The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a deluge of concern and misinformation about discrimination online and offline. To explain how the anti-discrimination ordinances may or may not apply to various scenarios arising from the contagion, the EOC has created a new webpage bringing together the media statements the Commission has released in relation to the outbreak, op-eds written by EOC Chairperson Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin, as well as links to relevant interviews and NGO services.
Whether you are an employer, a service provider, or just eager to get a better grasp of the law, you would find helpful information that cuts through all the chatter and lets you stay on top of the facts. Click the link below to access the resources now.
Visit the new webpage
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Getting allergies from additional cleaning work, not being able to afford masks and hand sanitisers, losing their jobs after going out on a day off to meet friends and transfer money back home... these are only some of the reasons why foreign domestic workers (FDWs) are taking a harder hit from the fallout of COVID-19 than others in the city. Acknowledging these issues, EOC Chairperson, Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin published an article in am730 on 4 March 2020 and urged employers of FWDs to take the initiative to learn about their needs.
“Hong Kong is home to nearly 400,000 FDWs, who toil away at household tasks, help raise our children, and look after elderly members of the family on a daily basis,” wrote Mr Chu. “Indeed, their well-being is tied to that of the families they serve. Employers therefore need to put themselves in the shoes of FDWs, rather than alienating them out of unfounded anxiety and panic.”
Read the full article (Chinese only)
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In the spirit of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD), observed annually on 21 March, EOC Chairperson Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin released an article in his regular column in AM730, calling on the local community to support racial equality. This Saturday from 2:30pm to 4pm, Mr Chu will also join an online forum hosted by Caritas Youth and Community Service, with live-streaming on Facebook. He will join a panel of four other guests to discuss how to enhance social participation of ethnic minorities (EMs) in Hong Kong.
The other speakers include Dr LAU Ming-wai, Vice-Chairman of Youth Development Commission; Ms Lynn L LAW, Officer of Family and Community Service of Hong Kong Council of Social Service; Ms Ansah M MALIK, a frontline social worker at Caritas; and Mr Khan Khaild MOHAMMAD, a member of the Advisory Committee of Caritas Community Centre – Kowloon. The discussion will be moderated by acclaimed local comedian, Mr Vivek MAHBUBANI.
Education and employment are both integral elements of social participation. The EOC has made steadfast effort to promote equal opportunities for EMs in these domains, from commissioning research about the challenges facing schools with EM students to launching the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Employers (the Charter). To date, over 100 organisations have signed the Charter and pledged to create a racially diverse and inclusive workplace. The EOC has recently published an online booklet introducing related events in 2018-2019, as well as quotes from some of the signatories about why they have committed to the cause.
EOC Chairperson, Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin also published an article in Hong Kong Economic Journal, Inmedia, Sing Tao Daily and Stand News on 18 March 2020, calling out xenophobia and racial discrimination amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To read the article or learn more about the EOC’s initiatives in promoting racial equality, please click the links below.
Read Mr Chu’s article in AM730 (Chinese only)
Follow Caritas Youth and Communtiy Service on Facebook
Download the EOC’s Study on the Challenges Faced by Mainstream Schools in Educating Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong
Learn more about the Charter
Download the booklet
Read Mr Chu's article on racial discrimination amid COVID-19 (Chinese only)
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Log into Facebook today (20 March) at 10pm to join a Watch Party hosted by Down Syndrome International (DSI) ahead of the World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) on 21 March. Echoing the theme DSI picked for the 2020 WDSD, “We Decide”, the virtual programme has lined up people with Down syndrome to make videos where they share their insight and experience around the topic of inclusive participation – the idea that all people with Down syndrome should be empowered to fully participate in making decisions that affect their lives. Those joining the watch party will be able to comment and chat with each other.
The WDSD was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011. The date, 21 March, signifies the triplication of the 21st chromosome that defines Down syndrome. According to the United Nations, an estimate of 3,000 to 5,000 children are born every year with the condition, which has effects on learning styles, physical characteristics and health. With timely intervention, adequate health care, inclusive education and other community-based support systems, people with Down syndrome can fulfil their potential and enjoy a great quality of life like everybody else.
In Hong Kong, NGOs such as Hong Chi Association and The Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association provide a variety of support services for people with Down syndrome and other forms of intellectual impairment, as well as their families and carers. The Hong Chi Kwong Fuk Wai Yin Workshop, for instance, equips trainees with floral arrangement skills. Their works have appeared at social and corporate events alike, and earned lavish praise from clients across industries. Check out the documentary Let the Talents Bloom produced by the EOC and see for yourself how these floral artists upend stereotypes and brighten up not only the venues they decorate, but also their own lives.
Sign up for the watch party on Facebook
Learn more about WDSD
Watch Let the Talents Bloom on YouTube
Visit the official site of Hong Chi Association
Visit the official site of The Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association
