中文版

  1. The EOC Presents to UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Representatives of EOC highlighted the challenges faced by women in Hong Kong at the 59th session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on 20 October 2014 in Geneva, prior to a hearing by the Committee on the Third Report of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which took place on 23 October 2014. Representing the EOC at the session were EOC Board Member, Ms Su-Mei THOMPSON, and Mr. Michael CHAN, Director (Planning & Administration) of the EOC. In her statement to the Committee during its informal meeting with human rights institutions on 20 October 2014, Ms Thompson raised the EOC’s concerns about the safety of women in Hong Kong; the barriers that prevent women from being economically self-reliant and from advancing in the workplace; and the discrimination encountered by marginalised communities of women in the territory. “Now more than ever it is imperative that women have a voice in the critical business, economic and social issues affecting Hong Kong,” said Ms. Thompson.


Read the press release
Read Su-Mei Thompson’s Oral Statement to the CEDAW Committee

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  1. The EOC Issues Statement on the Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2014

In response to the Legislative Council voting against the motion on the second reading of the Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2014 on 22 October 2014, the EOC issued a statement to reiterate its position that that the Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2014 should not be passed. The Bill, if enacted, would require a transsexual person to undergo full sex reassignment surgery (SRS), resulting in sterilization, in order to be able to marry in his or her affirmed gender. This would force the transgender community in Hong Kong to face even greater hardships in making their choices to fulfil their affirmed gender identity. The EOC urges the Government and the Inter-departmental Working Group on Gender Recognition chaired by the Secretary for Justice to address the full recommendations of the Court of Final Appeal as soon as possible, and to recommend a gender recognition bill that affords the transgender individuals full recognition of their rights, including by not requiring full SRS to change gender.


Read the press statement
Read the EOC’s previous op-ed articles on this issue

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  1. The EOC Chairperson Addresses Concerns About the Discrimination Law Review in Op-Ed Articles

On 24 October 2014, the EOC Chairperson, Dr York CHOW published an op-ed article in Ming Pao Daily to clarify the misunderstanding around the Commission’s proposal, as part of the Discrimination Law Review, to extend protection against marital status discrimination to those in de facto marriage relationships. It is the second part of a series of articles to address some of the disputed issues raised in the public, following the first article published on 14 October. In his article, Dr Chow address the concerns about the definition of de facto marriage relationships, and the rationale of the proposal to extend the scope of family status discrimination to include persons in de facto relationships. “De facto marriage relationship is not any kind of casual, live-in relationship but one that requires long-term commitment of the couple like husband and wife. As in the case of Australia, there are clear definitions of de facto relationships, which need to fulfil a set of criteria,” wrote Dr. Chow. “The proposal is aimed to address the evolving social trends and the gap that unmarried couples with genuine family responsibilities fail to get protected under the existing law.”

Dr Chow also explained in the article that the proposal of extending protection against marital status discrimination to those in de facto relationships has nothing to do with same-sex marriage. The EOC is seeking public views on whether de facto relationship should include both heterosexual and homosexual relationship, and even if it should, the legal definition of marriage as between a man and a woman under the Marriage Ordinance would remain intact.

In addition, an article from Dr Chow on the Discrimination Law Review was published in the South China Morning Post on 28 October 2014. The article covers some of the concerns raised about the broadening of the protection of the anti-discrimination law, as well as the EOC’s rationale on why the review is necessary. Since the review is an opportunity to make substantive changes which would have positive reverberations for generations to come, Dr. Chow reminded the readers that the EOC is “open to listening to different views, in recognition that there will be diverse standpoints in a multicultural society such as ours. What we must do is to find common ground through rational dialogue and remembering that we all want the same thing: equal opportunities to pursue our dreams.”

The deadline for receiving written submissions for the Discrimination Law Review has been extended to 31 October 2014. Please visit the Discrimination Law Review’s dedicated website for more information (available in Chinese, English and 6 ethnic minority languages) or to submit your views.


