6 March 2013
Issue 71
6 March 2013
Issue 71
The Government announced on 5 March 2013 the appointment of Dr. York CHOW Yat-Ngok as the new Chairperson of the EOC for a term of three years commencing 1 April 2013. Dr. Chow brings with him a distinguished career in the public service, having served in the former SAR Administration as Secretary for Food and Health, in addition to decades of voluntary service experience in the rehabilitation sector. Welcoming the appointment, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, the EOC Chairperson, said, “Dr. Chow is well placed to lead the Commission. He fully shares the EOC’s commitment to building an inclusive society free from discrimination. I wish him great success.”
Read the EOC’s press release
Read the Government’s announcement of the appointment
News highlights
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Complaints of sexual harassment are one of the most common received by the EOC under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance. Aside from the workplace, it also occurs frequently in the education setting. The EOC released the results of its Study on Students' Sexual Attitudes and Views on Sexual Harassment on 5 March 2013. The study found that half of the students surveyed experienced some form of sexual harassment over the last year; of these, 58% kept silent about the harassment they faced. Dr. John TSE Wing-ling, the Convenor of the EOC’s Policy and Research Committee, said, “Sexual harassment is a serious problem for students at all educational levels…We hope that this study will assist us in devising effective strategies to promote concepts of gender equality and prevention of sexual harassment on campus.”
Read the press release
Read the study’s executive summary
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In celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed annually on 21 March, and to raise public awareness on race discrimination in Hong Kong, the EOC is joining Caritas Youth and Community Service to organise an open forum. The forum will feature speakers including Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, the EOC Chairperson; Dr Hon Kenneth CHAN Ka-lok, Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council’s Panel on Home Affairs; Mr. CHAN Lo-kin, Social Work Supervisor of Caritas’ Social Service for Ethnic Minorities; Dr. Raees BAIG, Lecturer at the University of Hong Kong; Mr. Vivek MAHBUBANI, English and Chinese comedian; and Mr. Chura THAPA, the host of Saptahik Sandesh radio programme on RTHK. The guests will discuss the contributions made by ethnic minorities to building Hong Kong, and the challenges to integration. The event will also feature sharing from youths and stalls with henna, photo-taking, display of fashion accessories and calendars of ethnic minorities. Come join us!
| Date: | 17 March 2013 (Sunday) |
| Time: | 1:00 – 4:30pm |
| Venue: | Mongkok Pedestrian Zone |
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The EOC congratulates Career Challenge 2012/13 mentor, Sarah LEE Wai-Sze, for winning two medals in the Track Cycling World Championships in Belarus in February 2013. She is the first woman to win a “Rainbow Jersey” from an international event. At her sharing session with Career Challenge participants in January of this year, Ms Lee inspired the youths to never give up despite obstacles and shared the story of when she was seriously injured in 2007 from an accident. Her coach had thought of asking her to bow out of cycling, but her perseverance eventually made him change his mind. She has since gone on to great success, including winning the bronze medal in the women's keirin at the 2012 London Olympics, which was Hong Kong's first-ever Olympics medal in cycling.
For the last 11 years, the EOC’s annual youth mentorship programme, Career Challenge, has provided a 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. Click the links below for more details.
Watch video highlights of Sarah LEE’s sharing at Career Challenge 2012/13 (Cantonese only)
Photo highlights of Sarah LEE’s sharing at Career Challenge 2012/13
More details on Career Challenge 2012/13
Add Career Challenge as a friend on Facebook
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Vote for the changes that would make the most difference to your world! Take part in “MY World,” the United Nations’ global survey which asks you to select your priorities for a better world. There are 16 priority areas in the survey to choose from. Alternatively, you can suggest your own and make it disability-specific, such as: Freedom to make my own decisions; Being included in the community by removing architectural and attitudinal barriers; Including persons with disabilities in all development plans, programs and activities. You decide! Forward, translate and send this around the world; Results will be shared with world leaders in setting the next global development agenda. Tell them about the world you want, because your voice matters! Click on the link below to vote.
Details
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Stay updated on the EOC's work and positions by referring to our press releases, speeches, media interviews, and calendar training on our website. Also, stay tuned on other equal opportunities issues and community initiatives by visiting our community resources and community events pages for information from our community partners, including publications, survey reports, publicity campaigns, and upcoming conferences.