1 / 17

March 7, 2007

March 7, 2007. There is now overwhelming evidence that women’s [and girls’] empowerment and economic development has the most far reaching effect in improving the lives of all…men, women and children. -- Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate and Economist. The Women’s Foundation. MISSION.

erling
Download Presentation

March 7, 2007

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. March 7, 2007 There is now overwhelming evidence that women’s [and girls’] empowerment and economic development has the most far reaching effect in improving the lives of all…men, women and children. -- Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate and Economist

  2. The Women’s Foundation MISSION • To promote the full participation of women and girls in all aspects of Hong Kong society through research, education and public awareness • The Women’s Foundation will collaborate with Hong Kong stakeholders to develop programs that promote economic self reliance for women and girls in Hong Kong.

  3. The Women’s Foundation THREE AREAS OF FOCUS We promote economic self reliance of women and girls in Hong Kong • Increasing the number of women in leadership and decision making positions, • Helping girls position themselves for future success, and • Breaking the cycle of poverty for women W O M E N A N D G I R L S I N H O N G K O N G 2 0 0 6

  4. According to recent Census data Women in Hong Kong actually have higher levels of education, but…

  5. According to recent Census data Women have much lower income than men in Hong Kong

  6. According to recent Census data Women in Hong Kong are paid less for doing the same jobs

  7. According to recent Census data Women have much lower labor force participation (52.4%) rate than men (69.2%). HK has one of the lowest female labor participation rates in Asia.

  8. What our research shows What our research found Female poverty is increasing • 77% of workers who earn less than $5000 per month are women • Female CSSA recipients increased by nearly 87% from 1997 to 2003 • The total number of female CSSA recipients exceeded males by 10% (2003) • 80% of single parent CSSA recipients are females • CSSA has inadequate child care services or job training WE NEED TO FIGHT WOMEN’S POVERTY

  9. The ‘Sustainable Livelihoods’ approach to women’s poverty • The ‘sustainable livelihoods’ approach to women’s poverty • It is a holistic asset-based framework for approaching women’s economic development – to facilitate women’s involvement in the economy and support women’s transitions from poverty to economic self-reliance. • What does it mean to have a sustainable livelihood? • Being able to maintain and cultivate ourselves and our households, to take advantage of opportunities for growth over time, and to remain resistant to shocks and stresses from within and without.

  10. Building ‘Livelihood Assets’ • The Five Asset Building Blocks • Social Assets: • Supportive relationships, networks and environments • Financial Assets: • Long-term earning power and financial security (savings, insurance) • Human Assets: • Up-to-date skills, knowledge and employability • Personal Assets: • Self-esteem, motivation, self-confidence and spiritual well-being • Physical Assets: • Critical information, tools and capital

  11. Building ‘Livelihood Assets’ Source: Women and Economic Development Consortium, 2001

  12. Stages of transformation Source: Women and Economic Development Consortium, 2001

  13. Vulnerability context Source: Women and Economic Development Consortium, 2001

  14. Some asset-building strategies • Strategies to Increase Social Assets: • Connections and Cooperation • Strategies to Increase Financial Assets: • Earnings, Money and Financial Security • Strategies to Increase Human Assets: • Employability and the Ability to Work • Strategies to Increase Personal Assets: • Emotional Well-Being, Spirituality, and Confidence • Strategies to Increase Physical Assets: • Basic Information, Services, and Infrastructure

  15. A Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (WEDC, 2001) Source: Women and Economic Development Consortium, 2001

  16. What about Hong Kong? • What are some of the unique problems we face in Hong Kong when dealing with women’s poverty? • What are some of the potential asset-building strategies appropriate for Hong Kong?

More Related