Even before that, we feel sure you must have noticed signs of frustration, anger even, felt by women at the omission in your policy statement. You see, we disagree with your advisers about how high on the political agenda this subject should be. We feel that it is an essential ingredient of the democracy for which you are working so hard. If women are left out of the democratic process, what sort of democracy is it?
Let us look at why you should have acted, and still can, on behalf of women - at their contemporary exclusion from not only the democratic process but also other aspects of our society. Those so unsolicitous of the advancement of women suggest that women don't need any help, they don't need a Women's Commission, or the extension of CEDAW (already ratified by Britain and China), or even equal pay in the private sector. They can, it is said, manage
perfectly well for themselves.
In a proposal further combining politics and business, you have set up a Business Council to advise you. Of its 18 members, not a single one is a woman. Either this is discrimination by you or there are no women in the top echelons of business life from where you have chosen your advisors. If there are not, why not?
Let us give you a similar example from the academic world. Recently, a seminar was held to add prestige to an academic institution by discussing the future of Hong Kong from a political, economic and environmental point of view. Members of the establishment not only attended, but several of its leaders took part in the opening ceremony; in addition, there were three panels of speakers. There was not a single woman on the platform, not even as a moderator.
Two members of our group who were there questioned an organiser. He replied that he had not even given any thought to the need for female representation. We suggested that, in this day and age, it should be an automatic reaction to ensure such representation, to be gender sensitive. What do you want? he asked
defensively, A token woman?'
'No, not a token, just the representation that several women could with merit have provided,
'I chose the best, was his answer. woman who could have done the job."
we replied.
'There wasn't a
That was difficult to accept, given the performance of at least one of the speakers who had been chosen. What is more we could have drawn up for him a list of women suitable to have taken part. The nice irony is that the only speaker from the floor to electrify the proceedings was a woman!
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