ARTICLE 13
WOMEN IN ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE
WOMEN IN ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE
The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme and the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme continue to form the mainstay of HKSAR’s social security system. In 2017-18, the total recurrent expenditure of the Government on social security was HK$42,900 million, equivalent to 11.8% of the Government’s total recurrent expenditure for the year, showing a substantial increase as compared with 2009-10 (total recurrent expenditure at HK$27,900 million). While social security is provided to eligible persons regardless of gender, 54% of the recipients were female (as at end-March 2018).
It is noteworthy that the Old Age Living Allowance (OALA), the Guangdong Scheme and the Fujian Scheme were introduced under the SSA Scheme since the previous report. The OALA (currently at HK$2,600) was launched in April 2013 to supplement the living expenses of elderly persons aged 65 or above with financial needs. A higher level of allowance (Higher OALA currently at HK$3,485 per month) was implemented since June 2018 to strengthen the financial support for elderly persons with more financial needs. Separately, the Guangdong Scheme and the Fujian Scheme were launched in October 2013 and April 2018 respectively to allow eligible elderly persons who choose to reside in Guangdong or Fujian Province to receive Old Age Allowance (also an allowance under SSA Scheme; currently at HK$1,345 per month).
New arrivals (NAs) and single parents can have access to a continuum of comprehensive family, training, employment and housing services from SWD, HD, and ERB. Details of such services are set out in Annex 13A.
To strengthen the support for divorced/divorcing families (including women), the Government provides additional resources of about $56 million from 2018-19. It is planned to set up by phases five specialised co-parenting support centres to provide in particular child visitation service for divorced parents. The centres would also be planned to provide co-parenting counselling and parenting co-ordination service, structured parenting groups or programmes, as well as child-focused counselling, groups or programmes. To enable early intervention and identification of families with divorce risk, and provide pre-divorce counselling services, additional manpower resources are provided for the Integrated Family Service Centres operated by SWD and the 11 FCPSUs.
The Government takes suitable legislative and administrative measures to protect women, including women with disabilities, against discrimination on any ground, and ensure their development, advancement and empowerment, thereby facilitating their enjoyment of the rights under the UNCRPD. The measures taken by Government in this respect were elaborated under Article 6 of the second report of the HKSAR under the UNCRPD.
Pursuant to the 2016 Policy Address, to further strengthen the employment support provided for job seekers with disabilities, LD has implemented a two-year pilot scheme since September 2016 to provide in-depth psychological and emotional counselling service to needy job seekers. This serves to alleviate emotional problems of job seekers with disabilities arising from the state of their disabilities or their personal or family matters, so as to help them concentrate on job search and settle in their new jobs promptly, thereby realising their potentials in employment.
LD also administers the Work Orientation and Placement Scheme (WOPS) to encourage employers to hire persons with disabilities. As announced in the 2018-19 Budget, LD will enhance WOPS in 2018 by increasing the amount of allowance payable to employers engaging job seekers with disabilities.
The Government is committed to combating racial discrimination. The Government issued in 2010 the Administrative Guidelines on Promotion of Racial Equality (the Guidelines) to provide general guidance to relevant Government bureaux and departments and public authorities to promote racial equality, and ensure equal access by ethnic minorities to public services in key areas concerned, and to take this into account in their formulation, implementation and review of relevant policies and measures. The coverage of application of the Guidelines has extended from 14 to 23 authorities. Relevant authorities have consistently put in place measures to assist ethnic minorities.
Considerable progress has been made in strengthening employment services to EM. LD provides comprehensive and free employment services to all job seekers, including female EM job seekers. All job centres of LD provide a wide range of dedicated employment services to cater for the employment needs of EM job seekers. LD also organises large-scale and district-based inclusive job fairs to enhance the employment opportunities of EM job seekers.
Since 2014, LD has implemented the Employment Services Ambassador (ESA) Programme for EMs, under which Youth Employment and Training Programme trainees who can communicate in EM languages are employed as ESAs to undergo on-the-job training at job/recruitment centres for six months to help EM job seekers use various job search facilities and services. Since the implementation of ESA Programme for EMs, LD has employed 117 trainees, of whom 86 (73.5%) were female.
Pursuant to the 2017 Policy Address, LD has since May 2017 engaged two employment assistants proficient in EM languages at two selected job centres on a pilot basis to further strengthen employment support for EM job seekers. Apart from partnering with experienced employment officers in providing personalised employment services for EM job seekers, these employment assistants conversant with EM languages and cultures also help LD proactively reach out to EMs with employment needs and encourage them to make use of LD’s employment services.
ERB provides dedicated training courses delivered in English to suit EMs’ aspirations and training needs. In 2018-19, ERB has reserved 800 training places to offer 32 dedicated courses for EMs. ERB could arrange teaching assistants who can speak English and EM languages to provide interpretation services or guidance in class to assist those who have difficulties in understanding English. EMs who have completed the dedicated placement-tied training courses are provided with a longer period of six-month placement follow-up services.
ERB also offers subsidies for training bodies to develop supplementary training materials and learning support for EMs who can speak and comprehend Cantonese to attend training courses for the general public.
ERB collaborates with HAD to offer training courses at its Support Service Centres for Ethnic Minorities. EMs can also make use of an array of support services, including industry specific seminars, taster courses, workshops, training consultancy service, etc. Training Consultants also offer outreaching training consultancy service to EMs with a view to providing them with suitable training and employment information. ERB also issues promotional leaflets in English and multiple EM languages as well as course prospectus in English, and places advertisements in newspapers in English and in EM languages.
Through the Single Elderly Persons Priority Scheme, public rental housing units are continued to be provided for the elderly on a priority basis.
Also, HA undertakes adaptation works/home modification as necessary and bears the full cost incurred for the sitting/prospective elderly tenants as well as families with members over 60. If required, advice from physiotherapists or medical officers will be sought for the appropriate conversion work.
