Hong Kong minister hails women's leadership at business awards ceremony
Hong Kong's culture minister praised women's growing role in business and government at the 2026 Outstanding Business Women Leaders Awards, noting that two-thirds of senior officials in her bureau are female.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, speaking at the 2026 Outstanding Business Women Leaders Awards ceremony on 11 November, highlighted the increasing influence of women in business, government and sports. The event, organised by Hong Kong Commercial Daily, has run for a decade and recognises female leaders across sectors.
The secretary noted that globally, the proportion of women in senior corporate roles has risen from 19.4 per cent to 34 per cent over the past two decades, according to a survey. She said this reflects women's growing impact on economic and social development, embodying the spirit that 'women hold up half the sky'.
Within her own bureau, two-thirds of directorate-level civil servants are women, including the Permanent Secretary, Deputy Secretaries, the Commissioner for Tourism and her deputy, the Commissioner for Sports and the Commissioner for Creative Industries. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department also has a two-thirds female directorate ratio, including the director and two deputy directors.
In sports, female athletes accounted for about half of Hong Kong's contingent at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where the territory won 11 gold medals and 54 medals in total. Swimmer Siobhan Haughey won two gold and two silver medals. At the Asian Para Games, women won two of three gold medals, and 23 of 41 medals were earned by female athletes, with nine more from mixed events. Paralympians including Chan Yui-lam in swimming, Cheung Yuen in boccia, and Yu Chui-yee and Tong Ah-ting in fencing achieved multiple medals.
The secretary congratulated past and present award winners from finance, property, law, healthcare and accounting, saying their stories inspire other women to pursue their ambitions. She expressed hope that more women would contribute to Hong Kong's culture, sports and tourism sectors, and to the territory's broader development.
