Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (HKETO), Ms Emily Mo, virtually attended the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) held in Hong Kong between the Women’s Network (TWN) of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (CanCham HK) and the Women’s International Network (WIN) of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (Toronto Section) (HKCBA) on November 27 (Toronto time).
The MoU provides a collaborative framework to facilitate and regularise the engagement between WIN and TWN on shared interests, including advancing women’s empowerment in business and promoting women-owned small and medium enterprises, and international trade and investments.
In delivering the welcome remarks at the ceremony, Ms Mo noted that women entrepreneurs and professionals have become increasingly important in the world’s economic development. “It is encouraging to see that more of the business community recognise the importance of full and equal participation of women in business,” said Ms Mo.
Ms Mo remarked that in the past few years, the HKETO has witnessed the establishment and growth of TWN and WIN during the pandemic. “Both TWN and WIN demonstrated strong commitment to empowering and encouraging women in the furtherance of international business between Canada and Hong Kong,” Ms Mo said. “The events held by them were impressive and the bonding built between the female members is significantly strong.”
Ms Mo also shared that Hong Kong is a place for women to shine. The female labour force participation rate and percentage of the public-funded university students are about and over 50 per cent respectively in the city. “In Hong Kong, over 35% of the mangers, administrators and professionals are women,” Ms Mo continued. “Under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, Hong Kong is entering into a new era, benefitting from the major strategies like the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.”
Ms Mo added that all the new developments in Hong Kong mean opportunities for both the Canadian and Hong Kong business community, including their female leaders.
Before closing, Ms Mo congratulated the CanCham HK and the HKCBA for signing of the MOU between TWN and WIN, which will consolidate the work and create synergy to advance women’s empowerment in business and promote Canada-Hong Kong trade.
The MOU signing ceremony was joined by other speakers including Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner of Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong, Mr Jason Reeve; Associate Director of Service Promotion of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Mr Chris Lo; Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion (Business Development) of Invest Hong Kong, Mr Jimmy Chiang; Founder and Chair of TWN of CanCham, Ms Madeleine Behan; and Chair of WIN of HKCBA, Ms Sonja Chong.
香港經貿處處長出席加拿大商會及港加商會兩大婦女網絡舉行的合作備忘錄簽署儀式
香港駐多倫多經濟貿易辦事處（香港經貿處）處長巫菀菁於十一月二十七日（多倫多時間）透過視像形式出席香港加拿大商會婦女網絡及港加商會（多倫多分會）婦女國際網絡在香港舉行的合作備忘錄簽署儀式。
該備忘錄旨在提供合作框架，致力促進及規範兩大婦女網絡參與雙方共同關心的活動，包括推動婦女商業發展，以及鼓勵婦女經營中小企業和從事國際貿易投資。
巫菀菁在簽署儀式典禮上致歡迎辭，她指出，女性企業家及專業人士對全球經濟發展擔當越來越重要的角色。她說：「對於更多商界人士認同婦女應全面和平等參與商貿發展，感到十分鼓舞。」
巫菀菁表示，香港經貿處過去數年在疫情期間見證了港加商會婦女國際網絡及香港加拿大商會婦女網絡成立及擴展，她說：「兩大婦女網絡均作出了堅定的承諾，致力加強及鼓勵女性參與促進加拿大和香港之間的國際業務交流。她們舉辦了出色的活動，女性成員之間亦建立了緊密的聯繫。」
巫菀菁同時介紹香港是婦女發揮所長的地方。香港的女性勞動人口參與率和公帑資助大學女性學生比例約為50%以上，她續說：「香港逾35%的經理、行政人員及專業人士均是女性。在『一國兩制』下，香港正迎向新時代，受惠國家的重要發展策略，包括國家《十四五規劃綱要》、粵港澳大灣區發展及《區域全面經濟伙伴關係協定》。」
巫菀菁補充說，香港這些新發展均為加港的商界包括女性領袖帶來機遇。
最後，巫菀菁恭賀香港加拿大商會和港加商會的婦女網絡簽署了合作備忘錄，這將鞏固兩會的工作並創造協同效應、有助促進女性的商業發展及加強加港的貿易合作。
出席備忘錄簽署儀式的其他講者包括加拿大駐香港總領事館領事暨高級貿易專員Jason Reeve、香港貿易發展局服務業拓展助理總監盧逸峰、香港投資推廣署投資推廣（業務發展）助理署長蔣學禮、香港加拿大商會婦女網絡創會會長暨主席Madeleine Behan及港加商會婦女國際網絡主席章素珍。