Read the Ming Pao article (in Chinese only)
Read the SCMP article (in English only)
The Discrimination Law Review website

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  1. District Court Equal Opportunities (Amendment) Rules 2014 to Become Effective on 1 November 2014

The District Court Equal Opportunities (Amendment) Rules 2014 will come into operation on 1 November to streamline the adjudication of Equal Opportunities (EO) proceedings in the District Court. The proposed simplified procedures aim to provide more flexibility for parties to EO proceedings and make the procedures less technical and easier to follow. To provide for the details of the relevant court process under the streamlined procedures for EO claims, the Judiciary has issued a new Practice Direction (PD) “PDSL 8 – The Equal Opportunities List”. Consequential textual amendments are also being made to the Practice Direction on Mediation (PD 31). The new PD and the updated PD 31 will also take effect on 1 November. For more information, please click on the links below.


Read the Government’s press release
Access the PDs

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  1. Invitation to visit the Exhibition of World Blind Union – Asia Pacific Mid-Term Regional General Assembly 2014

The World Blind Union – Asia Pacific Mid-Term Regional General Assembly 2014 will be held by Hong Kong Blind Union on 21-24 November in Cyberport. Live streaming broadcast of the plenary sessions and concurrent workshops will be available at the official website of the Assembly. Interested parties can watch the programmes online by clicking the “Live” icon next to the title of the relevant sessions in the programme overview page during the event.

Meanwhile, the EOC will be holding a booth at the Assembly to promote equal opportunities for people with disability, including visual impairment. In addition, an exhibition on assistive tools will be staged to keep the public abreast of how information and communications technology (ICT) can immensely empower people with visual impairment in their studies, workplace and daily life. Assistive technology manufacturers and suppliers from all over the world will showcase their latest products and development, allowing visitors to have a hands-on trial of their functions. Details of the exhibition are as follows:

Date & Time: 21 November 2014, 1pm – 6pm
22 – 24 November 2014, 10am – 6pm
Venue: Green Concourse & Exhibition Gallery, Cyberport 3
100 Cyberport Road, HK
Fee: Free of charge


Details

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  1. The EOC Supports Hong Kong Pride Parade 2014

The EOC is pleased to be a supporter of the Hong Kong Pride Parade 2014. The EOC Chairperson, Dr. York CHOW, is one of the event’s Rainbow Ambassadors, along with The Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan, Legislative Councillor, and Ms Denise HO Wan-see, popular singer. The Hong Kong Pride Parade 2014 Theme is “Stand Up for Diversity!” It represents all people who are willing to support LGBT rights. The theme this year also stands for respecting sexual minorities who are all unique. Please see the details of the parade below and click on the link for more details.

Date: Saturday, 8 November 2014
Gathering Time: 2:00pm
Gathering Venue: Victoria Park (near Causeway Bay MTR Exit)
Route: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay (No.1 Football Pitch) --> Hennessy Road (West Route) --> Tamar Park, Admiralty


Details

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  1. The EOC Participates in Equal Opportunities Festival at The University of Hong Kong

The EOC is pleased to participate in the Equal Opportunities (EO) Festival 2014 at The University of Hong Kong, which will feature a series of on-campus events to promote different aspects of equality. We will be holding an information and activity booth at the event’s opening ceremony. The theme of this year’s event is “To build a barrier-free society for all.” More details may be found below:

Date: Wednesday, 5 November 2014
Time: 12:45pm – 2:00pm
Venue: Sun Yat Sen Place
The University of Hong Kong

In addition, an EOC representative will also give two talks on the subjects of disability discrimination (6 November 2014) and sexual harassment (20 November 2014) as a part of the Equal Opportunities Festival. Please click on the link below for further information.


More details

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Visit our website or download the EOC mobile app (Apple App Store / Google Play) to stay updated on the EOC’s work and positions, and to review our press releases and calendar training. 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.