HK Tops Global Survey for Acceptance of Female Leaders: Paul Chan

• A recent survey finds that Hong Kong ranks highest globally for societal acceptance of female leaders
• In Hong Kong, about 70% of women feel that they are encouraged to take leadership roles
• The findings were announced by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po at the Women Chief Executives Summit

According to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, Hong Kong tops the world in terms of acceptance of women in leadership positions, with 70 percent of women in the city feeling encouraged to take up leadership roles.

Speaking at the Women Chief Executives Summit 2025 - the city's first and largest gathering of senior female leaders in finance - on November 3, Chan cited a KPMG report conducted in collaboration with WCE and The Women's Foundation that demonstrated double-digit growth in women's representation in senior leadership and on corporate boards.

He said that over half the solicitors and professional accountants in Hong Kong today are women, up from around 30 percent two decades ago. However, he also cautioned that not all industries progress to reach gender equality as rapidly.

Paul emphasized the government's determination to nurture the potential of women to be leaders: The 'She Inspires' Mentorship Programme, launched in July, has so far matched more than 80 female university students with 50 accomplished women leaders. The next phase will expand to include up to 120 mentees.

He also pointed out that almost 60 percent of business and management students at Hong Kong's universities are women, calling them the city's future innovators and leaders.

Quoting Sheryl Sandberg, former Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Chan concluded, “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will be just leaders.”

The summit brought together over 200 global and regional leaders from more than 30 financial institutions and coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, a major international framework for promoting gender equality.

Three panel discussions were held, focusing on redefining leadership, driving innovation in the financial sector, and empowering the next generation of women leaders.