WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1983
42
CONSULTATIVE PROCESS NEEDS MORE WOMEN
*****
GREATER PARTICIPATION BY WOMEN IN HONG KONG'S CONSULTATIVE PROCESS WAS TODAY URGED BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN AND WAN CHAI, MR TONY COOPER.
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ZONTA CLUB OF HONG KONG, HE NOTED THAT HONG KONG, LIKE ALL MODERN SOCIETIES, APPRECIATED THAT WOMEN HAD AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ROLE BEYOND THEIR TRADITIONAL FUNCTION IN SOCIETY,
BESIDES SUCH FORUMS AS THE URBAN COUNCIL AND DISTRICT BOARDS, MR COOPER SAID HIS TWO DISTRICTS HAD A BROAD SPECTRUM OF CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES AND ASSOCIATIONS FOR WOMEN TO FULFILL THIS ROLE, AND THE GOVERNMENT WISHED TO ENCOURAGE THIS.
+THEY PROVIDE WOMEN A WIDE VARIETY OF PLATFORMS ON WHICH TO PURSUE THE IR INTEREST IN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS, AND THERE ARE CERTAINLY MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION, + HE SAID.
AND THE FORTHCOMING URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS ON MARCH 8 WHICH IS ALSO THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY WOULD GIVE LOCAL WOMEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY WERE PLAYING A MORE PROMINENT ROLE IN SOCIETY, HE ADDED,
MR COOPER CONTINUED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE TWO DISTRICTS WAS VERY INTERESTING AND VERY DEMANDING.
+THIS IS WHERE THE URBAN COUNCIL, DISTRICT BOARDS AND DISTRICT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES BECOME IMPORTANT, HE SAID.
+THEIR VITAL ROLE IS TO HELP GOVERNMENT MONITOR THIS CHANGE, ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON, THAT THEIR PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THESE CHANGES ARE LISTENED TO AND SWIFTLY ACTED ON, AND THAT THE VIEWS OF DISTRICT RESIDENTS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE OVERALL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTRICT.
+AN ADDITIONAL, AND VERY IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE, IS TO CREATE A SENSE OF DISTRICT IDENTITY. IT SEEMS TO ME ONLY RIGHT THAT WOMEN SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN ALL THIS AND THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES WHERE THESE OBJECTIVES ARE TACKLED ARE, I FEEL, A GOOD FORUM.+
IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN AND WAN CHAI, THERE ARE 13 AREA COMMITTEES, OVER 400 MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND OWNERS' CORPORATIONS, A YIN NGAI SOCIETY AND A NUMBER OF CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, WOMEN COMMITTEES AND ASSOCIATIONS.
/MR COOPER