Interview by Rui Pastorin
A group of nine women have been appointed as non-governmental organisation (NGO) team members to attend parallel meetings at the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), which will be held from next Monday to March 22 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Coming from different career backgrounds and roles, all of them are members of the Youth Association of the Women’s General Association of Macau. The general association’s youth wing was established in 2006.
To learn more about the group and their upcoming parallel event, the Post interviewed the youth association’s members Carmen Lei (李嘉文), an artist and teacher; Ophella Tang (鄧卓霖), a regional retailer and business development manager; and Fanny Chan (陳詠妍), also a teacher, on Sunday.The international training programme
Lei noted that each member is an outstanding and dedicated participant in the youth association’s “International Affairs Training Programme”, which has been organised annually since 2014, having trained over 700 women to date. It aims to enhance “the awareness of young women in Macau to participate in international affairs and broaden their international horizons”, Lei said.
She added that the programme offers a wide range of workshops and courses on communication skills, table manners and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), among others. The association annually organises outstanding members of the programme to take part in international conferences, with Bangkok, Chengdu and Geneva being among locations that they have already visited representing NGOs at conferences and events, Lei said.
Lei added that with the programme’s popularity, she thinks that young women in Macau “really want to step out of their comfort zone” and explore more.
With the upcoming event, attending it enables its participants to apply what they’ve learnt, as well as “exchange and share Macau’s stories with non-governmental organisations and institutions from around the world, promoting the development of women’s affairs in Macau”.
Empowering Women for a Resilient Future
Their parallel event is themed “Empowering Women for a Resilient Future Balancing Career Aspirations & Family Responsibilities”, which is in line with the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day – Invest in women: Accelerate Progress, Tang said.
Tang noted that its goal is “to share Macau’s experiences with the world and showcase how various sectors in the city have promoted women’s active participation in the labour market through policy measures that balance their family roles and responsibility”.
The sessions will mainly focus on social welfare, economy, education and healthcare, while the policy situation in the relevant areas of Macau will also be discussed during the meeting, along with measures implemented by the government and relevant organisations, such as the provision of parental leave, according to Tang. Outside the parallel event, different themes will also be tackled with international attendees.
How technology can empower women and how to leverage digital technologies for sustainable development will also be discussed, Tang said.
Moreover, a highlight will be having the chance to meet people, enabling them to “go with a people-centred approach” to explore how to support families and children coping with adversity, learn family-friendly measures from other countries and regions, and study from an international level, for the future work of the association, Tang underlined
With discussions and perspectives from different parts of the world, the group also hopes to leverage the experience and bring it back to Macau, according to Tang.
Opportunities and a common goal
A goal shared among the group, who are all volunteers, is letting the world hear their voice, Macau’s story and experience at an international level, according to Chan. She noted that the trip will be a good chance to tell others who may not know about Macau or only recognise it for its gaming industry about the city’s essence, all the while making connections.
“We strongly believe that our own stories, being able to speak for Macau in this upcoming international event definitely exhibits the achievement of women’s empowerment in Macau”, Chan emphasised.
Highlighting networking opportunities, Chan said that this could help in setting up connections that could extend beyond the conference and lead to future initiatives and projects which would benefit women in Macau.
Representing Macau at the event, Chan added, offers opportunities to showcase its perspectives and progress, advocate for Macau’s commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, contribute to global discussions, and inspire others. “It is a chance to make a meaningful impact and be an ambassador for Macau on an international stage”, she concluded.
*According to information provided by Lei, the youth association is an affiliate body of the Women’s General Association of Macao, one of Macau’s oldest and most influential NGOs, which has been participating in the CSW since 1994 and is commonly known as Fu Luen in Cantonese. The local members, together with their counterparts from elsewhere in China, have been invited to attend the commission’s meetings since 2011.
This undated handout photo shows members of the Youth Association of the Women’s General Association of Macao, including Carmen Lei (2nd from left), Ophella Tang (2nd from right) and Fanny Chan (1st row, 1st from right) who will be embarking on a trip to take part in the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in New York this month. Photo courtesy of Fu Luen
