEIR HUSBANDS GO TO WORK.→
MR AKERS-JONES WONDERED WHETHER IT WOULD HELP THEM TO HAVE A KIND OF WOMEN'S SOCIETY ON THE BASIS OF MEMBERS HELFING EACH OTHER, BUT INDEPENDENT AS A SOCIETY.
HE CALLED TOGETHER A GROUP OF OUTSIDERS TO SCRUTINISE THIS IDEA CRITICALLY, TO SEE IF IT WOULD PASS THE ORDEAL OF FIRE.
THIS INFORMAL WORKING PARTY CONSISTED OF WOMEN FROM VARIOUS BACKGROUNDS WHO CONCLUDED THAT A NEW WOMEN'S SOCIETY WOULD CERTAINLY BE WORTHWHILE, AND IN FACT WAS IN URGENT NEED, ESPECIALLY IN THE NEW TOWNS, BUT COULD SE USEFULLY EXTENDED TO THE OLD CITY DISTRICTS.
DR NG SAID THE INFORMAL GROUP IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR PRACTICAL HELP AND BROADENING SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
SHE SAID THE NAME +YIN NGAI+ WAS GIVEN TO THE NEW SOCIETY AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF THOUGHT.
+YIN MEANS +GOOD+ AND IS THE TRADITIONAL CHINESE EPITAPH FOR THE IDEAL WIFE AND MOTHER THE GOOD INFLUENCE, THE KIND OF HEART,+ DR NG SAID.
+BUT WE FEEL 'YIN' DOES NOT ADEQUATELY DEPICT THE IDEAL OF CHINESE WOMAN WHO IS ALSO DISTINGUISHED FOR HER STRENGTH, HER DETERMINATION, HER ABILITY TO HOLD TOGETHER HER FAMILY, TO PERSEVERE IN HER DUTIES THROUGH THICK AND THIN A QUALITY CAPTURED IN THE WORD 'NGAI'.+
BOTH 'YIN' AND 'NGAI' WERE TRADITIONAL CHINESE VIRTUES- YET THE SUCCESSFUL MODERN WOMAN MUST BE BETTER THAN HER TRADITIONAL COUNTERPART.
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