Our moderators at our annual forum, “Contemporary Women’s Issues,” on 13 April:

Judy Tam, MSc (Edinburgh), BPW Hong Kong project leader for the “Young Leaders Forum Series,” is an active volunteer leader in a variety of non-profit social groups. She is committed to contributing to society by providing young adults in Hong Kong with different education experiences. She is the current Division Director (Hong Kong) of Toastmasters International, whose aim is to provide a good environment for nurturing communication and leadership skills. She is a civilian instructor of the Hong Kong Air Cadets Corps, a former vice chairman of Sir Edward Youde Scholars Association and a member of the ICAC Club. She has many years of experience in supporting education initiatives, and enjoys working with young people.

Devi Novianti, BPW Hong Kong project leader to coordinate this forum as well as project leader for HK Women on Boards initiative, works at the Equal Opportunities Commission of Hong Kong. Previously, she was Manager of Christian Action’s Domestic Helpers and Migrant Workers Programme and Chungking Mansions Service Centre for refugees and asylum seekers. She is a graduate of Hong Kong University’s LLM Human Rights Programme. In 2006, she received commendation from the Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR for her work in serving the city’s ethnic minority communities; in 2014, she was recognized in The List Magazine’s “Women of Hope” profiles in Hong Kong.

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Download the Complete Forum Programme: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

To Register: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

Our 7th presentation at our annual forum, “Contemporary Women’s Issues,” on 13 April:

Girl Power! Adolescent Empowerment

Girls’ loss of self-confidence at the onset of adolescence is well-documented, and girls of this age are especially vulnerable and in need of empowerment. This presentation will outline the challenges facing female adolescents, and will describe the GIRL POWER HONG KONG! empowerment project for female students in 3^rd-grade middle school. The project is specifically meant to assist students in assessing their strengths and designing their ongoing plan for the development of their future career path, well in advance of university or vocational school. Presenters from a variety of cultural as well as professional backgrounds serve as role models as they give a talk on their work and take students through activities of empowerment.

Louise Sullivan, project leader for BPW Hong Kong’s Girl Power! initiative, is a Practice Leader for Vanto Group in Asia and has worked throughout the Asia Pacific region for over 18 years holding management positions, and HR consulting roles. Louise has been in the transformation industry for over 12 years delivering programs to individuals and organizations enabling breakthrough results in performance and quality of life. In 2002, Louise established and ran the Hong Kong business for Landmark Worldwide. Over the past 6 years Louise has coached and delivered leadership development initiatives to senior executives and their teams across the region. Louise has worked with leaders across a broad spectrum of cultures and industries including manufacturing, luxury brands, and finance.

Hugo Lau, BPW Hong Kong member, graduated from Hong Kong Baptist University, majoring in Communication (Cinema and Television). An Awardee of BPWHK Scholarship in 2011 who has been in Design field for a few years and now the co-founder of a brand design company – Happyramid Ltd, excited to bring unique local HK art and design style to the world and help brand companies with a unique and positive image. Happyramid is now working with Ngong Ping 360, a local HK tourist spot company, to improve its whole image by giving its stores a fresh new look. Website: http://happyramid.com

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Download the Complete Forum Programme: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

To Register: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

Our 6th presentation at our annual forum, “Contemporary Women’s Issues,” on 13 April:

Gender Equality and Environmental Sustainability: Powerful Synergy

The connection between gender equality and environmental sustainability has only recently been made, in a report by UNDP and an index by IUCN. This presentation will: (1) Define gender equality, environmental sustainability, and “green economy”; (2) Explain the links between them; (3) Highlight some of the barriers in tackling this issue in a global context; (4) Provide examples of pockets of action that have occurred across the world to address gender equality and environmental sustainability with particular focus on the link between the two; (5) Discuss local issues/examples; and, (6) Propose a practicum and what we may do in advocacy for gender-equal representation in environmental policymaking.

Anna Robb, Mother Earth taskforce chair for BPW Hong Kong, is the General Stage Manager and Technical Director of “The House of Dancing Water,” a multi-million dollar aquatic theatre show in Macau. She lives in Macau with her husband and two children. Originally from Australia, Anna has spent the last 10 years working / living in London, Las Vegas, Montreal, Belgium and Macau and has spent her entire career in the arts. She is a long-time advocate for environmental concerns.

