THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1982
12
TRUST FUND FOR SOCIETIES
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THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, TODAY RECEIVED A CHEQUE FOR $300 000 FROM THE ŽONTA CLUB OF THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR A TRUST FUND FOR YIN NGAI SOCIETIES - WOMEN'S ASSOCIATIONS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.
THE YIN NGAI SOCIETIES WERE FIRST FORMED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF DISTRICT OFFICES, ABOUT A YEAR AGO WITH THE OBJECT OF BRINGING FELLOWSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP, INTEREST AND SERVICE INTO THE LIVES OF WOMEN RESIDENTS IN NEW HOUSING ESTATES.
THEY HAVE EXPANDED TO THE URBAN AREAS SINCE THEN AND AT PRESENT THERE ARE EIGHT YIN NGAI SOCIETIES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.
THE WIFE OF THE GOVERNOR, LADY YOUDE, WILL OFFICIATE AT A JOINT INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF FIVE YIN NGAI SOCIETIES AT PAK TIN, OI MAN, ON TING AND YAU OI, TAI YUEN AND SHUI PIN WAI LATER THIS MONTH.
AT TODAY'S ZONTA CLUB LUNCH MEETING, MR AKERS-JONES TOUCHED ON THE BACKGROUND THAT LED TO THE FORMATION OF THESE SOCIETIES.
HE SAID HONG KONG HAD CHANGED DRAMATICALLY SINCE THE END OF THE WAR AND THE LIFE FOR WOMEN TODAY WAS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF YESTERDAY.
+GENERALLY SPEAKING IN HONG KONG TODAY WOMEN VIEW FREEDOM AND EQUALITY AS A FACT OF LIFE AND PART OF THE AIR THEY BREATHE.+
HE ATTRIBUTED THESE CHANGES TO THE SPREAD OF EDUCATION AND SAID IT WAS INTERESTING TO RELATE THIS TO THE RATIO OF MEN TO WOMEN IN THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION.
+ IN 1972 OUT OF 220 STAFF IN MY HEADQUARTERS OVER 26 PER CENT WERE WOMEN, NOW WITH 380 STAFF 55 PER CENT ARE WOMEN; 18 PER CENT OF GOVERNMENT DOCTORS ARE WOMEN THERE ARE 215 WOMEN SOLICITORS, FIVE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS: AND 35 DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS, HE SAID.
+SO FAR AS OCCUPATION AND EMPLOYMENT ARE CONCERNED THERE IS CLEARLY LESS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SEXES THAN THERE WAS 10 YEARS AGO.
+MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, THOUGH STILL IMPORTANT, ARE NOT THE SOLE REASON FOR THEIR BEING.
+HOWEVER, RECONCILING THIS CHANGED ATTITUDE TO THE NEED TO CARRY OUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A WIFE AND MOTHER UNDOUBTEDLY CAUSES OTHER STRESSES AND STRAINS,
MR AKERS-JONES POINTED OUT THAT IN THE CASE OF FAMILIES THAT COULD AFFORD DOMESTIC HELP THE PROBLEMS WERE AT LEAST PARTIALLY RESOLVED BUT, FOR MANY MOTHERS AND CHILDREN, CHILD CARE CENTRES WERE THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR THE WORKING WIFE.
+OTHERS DO NOT HAVE EVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY. THEY ARE AT HOME LOOKING AFTER YOUNG CHILDREN AND POSSIBLY AGEING PARENTS WITH NEVER-ENDING HOUSEHOLD CHORES AND THE STRESSES AND PROBLEMS OF HIGH-RISE, HIGH-DENSITY LIVING.
/+THERE ARE .