TNAG-0966-FCO40-1185-Legislation-for-employment-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 13

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37, Nolton Place Edgware

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10th October, 1980

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Mrs. M. Thatcher The Prime Minister

10, Downing Street London

Dear Mrs. Thatcher,

HICK 210/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

3 1 OCT 1980

DESK OFFICER

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REGISTRY Action Taket

yourself, acting as

As Hong Kong is a British Crown Colony, I would very much like to have the British Government's or yourself a world's leading female figure to support my request to the Hong Kong Government to start employing nurses on a part-time basis, so that mothers in Hong Kong can have a choice of either to work full time or part time.

women,

I would say we can start off with nurses first. There are no part time jobs existing in the Hong Kong Government for

but at the same time, there is also a shortage of nurses in Hong Kong. In order to alleviate the shortage of nurses, and to provide an opportunity for trained nurses to work part-time, so that they can at the same time look after their families. I suggest that the Hong Kong Government should start employing part-time nurses.

The above proposal compared with the other affairs handled by you may be very minor, but to the women in Hong Kong, this issue I suggest is of extreme importance.

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Most women in Hong Kong do not realise that the earliest years of a child are the most formative and during these years, the most necessary part of a child's environment is his mother's love. A child starting from his infantry requires a steady, loving person taking care of him. By nature, the mother is the best one to give him the feeling of belonging, safely and securely. It is not the job of a grandmother* It is the duty of a mother to give her child encouragement, self-assurance, to discover and develop his talents, and to build up a nice personality. These will add to his assets when he is a man. Women in Hong Kong do not understand that all these are vital to a child as part of growing up. Is that extra money or job satisfaction that mothers receive from their full time employment far more important that children growing up neglected and maladjusted? On the other hand, I do not suggest that a mother should be stuck with her child for twenty four hours everyday. A mother should need an outlet to freshen her up physically and mentally, a part-time job is helpful, and will fit in very well for the mothers. A mother can then keep-up with the outside world. There will not be any boredom if a mother can well dispose of her time.

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