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Download the Complete Forum Programme: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

To Register: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

Our 5th presentation at our annual forum, “Contemporary Women’s Issues,” on 13 April:

Women Invest: CSR and Women’s Buying Power

According to research, women are involved in 70-80% of consumption, be it through their buying power or their influence in purchasing decisions. This entails drastic amount of responsibility women around the world hold and the increasing importance for them to make smart and ethical investment decisions. This can range from the type of products they purchase at the supermarket to which companies to invest in. Given the significance women have on any economy, it is important for women to be aware of the impact we have and to ensure that the impact will be positive not just for the economy, but for environmental sustainability, ethical issues, and gender representation.

Rebecca Isjwara, co-chair of the BPW Hong Kong Women Invest taskforce, is a second-year full time Indonesian student in HKUST’s Global Business program. Growing up in the archipelago, she was convinced that some parts of the world needed changing, and that she would actively take part in doing so. She represented her country for international competitions in Brazil, Thailand, and UAE, and started her own business at the age of 15. She moved to Hong Kong when she was 18 to attend HKUST, where she has been actively involved in AIESEC, the university’s peer mentoring program, and is vice president of the newly-established “Women in Leadership” community.

Nina Soliva, co-chair of the BPW Hong Kong Women Invest taskforce: Originally from the Philippines, I’ve spent my entire life in Hong Kong. I’m currently undertaking a Bachelor in Business Administration majoring in Information Systems at HKUST. I’ve interned as a business analyst and business development consultant, and have been involved in more than five projects related to social entrepreneurship and technology innovation. I am interested in working as a management / strategy consultant, or business or operations analyst at an investment bank / hedge fund. My long-term goal is to merge my knowledge and experience in business and technology to found a technology company focused on improving the livelihood of populations in third world countries.

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Download the Complete Forum Programme: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

To Register: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

Our 4th presentation at our annual forum, “Contemporary Women’s Issues,” on 13 April:

The Power of Mentoring

The value of mentoring cannot be overstated, and is well supported by recent business literature and trends. In addition to the classic model, one recent business trend is for ‘reverse mentoring’ – younger-to-elder, typically based on rapidly changing business models and the integration of social media. From the BPW International website: “Mentoring is a learning process that involves a skilled or experienced person (the mentor) with a less experienced, less skilled person (the protégée, or mentee). The goal is to provide opportunities for the protégée to continually develop her skills and knowledge, thereby enhancing her success. Mentoring is based on the sharing of experiences. The protégée wants to learn from the experiences of the mentor. A mentor is not paid for her work.”

Dr Nora Hussin, Chair of the BPW Hong Kong Mentoring taskforce, is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. Dr Nora received her PhD and Master in Applied Linguistics at the University of Hong Kong, and a Bachelor in English, Literature and Education at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She manages and consults on business and corporate communications, and educational training for both adults and children. Driven, creative and innovative, Dr Nora focuses on empowerment through education.

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Download the Complete Forum Programme: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

To Register: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

Our 3rd presentation at our annual forum, “Contemporary Women’s Issues,” on 13 April:

Gender Parity and Equal Pay Day

No nation to date has achieved gender parity, despite many having related laws, though Iceland seems destined to soon be the first. In Hong Kong, the wage disparity is currently 16.7%, and while this is on the low end of the global spectrum, there is some concern that this inequality has actually be increasing over the past few years. Equal Pay Day is an annual initiative across the globe to bring greater awareness to this issue; the date in each location is calculated according to the local wage disparity, and signifies when in the calendar women “get out of the red” and begin to earn money, considering the difference between their wages and that of men. Equal Pay Day in Hong Kong is 02 March and the recent EPD project of BPW Hong Kong will be outlined.

Sindy Leung, BPW Hong Kong’s International Relations committee chair and Equal Pay Day project leader, is an account manager in prime brokerage with UBS AG. At the same time, she is an passionate contributor for the underprivileged. She is the current president of DragoNation – the alumni association of all programs of the Dragon Foundation with 15 chapters around the world, committee member of the youth service advisory committee, Youth Think Tank (Education and Employment) with Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, etc. She is a founding member of Tomorrow’s Youth Development Fund Ltd. which strives for upward social mobility and social diversity for young people, and is involved in District 89 of Toastmasters International.

