The Macau government has pledged to constantly promote women’s development and participation in various aspects in civil society through various policies and measures, aiming to empower women and build a society of equality and inclusion.
The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) laid out various achievements Macau has made in advancing women’s development and promoting higher gender equality since its return to the motherland in December 1999, in a statement on Friday night, on the eve of International Women’s Day.
The statement underlined that since Macau’s return to the motherland, the “One Country, Two Systems” principle has been implemented effectively in Macau, its economy has been developing, civil society has been advancing, people’s civic awareness has been rising, and social welfare services for women and children have been improving. The local government has been actively implementing and improving various policies and measures for promoting the population’s well-being, ensuring the protection of women’s access to healthcare, education, employment, social security and welfare benefits, thereby laying a solid foundation for women’s development and steadily enhancing their status, the statement said.
The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) was established on December 20, 1999.
In terms of healthcare, the statement said, the MSAR government is providing free primary healthcare for local residents, general and specialised nursing care for pregnant women, and free medical care for women during their childbirth hospitalisation, adding that the city’s maternal mortality rate has remained at a low level for over a decade.
The statement noted that the life expectancy of women in Macau rose from 80.5 years in 1999 to 86.1 years last year, with women’s life expectancy being higher than that of men, adding that Macau’s life expectancy currently ranks among the top in the world.
The statement said that over the past 25 years, Macau residents’ longevity has increased significantly while their health levels have also improved, thanks to the city’s comprehensive healthcare system and the extensive coverage of its medical welfare policies.
In the field of education, the statement said that since Macau’s return to the motherland, compulsory and free universal education has been implemented, with 15-year free education having been launched, ensuring equal opportunity for education for both genders.
The statement noted that in the 2023/2024 academic year, secondary school graduates’ university enrolment rate for females was 97.5 percent, 0.5 percentage points higher than that for males. The proportion of women with higher education qualifications increased from 6.1 percent in 2001 to 30.6 percent in 2021, a rise of 24.5 percentage points over 20 years, thereby establishing a better foundation for women’s personal development and promoting their upward mobility.
Regarding employment, the statement said that with Macau’s level of education among women increasing and its implementation of family-friendly childcare policies, women’s labour force participation rate increased from 56.1 percent in 1999 to 65.2 percent in 2023, an increase of 9.1 percentage points, while women’s gap with men in the labour force participation rate dropped from 20.3 percentage points to 6.0 percentage points during the period.
According to the statement, Macau residents’ wage gap between the two genders stood at two percent in 2023, lower than the average among OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) member countries and similar to the average among the Nordic countries, demonstrating that women’s rights and opportunities for equal participation in economic development are fully protected in Macau, the statement said.
In terms of participation in public administration, the statement said, females accounted for 44.9 percent of all public servants, 40.7 percent of senior officials of the government’s bureaus and other bureau-level entities and 51.3 percent of all judges and prosecutors, adding that three of the nine principal officials of the current, sixth-term MSAR government are females, accounting for one-third of the total.
The data shows that women in Macau have equal opportunities with their male counterparts for employment in the civil service and for political appointments, the statement said.
Childcare improvements
Moreover, the statement said, the number of places for childcare services for those under the age of three available in Macau currently covers over 60 percent of the total number of children in this age group, significantly higher than the average enrolment rate in childcare facilities among OECD member countries.
The statement underlined that the MSAR government’s childcare policies and measures to support parents cover all children under the age of three, including newborns, meeting the diverse needs of different families for childcare, thereby reducing the stress on women caring for their children and creating favourable conditions for women pursuing career development.
The statement noted that according to the findings of a research report compiled by the Social Welfare Bureau, Macau’s Gender Gap Index (GGI) ranked 51st globally in 2021, while its Gender Inequality Index (GII) ranked seventh globally, indicating that Macau enjoys a relatively high level of gender equality.
Legislative progress
In addition, the statement underlined, the MSAR government has paid attention to women’s diverse development needs. With the aim of ensuring better protection of women’s rights, benefits and well-being, the statement said, the government has drafted different pieces of legislation – which were passed by the legislature respectively – such as the current social security system implemented since 2011 allowing housewives to also join the system and pay their dues, the Law on Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence enacted in 2016, and amendments to the Penal Code adding a new criminal category of sexual harassment enacted in 2017.
The legislation also included amendments to the Labour Relations Law enacted in 2020 raising the number of days for statutory paid maternity leave to 70 days from 56 days in the private sector while also entitling new fathers employed in the private sector to five days of paid paternity leave, the statement noted.
This file photo released by the Sports Bureau (ID) shows participants in the 2024 Macau Women’s Sports Carnival last year.
