On 17 January 2013, the EOC announced the results of a public awareness survey on equal opportunities (EO). Overall, the views of the general public and the EOC’s service users on the Commission’s performance were positive, while the level of awareness on the existing anti-discrimination legislation on the grounds of race, disability and sex was revealed to be relatively high. Conducted from June to August 2012, the survey aimed at gauging public perception towards the concepts of EO, views on the EOC’s work against discrimination and the effectiveness of the EOC’s services. The Convenor of the Policy and Research Committee of the EOC, Dr. John TSE Wing-ling, said, “The survey findings provided useful suggestions for the advancement of the EOC’s work against discrimination under its mandate and revealed the public’s expectation on the EOC to be an advocate in other areas of discrimination such as age and sexual orientation which are not presently within its purview.”

Read the press release
Read the executive summary of the survey results
News highlights on this issue

The Government announced on 15 January 2013 that the recruitment process of the new Chairperson of the EOC is currently ongoing, with an announcement to be made upon completion of the recruitment exercise. To minimise disruption to the work of the Commission, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, the current EOC Chairperson, has accepted the Government’s invitation of a temporary extension of his term until 31 March 2013. The extension has been agreed to by the Chief Executive in accordance with the law.

Read the announcement

More than one year after the United Nations Human Rights Commission passed its groundbreaking resolution condemning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, Hong Kong still struggles to protect its sexual minorities. The EOC fully supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population’s right to equal protection under the law. We believe that the need to remedy this injustice is self-evident, in addition to the apparent benefits on talent recruitment and retention as well as maintaining our reputation as a world-class city. On 19 January 2013, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, the EOC Chairperson, expressed disappointment at the Government’s refusal to launch a public consultation on this issue, following his comments one week earlier where he reiterated the Commission’s position that “Legislation should be adopted to guarantee the basic human rights of people of different sexual orientations. That is our consistent stance.” At the press conference following the EOC’s policy and research committee (PARC) meeting on 17 January 2013, the PARC Convenor, Dr. John TSE Wing-ling, reaffirmed the Commission’s call for a public consultation on this issue.

Read the article on this topic from the EOC Newsletter Issue 59

The EOC extends our heartiest congratulations to our 2012/13 Career Challenge mentor, Miss Sarah LEE Wai Sze, for her recent achievements at the Track Cycling World Cup in Mexico. She finished first overall in both the cycling sprint race and the keirin, and was the first person from Hong Kong to win an overall World Cup title in the cycling sprint race. This week, Miss Lee will share her extraordinary story at a Career Challenge sharing session. Details are as follows:

Guest Mentor	Miss Sarah LEE Wai Sze London 2012 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist (Cycling)
Date	24 January 2013 (Thursday)
Time	5:00 - 6:30pm
Venue	HKFYG Auditorium (Exit C, Quarry Bay MTR Station)

For the last 11 years, the EOC’s annual youth mentorship programme, Career Challenge, has provided a good platform for participants to meet with successful persons who have overcome barriers due to their gender, disability, family status or race to reach their goals. This year, seven outstanding achievers from different professions will serve as Guest Mentors. Multicultural sharing and joint activities with the EOC’s English-language programme, Uniquely Me!, such as a visit to the Sikh Temple, will also be arranged. Click the links below for more details.

More details on Career Challenge 2012/13
Add Career Challenge as a friend on Facebook

Statutory minimum wage applies to employees with and without disabilities and alike. Employees with disabilities are also entitled to wages at not lower than the statutory minimum wage rate. Taking into account possible employment difficulties encountered by some persons with disabilities, a special arrangement is provided under the Minimum Wage Ordinance so that employees with disabilities whose productivity may be affected by their disabilities are entitled to choose to have their productivity assessed and be remunerated at a rate commensurate with their productivity. For details, please refer to the Labour Department’s leaflet or visit their website. The Labour Department has also produced an article titled “Statutory Minimum Wage ─ Rights of Employees with Disabilities and Productivity Assessment” for a brief introduction of the assessment mechanism, including comments on the implementation of the assessment mechanism from stakeholders. Please refer to the links below for more information.

Read the article “Statutory Minimum Wage ─ Rights of Employees with Disabilities and Productivity Assessment”
The Labour Department’s web resource on the Minimum Wage Ordinance

To enhance women’s inner capacities and strength for dealing with different life challenges, the Women’s Commission and the Open University of Hong Kong have been jointly organising the Capacity Building Mileage Programme (CBMP). The programme provides more than 60 courses which are tailor-made for women. Open for application in January, May and September annually, courses cover a wide range of study areas to cater for women’s needs in the arrangement of daily routines, financial management, health, interpersonal relationships and daily life. Starting this year, the courses are also targeted at non-Cantonese speakers, including ethnic minority people and immigrants from Mainland China. The application deadline for the March 2013 intake for face-to-face and Radio Broadcasts Courses will be on 28 January 2013. Click the link below for more details.

Programme details