The biggest challenge for women in Hong Kong remains society's stereotypes. Although Hong Kong is influenced by western culture, the traditional Chinese male-dominated core values still exist and are often unconsciously imposed. Women in society today face a certain set of expectations and unsaid requirements which determine their self-worth and others' perception of them. While the value of a man is only measured by his education and profession, the judgement of a woman’s value extends far beyond her intellect, which creates gender disparity across all aspects of society.
Chinese cultural influence
Chinese culture puts a strong emphasis on the continuation of family, and so the heavy expectation of marriage and childbearing falls on the shoulders of daughters. It seems as though there are hidden requirements for women to fulfill by a certain age, such as marrying or having kids before they turn thirty. As a result, teenage girls are taught that apart from academic excellence and professional success, their worth will ultimately also be measured by the 'quality' of their husbands and their children. Faced with heavy familial pressure and closeted mindsets, women have no choice but to fall in line with the expectations of their seniors.
Workplace disparities
This, in turn, creates an imbalance in the workplace. Despite the fact that higher education is now available for all genders to pursue, it is uncommon to see women working in senior management or corporate boards. Women account for only 11% of the directors of Hong Kong's listed issuers, and 33% of senior management roles. According to the Equal Opportunities Commission in Hong Kong, the median monthly employment earnings for women in 2020 was HK$17,000, lower than the HK$20,000 for men. A simple explanation for this might be that more women work part-time jobs or even withdraw from the labor force entirely in order to attend to their familial roles, or that men tend to take on higher-paying jobs like doctors and engineers, whereas women take on lower-paying jobs like nurses and secretaries. The data collected supports the existence of gender inequality in the workforce. However, do these statistics really represent the problem of gender inequality in Hong Kong? If a law was imposed declaring that all incomes must be equal, that the number of male and female students admitted to each faculty must be balanced, that there must be the same amount of each gender per profession… will equality have been achieved then? If gender inequality could be solved by mere manipulation of print and numbers, I believe it wouldn't still be such a prominent and challenging issue in today's society.
Nature’s Intentions vs human progression
Hence, I believe that the central issue revolving around gender inequality in Hong Kong is the lack of respect and appreciation for the roles women partake in. With technological development dominating industries nowadays, as well as the appearance of COVID-19, professions in science and technology are valued more than ever. But it goes both ways: with growing respect and admiration for the sciences and logical intelligence, so fades the respect for liberal arts and emotional intelligence. An old Chinese saying goes: 'men are breadwinners; women are homemakers.' Women are inherently more conscientious and emotionally sensitive, according to an article by Everyday Health, and it seems only natural that a woman becomes the caretaker of the children, and take on roles with higher empathy requirements such as teaching or personal care. Centuries of practice have forced men and women alike into these evolutionary roles that humankind once needed to thrive. It's incredibly difficult to walk the fine line between nature's intention and gender inequality: who can say for sure whether a woman becomes a housewife because she's expected to, and caved into society's pressure, or because she was willing to, and has a stronger bond with her children?
Is there a way to resolve gender inequality?
As a result, the solution to tackling gender inequality lies not in balancing the number of male and female housewives, but in changing the mindset of the community. There will always remain biological and intellectual differences between genders, and it would be unreasonable for us to measure imbalance in the form of numbers by looking at the gender ratio of doctors or engineers. Instead, it is vital for the younger generation to be educated in this matter before they become accustomed to gender stereotypes.
Sources:
Writing: Gaille Su
Editing: Katherine Yan
Graphics: Pihu Agarwal
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