To enhance transparency of our work, the EOC held a press conference after its 87th EOC Meeting on 16 September 2010 to review its performance in the fiscal year 2009/10. The EOC handled a total of 1,114 complaints, a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year, and approved 30 out of 69 applications for legal assistance. 80 percent of the complaints handled were employment-related. The EOC secured a total of HK$12 million in monetary compensation over this year in addition to other remedies such as apologies, changes in policy, and provision of rights and benefits. In addition, the EOC has launched various training, advocacy, research and public education initiatives to advance public understanding and support for equal opportunities issues.

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At its Policy and Research Committee (PARC) meeting on 9 September 2010, the EOC identified accessibility as one of the priority items for our policy and advocacy action. In line with these strategic directions and following up on our Formal Investigation (FI) on Accessibility in Publicly Accessible Premises from June, the EOC Chairperson, Mr. Lam Woon-kwong and PARC Convenor, The Hon FUNG Kin-kee, Frederick, have made calls for the Link Management and the Government to promptly improve barrier-free access in publicly owned premises and the Link’s shopping centres. In an RTHK interview on 13 September 2010, the EOC’s Chairperson reiterated his dissatisfaction with the Link’s response to the issues raised by the EOC, and urged the property management firm to “strike a balance between having a social conscience and pursuing commercial considerations”. The EOC’s stance was widely covered in the local media and supported by newspaper editorials.

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The EOC, in our commitment to promoting gender equality in Hong Kong, is supporting the mentorship programme launched by the Women’s Foundation (TWF), which pairs up young women with mentors according to career interest. The EOC is dedicated to fighting gender stereotypes which may hold individuals back from achieving their potentials or aspiring to leadership positions. As the EOC’s Chairperson, Mr. Lam Woon-kwong, mentioned at the press conference to launch this mentorship programme on 2 September 2010, the decisions of some women to turn down promotions or resign early “may be influenced by the traditional gender roles. It is a loss to society as we lost many potentially good leaders”. The EOC’s position was mentioned in editorials and broadly reported by the local media.

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The EOC is pleased to announce the launch of a new webpage, “Barrier-Free Life”, on our website to explore topics relating to accessibility and promote available resources on leading a barrier-free lifestyle. The webpage, aimed at all people particularly persons with disabilities and family status, is part of the EOC’s initiatives to improve public understanding of and support for accessibility issues and universal design.