中文版

  1. The EOC Briefs LegCo Panel on Constitutional Affairs on its Work Progress

Logo of Legislative CouncilOn 20 July 2015, the EOC Chairperson, Dr York CHOW, briefed the Legislative Council’s Panel on Constitutional Affairs on the various progress made by the Commission in respect of our strategic priority work areas, including the Discrimination Law Review; Legal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status; Education and employment opportunities for ethnic minorities, and the setting up of the Ethnic Minority Unit to facilitate and promote these; Integrated education for students with special educational needs and its implication on employment opportunities; Adopting an updated and unified definition of disability in the performance of government functions; and the Anti-Sexual Harassment Campaign in the community. Dr Chow emphasised that while the EOC’s mandate to challenge discrimination, specifically to handle complaints and take cases to court, is limited to the scope of sex, marital status, pregnancy, disability, family status and race discrimination under the existing ordinances, the EOC believes there is also a need to examine, speak out on and enhance the community’s understanding of other areas of unfair discrimination through research and advocacy, which is indeed crucial for building a truly inclusive society with equal rights for all.

At the meeting, Dr Chow also updated Panel Members on the structural review of the EOC, including the reinstatement of the Chief Operating Officer position, which is in line with the recommendation in the Director of Audit’s Report and will help strengthen the EOC’s executive leadership and governance. The EOC will closely monitor and assess the effectiveness of the changes made under the organisational review.

Read the EOC’s Submission to the Panel

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  1. The EOC Provides Legal Assistance in Disability Discrimination Case

Caregiver taking care of Person with DisabilityOn 16 July 2015, the EOC issued legal proceedings in the District Court under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO), Cap. 487, on behalf of an elderly home caregiver whose employment contract was not renewed by her employer after she went on a period of sick leave owing to her wrist injury that rendered her unfit to return to work. Under the DDO, it is unlawful for an employer to dismiss an employee or subject him/her to any other detriment, on the ground of his/her disability. The EOC has granted legal assistance in this case as there remains prevalent discrimination, including unfavourable treatment or dismissal under various pretexts, against employees who need to take leave for their disabilities or to undergo treatment. By taking this case to Court, the EOC hopes to raise public awareness of these discriminatory practices and remind employers that disability discrimination in the workplace is unlawful and that employers should provide reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities.

Read the press release

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  1. Call for Applications to the EOC’s Community Participation Funding Programme 2015/16

Colourful Hands Signifying Community ParticipationThe EOC is calling for applications to the Community Participation Funding Programme (CPFP) 2015/16 from eligible organisations planning activities to promote equal opportunities and/or nurture inclusive values and behaviours. The application deadline for the first batch of funding is 31 July 2015, while the deadline of the second batch is 18 September 2015. The CPFP aims at encouraging eligible organisations to carry out projects which promote public understanding of equal opportunities, foster anti-discriminatory attitudes, and motivate members of the public to support and apply the principles of equal opportunities in everyday life. The maximum funding limit of each project is $50,000.

See more details on the CPFP

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  1. The EOC Promotes Racial Equality Through Research and Training

Seminar for Banking StaffThe EOC is committed to promoting racial equality for all in everyday life, including in employment and provision of goods, facilities and services. To address concerns from the ethnic minority community and advocates in relation to access to banking services, the EOC joined hands with The Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) and The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB) to organise “Commissioners Dialogue - Treat Customers Fairly - Sharing from Equal Opportunities Commission” on 6 July 2015. Over 180 bank staff from front office as well as those from offices of compliance or channel management participated in the training, which included an explanatory talk from the EOC on the principles of the Treat Customers Fairly Charter and the anti-discrimination ordinances, as well as case sharing from social workers of the Hong Kong SKH Lady MacLehose Centre on typical issues experienced by ethnic minorities in opening bank accounts.

The EOC further recognises that there is a need for more up-to-date data and information on issues faced by the ethnic minority communities, which may hamper advocacy efforts. We therefore supported a number of projects on the thematic topic of “ethnic minorities” in our Funding Programme of Research Projects on Equal Opportunities 2013/14, which aimed at encouraging eligible academia and other organisations with inspiring ideas to undertake innovative research projects to promote equality and inclusion. In all, three research reports on the topics of employment, business entrepreneurship, and hurdles to successful social integration as related to Hong Kong’s ethnic minority communities were funded through the Programme and released between May and July 2015. The reports are available to the public on the EOC’s website.

Read the press release on the “Commissioners Dialogue - Treat Customers Fairly - Sharing from Equal Opportunities Commission”
View the research reports

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  1. The EOC Participates in Stargaze Camp for All and the Blind 2015

EOC Participates in Stargaze Camp2015 marks the fifth year of the EOC’s participation in the “Stargaze Camp for All and the Blind”, a meaningful annual event to promote inclusion, organised by the Volunteer Movement under the Social Welfare Department with other government departments, public bodies, and business organisations. Every year, the event attracts over 2,000 volunteers and service recipients, including persons with different disabilities, such as visual and hearing impairments as well as intellectual and physical disabilities; members of the ethnic minority communities; and ex-offenders. The “Stargaze Camp for All and the Blind 2015” will be held at Chong Hing Water Sports Centre on 17-18 October 2015. Volunteers from the EOC will hold two booths, including one with games to promote ethnic minority culture as well as the values of diversity and inclusion. Come and join us!

More about Stargaze Camp for All and the Blind

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  1. The Women’s Foundation Encourages Youths to Challenge Gender Stereotypes Through the T.E.E.N Programme

Visit to EOC by T.E.E.N. Programme YouthsGender stereotypes remain still too common in our society, which exacerbates many problems facing Hong Kong’s youths, including poor body image and interpersonal relationships. Now in its sixth year, the “Talent, Empowerment, Equality and Networking” (T.E.E.N.) Programme for underprivileged youths of The Women’s Foundation (TWF) works to challenge gender biases by raising youth participants’ awareness of stereotyping in their own lives and encouraging discussion about prejudice and discrimination while also nurturing their commitment to diversity and inclusion. The EOC is delighted to partner with TWF on this innovative programme for youths and will be hosting the participants at the Commission for an information talk on 5 August 2015.

More details on the T.E.E.N Programme

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Visit our website or download the EOC mobile app to stay updated on the EOC’s work and positions, and to review our press releases, speeches, media interviews, 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.