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EOC acts to address plight of ethnic minorities amid COVID-19
To gain a deeper understanding of the difficulties facing different ethnic minority communities and find ways to alleviate their plight that has been heightened by the COVID-19 outbreak, Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin, Chairperson of the EOC recently met with representatives of various organisations, including the Hong Kong Nepalese Federation, the Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions, and Caritas Youth and Community Service. The EOC subsequently published an op-ed article on Stand News and EJ Insight, calling for a wider recognition of the contributions made by ethnic minorities to Hong Kong, and greater cultural sensitivity among policymakers and the public.
The pandemic has exposed long-standing language barriers that impede access to information for ethnic minorities. While official information on health protection and quarantine measures is now available in minority languages, such as Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Sinhalese, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu and Vietnamese, the translation is sometimes incomplete or even inaccurate. The EOC has therefore written to the Centre for Health Protection, urging for better quality checks on the translation.
In addition, as a considerable number of ethnic minority employees work in some of the hardest hit industries, including aviation, catering, construction, hospitality and others, some have been laid off or put on unpaid leave. Community leaders have also pointed out that although the Government has rolled out subsidy schemes and other relief measures, some people may be reluctant to apply as they see self-reliance as a virtue and are discouraged by the social stigma around recipients of social security assistance. The EOC plans to relay these concerns to relevant authorities, with a view to ensuring that relief measures and related publicity efforts can properly address the needs of ethnic minorities.
Foreign domestic workers, too, have their share of challenges. Whether it is the pressure of additional work demands or the fear of getting dismissed after going out on a rest day, the onslaught of COVID-19 has taken a toll on both their physical and mental health. In a letter to the Department of Health, the EOC has requested that the Government provide more guidance for foreign domestic workers living with employers who are under home quarantine. The EOC has also released an article in am730 appealing to employers to show greater empathy, while publishing an FAQ on its dedicated COVID-19 webpage to explain the rights of foreign domestic workers under the anti-discrimination law. Click the links below to learn more.
