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WOMEN CAN PLAY ROLE IN BETTER SOCIETY
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WOMEN MUST ACQUAINT THEMSELVES WITH SERVICES AVAILABLE IN THEIR OWN DISTRICT SO THAT THEY CAN DEPLOY THESE RESOURCES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR FAMILI, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MAS ANSON CHAN, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF YIN NGAI SOCIETIES IN TUEN MUN DISTRICT, SHE SAID WOMEN COULD ALSO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBOURS THROUGH COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS. ACHIEVE MUTUAL AID.
THERE HAD BEEN INCIDENTS OF CHILDREN FALLING FROM HEIGHTS OR BECOMING INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS WHILE BEING LEFT ALONE AT HOME BY THEIR PARENTS WHO HAD TO GO OUT OR TO WORK.
MRS CHAN POINTED OUT THAT PARENTS SHOULD PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE SAFETY OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND AT NO TIME SHOULD THEY ALLOW CHILDREN TO STAY AT HOME UNATTENDED.
TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS, APPROPRIATE PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS SUCH AS SEEKING THE ASSISTANCE OF NEIGHBOURS COULD BE MADE WHEN PARENTS HAD TO LEAVE HOME FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME.
+UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF YIN NGAI SOCIETIES, INDIVIDUAL HOUSING ESTATES CAN SET UP MUTUAL HELP PROJECTS IN WHICH WOMEN CAN TAKE TURNS TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER'S CHILDREN SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE SOME SPARE TIME TO DEAL WITH PERSONAL AFFAIRS.
+THIS TYPE OF MUTUAL HELP PROJECTS WILL CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS AND AT THE SAME TIME ALLEVIATE TEMPORARILY THE PRESSURE OF LONG-TERM CHILD MINDING,+ MRS CHAN SAID.
SHE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE YIN NGAI SOCIETIES COULD SET UP HOME VISIT TEAMS TO CALL ON WOMEN IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE.
BUT IF THE PROBLEMS FACED BY THESE WOMEN WERE TOO COMPLEX, THE SOCIETIES COULD REFER THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE ORGANISATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLING.
ON SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY, MRS CHAN SUGGESTED YIN NGAI SOCIETIES COULD VISIT THE AGED LIVING BY THEMSELVES OR IN SHARED FLATS, AND OFFER SERVICES SUCH AS SHOPPING AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO JOIN SOCIAL CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY.
AT PRESENT THERE WERE FOUR YIN NGAI SOCIETIES IN TUEN MUN DISTRICT WITH MEMBERSHIP OF MORE THAN 700.
YIN NGAI SOCIETIES WERE STARTED IN 1981 IN NEW TOWNS TO ENABLE HOUSEWIVES TO DEVELOP THEIR PERSONAL POTENTIAL AND
SELF-CONFIDENCE.
ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY THE SOCIETIES INCLUDED SEMINARS ON HEALTH AND INTEREST, CAMPING AND PICNICS.
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