ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book suggests that global consensus throughout Asia and the Pacific to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets is strong, and impressive strides have been made, particularly in the areas of education, health, and employment. It discusses ambitious "gender-friendly" policies for women in light of pressing demographic challenges, particularly in relation to an aging population and shrinking labor force. The book examines the limits of the law in securing the social change necessary to advance gender equality in Hong Kong. It argues that, perhaps more than any other nation in Asia, because China's gender equity policies are the most powerful at the de jure level, its de facto disconnect may also be the largest. The book shows that women are increasingly entering "formalized" work that bridges the gap between family-oriented subsistence agriculture and market-based activities.
