New women’s development plan prioritizes health, families, and social inclusion

Macau has launched its second long-term plan to advance women’s development through 2032, outlining 66 policy measures across key areas including health, employment, and gender equality, as authorities seek to strengthen cross-departmental coordination and align with national development strategies.

The Macau Women’s Development Goals Cross-Departmental Working Group, a sub-body under the Women and Children Affairs Committee, held its first working meeting of the year to discuss the Macau Women’s Development Goals Plan for 2026 to 2032.

Chaired by Hon Wai, vice chair of the Women and Children’s Affairs Committee and director of the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS), and attended by representatives from 21 public departments, the new plan focuses on four key areas: physical and mental health, family-friendly policies, social participation, and gender equality.

It addresses women’s development across eight priority areas, including gender mainstreaming, public decision-making, education, healthcare, social welfare and protection, legal protection, economy and employment, and technological development.

The plan comprises 66 policy measures, with 43 short-term, 13 medium-term, and 10 long-term measures, to be collaboratively implemented by the 21 public departments.

Hon noted that the first Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, enacted in 1954, affirmed women’s equal rights with men. He also recalled that the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which has served as a blueprint for women’s rights development in many countries.

He expressed hope that participating departments would actively leverage their functions and align with the national 15th Five-Year Plan and the SAR’s Third Five-Year Plan to advance long-term planning for women’s development and create a more equal, inclusive, and respectful social environment.

During the meeting, department representatives discussed their implementation of the “Gender Mainstreaming Checklist” and gender statistics, proposing suggestions for improvement.

Representatives from the Macau Catholic Family Association and the Against Child Abuse (Macau) Association (ACAM) attended as observers. They offered views on women’s employment, continuing education, and community support services.

The first Women’s Development Goals Plan, which involved 11 public departments, achieved significant results, according to the working group.