The DAB on Friday called for greater support for women to re-enter the workforce as part of efforts to tackle a manpower shortage.

The party said only 56 percent of women in Hong Kong are working, a figure that is lower than other regions of the world.

DAB lawmaker Elizabeth Quat said women who chose to leave their jobs to give birth or take care of their family members face difficulties when trying to return to the workplace.

“It is hard for women to go back to work after leaving for a while. They face difficulties such as low education background and no relevant experience, and there is not enough support for them. Is it a must for women to pick between family and work rather than having it all?” Quat said.

Associate professor Dai Haijing from the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Social Work Department said women still face workplace discrimination.

"We believe the gender effect is still there because the majority of caregivers in the world, they are women. Fathers are doing pretty well in Hong Kong compared with other places in the world... [while] filial daughters taking care of their ageing parents are being penalised in the labour market,” Dai said.

“Hong Kong turns out to be very conservative in terms of gender ideology; there should be some advocacy for gender equality."

Another DAB lawmaker, Frankie Ngan, urged the government to take the lead in expanding childcare services, such as setting up childcare centres in government facilities.

The party also suggested that the Employees Retraining Board provide more flexible courses to mothers, among other ideas.