Paul Yip

Opinion | With government help, women in Hong Kong need not have to choose between careers and motherhood

Paul Yip says that the birth of the New Zealand prime minister’s child is a reminder that with the proper support, women can choose to have both children and their careers. New Zealand and Denmark are two examples showing how it can be done

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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern carries her newborn baby as she walks out of the Auckland Hospital in New Zealand with her partner Clarke Gayford on June 24. Photo: Reuters

Paul Yip

Published: 12:30pm, 28 Jul 2018Updated: 12:38pm, 28 Jul 2018

It is interesting to read discussions in the media about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her newborn daughter. Ardern worked until her due date. It is reported that she will take only six weeks of maternity leave before returning to work.

There are some critics who say she is not being realistic about coping with two highly demanding jobs: head of government and mother. Certainly, as a prime minister, she would be busy enough. Some suggest that she needs to identify more deputies with whom she can share duties.

Professional women, including in Hong Kong, are often caught between family formation and career advancement. We have seen women who concentrate on their careers and delay childbirth. When they are more settled in their jobs, the chances of conceiving become much more difficult due to their more advanced age.

Also, a Family Planning Association of Hong Kong survey suggests that the gap between ideal and actual numbers of children is widening. For most Hong Kong women, the ideal number of children is two, but the actual number of children they have is only one. The main barriers to achieving this ideal are the financial burden, insufficient living space and quality of education.

The high living costs in Hong Kong usually require more than one income in a family to meet needs. The severe shortage of childcare services worsens the situation. Parents, usually the mother, must make the tough call of either pursuing their careers or staying home to look after the children.