Women since 1991

1. The Changing Faces of Hong Kong Louisa Mitchell Michael E. DeGolyerCarine Lai Women since 1991

2. About the project • Look at quantitative historical data, past 20 years • Louisa Mitchell, social policy researcher • Prof. Michael DeGolyer, Hong Kong Transition Project, HKBU • Carine Lai, Civic Exchange

3. Methodology(1) A cohort analysis of women, 1991-2011, Louisa Mitchell • Census data, 1991-2011 • Academic & grey literature • Constructs profiles of typical women in different age groups – teens, 20s, 30s, 40s-50s, 60+ • Broad overview of demographics, family, housing, education, employment, earnings, crime, political participation • Highlights major changes in the socio-economic situation of women in their 60s compared to women in their 20s

4. Methodology (2) Women in the community and national context, 1994-2010, Michael DeGolyer • Hong Kong Transition Project survey data since 1994; reliable indicator of social trends • Conducts regression analyses to find correlations & trends • Looks at feelings & behaviours

5. Methodology (3) Graphic summary of women’s status, Carine Lai • Summarises main findings of the 2 reports • User-friendly visual presentation • Tool for engagement with NGOs and stakeholders

6. The Changing Faces of Hong Kong Louisa Mitchell A cohort analysis of women, 1991-2011

7. Summary of Selected Main Trends – A cohort analysis 60s: Under-skilled, under-resourced, and more likely to be living in poverty than any other age group 40s and 50s: 1970s compulsory education has improved women’s lives and earnings, but middle-aged men have still done better 30s: Prime child-bearing years, but Total Fertility Rate in 2011 was 1.2, far below replacement rate - a complex issue of opportunity costs, workplace practices and (lack of) value placed on domestic work. 20s: Despite advances, subject and career choices remain highly gendered and higher levels of education have not improved earnings. Teens: 12 years of free education and high expectations to perform. Falling arrests and drug abuse and low official teenage birth rates.

8. Selected Highlights – A cohort analysis The multiple deprivations of women ≥60 today 70% primary education or none 15% receiving CSSA for old age Life expectancy at 60 up to 88.4 years (83.1 for men) Median wage HK$6,800 (HK$10,000 for men) Only 8% officially in work force 16% ≥65 years living alone (highest % of any age group)

9. Selected Highlights – A cohort analysis Possible link between elder deprivation and crime? 204 arrests in 1991 1,286 arrests in 2011 Increase of 355% per capita Numbers small, but highest rate of increase of all age groups

10. Insights and recommendations • Current generation of elderly people: Urgent assistance needed • Next generation of elderly women: Better educated & more economically independent. Start research into their future needs now.

11. Selected Highlights – A cohort analysis Behind the fertility crisis: Younger women have achieved equality on the surface… Median inflation-adjusted earnings, aged 30-39 Excluding foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) women aged 30-39 earn almost as much as men

12. Selected Highlights – A cohort analysis But “women’s work” remains undervalued Outsourcing “women’s work” to foreign workers – little is known about them 19% of 30-39-year-old & 17% of 20-29-year-old women are FDHs Minimum wage HK$3,920/m

13. Selected Highlights – A cohort analysis And workplaces remain family-unfriendly Labour force participation still falls after marriage % of economically active women, aged 30-39 Mothers face large opportunity costs. Total fertility rate: 1.2 children per woman per lifetime

14. Insights and recommendations • FDHs are important to sharing household work, but families that cannot afford to hire one face tough choices • More affordable childcare options needed • Policy-makers must understand the many and varied constraints faced by different kinds of families in order to make HK more family-friendly

15. Selected highlights – A cohort analysis More education does not help the young Educational attainment, aged 20-29 Vast improvement in educational attainment…

16. Selected Highlights – A cohort analysis More education doesn’t help the young Median inflation-adjusted earnings, aged 20-29 But no improvement in earnings…

17. Insights and recommendations • Economic and educational policies should be re-evaluated to: • Make sure that young people are gaining the skills needed in today’s service-based economy; • Expand job opportunities; & • Share more broadly the benefits of economic growth.

18. The Changing Faces of Hong Kong Michael DeGolyer Women in the community and national context, 1994-2010

19. Main Findings – Women in the Community Mainland-born women starting to catch up educationally & professionally • Changes in immigration policy 2003-8 have shifted the immigrant profile • Mainland women are no longer coming just for family reunion. More professionals, managers, and students are arriving

20. Main Findings – Women in the community Mainland-born women starting to catch up educationally Educational attainment, HK and Mainland-born women Visible shift between last 2 time cohorts: HK-born with no education now at 51.5% of 1994-2000 level, ML-born at 40%

21. Main Findings – Women in the community Mainland-born women starting to catch up professionally Gender balance among HK and Mainland born managers and professionals

22. Insights and recommendations • Policy-makers must be careful in handling anti-Mainland popular sentiment, as people born on the Mainland residing in Hong Kong have an increasing potential to contribute to Hong Kong society

23. Main Findings – Women in the community Functional constituencies under-represent women

24. Main Findings – Women in the community Functional constituencies under-represent women Women participate less in professional associations, which form the electoral base of many FCs

25. Insights and recommendations • Functional constituencies reinforce gender bias in Hong Kong’s political structure • Reforming & the eventual elimination of FCs could contribute towards gender equality in Hong Kong • Women need to be encouraged to join and participate in professional associations

26. Main Findings – Women in the community ♂ ♀ Women are active in civil society, but through less formal avenues

27. Main Findings – Women in the community ♂ ♀ Women are active in civil society, but through less formal avenues

28. Insights and recommendations • Women are somewhat less active in Hong Kong’s formal power structures • BUT they are highly active in civil society & are capable of organizing rapidly around social and political issues • Policy-makers can benefit from engaging more with civil society groups outside its normal orbit

29. Main Findings – Women in the community Women consistently more concerned about social issues “Social issues” include education, crime, health care, overpopulation and especially pollution

30. Insights and recommendations • Women in Hong Kong’s formal political structure are under-represented. Policy-makers should be aware that the voices they hear come with an in-built gender bias • Under-rating the importance of issues that women care more about, e.g. education, health care, crime, & the environment, may occur

31. A call for better data • Evidence-based policy-making requires sound data analysis • Government should make census and general household survey data more easily accessible, especially pre-1997 historical data • Making anonymised 1% or 2% census samples available to researchers would enable very valuable statistical analysis to be performed • Government should address systemic problems in data collection to ensure the reliability and validity of future data