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Download the Complete Forum Programme: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

To Register: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

Our 2nd presentation at our annual forum, “Contemporary Women’s Issues,” on 13 April:

Equality, Equity, Parity: Gender in the Workplace

The terms “gender equality,” “gender equity,” and “gender parity” are often used almost interchangeably, though their meanings are distinct. This presentation will: (1) clearly define the terms and their uses; (2) apply these concepts to the status of women in the workplace, including high-level management, corporate boards of directors, and government appointments; (3) review policy-making, both legal and corporate, for more gender-representative workplaces; (4) examine the pros and cons of quotas; and, (5) highlight current examples of such efforts both in Hong Kong and around the world. Finally, why and to whom this issue should matter, and ways to increase awareness and progress, will be explored.

Dr Anne Hilty, president of BPW Hong Kong, is a psychologist, writer, and director of EastWest Psyche ltd., a global consulting firm based in Hong Kong. From New York, she has lived in East Asia since 2005. Dr Anne, a long-time advocate for women, has been a member of BPW since 2011, serving (2011-2014) as International Congress / Program Coordinator, co-chair of Congress Ambassadors taskforce, and member of PR committee and Peace & Intercultural Understanding taskforce. Website: http://eastwestpsyche.com

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Download the Complete Forum Programme: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

To Register: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

Our 1st presentation at our annual forum, “Contemporary Women’s Issues,” on 13 April:

Feminine Principle and Paradigm Shift

What does it mean to be a woman in the 21^st century?  In the post feminist era where gender equality is high on the agenda of many women organizations and communities around the world, why has the progress been so slow? As our society is getting more and more complex, women in the 21^st century are playing multiple roles and facing all kinds of external demands as internal desires continue to increase. There are no doubt women are more complex than men in many ways, be it biologically or psychologically. While we are striving to expand our abilities for more or greater achievements are we truly satisfied in a deeper level as a woman? This talk will explore the deeper meaning to be feminine based on the universal and timeless feminine principles that could unleash the hidden power of each of us as we face unprecedented challenges of our current time.

Jo Fok, member of BPW Hong Kong, is a Broadcast TV producer, Meaningful Media Strategist and Educator. With broad experience producing content for international broadcasters and Fortune 500 companies, she founded Marshmallow Media in 2009 to focus her skills and talent on creating meaningful content for humanity. Recent productions include ‘Beach Life’, an original Discovery Network travel series exploring alternative ways of living. Passionate about holistic education, Jo is a Mindfulness teacher and facilitator of the Pachamama Alliance’s education program with its mission of environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling human presence on our precious planet. She has also founded the first TEDxYouthDay in HK, now an annual event. Website: http://www.marshmallow-media.com

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Download the Complete Forum Programme: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

To Register: http://bit.ly/1SoATis

Our 1st annual forum is coming soon! Titled, “Contemporary Women’s Issues,” it features a number of speakers on a fascinating array of topics. Over this next week, we will be featuring each of the speakers and her presentation in this blog.

The forum will take place from 7-9pm at Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, 21/f, 119 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay. Registration is required: http://bit.ly/1SoATis.

If you prefer to download the full programme, rather than read it day-by-day in this blog, you can do so here: http://bit.ly/1PHab2v.

See you at the Forum!

We’ve just held our first HK Equal Pay Day, an annual event!

Equal Pay Day [EPD] is an event held around the world, on a different date in each location, to highlight gender disparity. The date, determined by formula used to calculate the number of working days, according to the gender-based wage inequality in a given area, that women are essentially ‘working for free’ each year. Women wear red, or red and black, at EPD events to indicate their having gone from ‘being in the red’ to ‘being in the black’ — i.e., beginning to ‘earn’ for that calendar year.

In Hong Kong, the pay disparity is currently 16.7% [i.e., women are paid, on average, 16.7% less than men for comparable work], rendering the EPD 02 March — in other words, for the first two months of the year, women work ‘without pay’.

Of particular note in Hong Kong: although a 16.7% wage gap is smaller than that of many places in the world — this disparity has actually been widening since 2011, rather than decreasing.

For our 2016 EPD event, BPWHK members and guests conducted a focus group on the topic of gender disparity in Hong Kong, analysing both problem and solutions. Our EPD project leader, Sindy Leung, will also provide a public presentation on this topic at our upcoming International Women’s Day Forum on Saturday, 05 March, as well as a followup report to be sent to the Women’s Commission of HK government.

Please join us at next year’s EPD event, which takes a different form each year!