02 April 2012
Issue 49
02 April 2012
Issue 49
From 7 April 2012 to 30 March 2013, the EOC will join hands with the RTHK to broadcast a new show in Cantonese, 七百萬人的先鋒 (Programme on Gender Equity), with the support of the Hong Kong Federation of Women. This programme on RTHK Radio 1 (FM 92.6 - 94.4) will feature interviews of "women pioneers" who have broken new ground or overcome gender stereotypes and barriers. The show, on air every Saturday from 10:20pm to midnight, aims to provide an inspirational and interesting way for listeners to learn more about gender equality issues. Former senior government official, Ms Shelley Lee, and seasoned journalist, Au Ka-lun, will be the programme hosts, while the renowned Cantonese Opera performer, Lung Kim-sang, will be the guest of the first episode. Do tune in!
Read the RTHK’s press release for more details (Chinese version only)
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On 22 March 2012, the EOC announced the findings of the “Study on Racial Encounters and Discrimination Experienced by South Asians.” The Study found that there has not been a high degree of social integration and interaction between South Asians and local Chinese due to linguistic and cultural barriers. In addition, the main problems South Asians faced were learning to read and write Chinese for students and finding employment for adults. The EOC made a number of recommendations in the study to enhance social integration of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, particularly in the areas of employment; education; social interaction; and provision of goods, facilities, and services. Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, the EOC Chairperson, said that the Study “reminds policy makers and educators of the importance of designing effective programmes for ethnic minorities to overcome the language barrier.”
Read the press release
Read the Report
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To provide our views on the enhancement of community mental health services and advocate for Hong Kong to take proactive measures to provide community support and care to persons with mental illness, the EOC submitted a paper on the topic to the Panel on Health Services and Panel on Welfare Services Joint meeting held on 31 March 2012. The paper discusses the difficulties faced by persons with mental illness in a variety of areas, including medical care, lack of employment opportunities, and seeking community acceptance, as well as the EOC’s recommendations to tackle these key problems.
Read the EOC’s Submission to LegCo
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On 30 March 2012, the EOC Chairperson, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, attended a meeting of the Subcommittee on Improving Barrier Free Access and Facilities for Persons with Disabilities of the Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services to continue the Commission’s advocacy for the integration of Universal Design and its principles into the Government’s policies, as well as to monitor and discuss the progress of improvement plans from various stakeholders such as the Hospital Authority, the Transport and Housing Bureau, the Transport Department, MTR Corporation, and the Link. Mr. Lam also recognized the progress made, and urged the various stakeholders to vigorously continue with the improvement works. To widen the general public’s awareness on the benefits of Universal Design, the EOC has launched a roving exhibition on accessibility in eight MTR stations throughout the territory from now until May. The next two exhibitions will be at Central MTR Station from 4 to 6 April and at Shamshuipo MTR Station from 10-12 April. Please stop by and have a look !
Read the EOC's previous submission to the Subcommittee from February 2012
Read the Meeting Agenda and Papers
Exhibition schedules
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On 14 April, the EOC will celebrate the finale of our RTHK radio show "Equal Opportunities Diversity Project" with an event at Yuen Long Plaza. The theme of the event will be "Equal Employment Opportunity for All." The show aired from February 2011 to April 2012 on RTHK Radio 2 (FM 94.8-96.9) and featured celebrity interviews and phone-in sessions on the themes of racial and gender equality, inclusion of people with disabilities, and accommodation for persons with family status. Come and join our celebration in Yuen Long!
Listen to previous episodes of Equal Opportunities Diversity Project (in Cantonese)
"Colour our World": YouTube video on our last joint event with RTHK
Information about the performers at the event (Chinese version only)
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World Autism Awareness Day is observed annually on 2 April. The day presents an opportunity to improve public awareness and mobilize greater action to address this issue, including fighting stigma, improving access to care and job opportunities, and enhancing support for families and carers of people with autism. To continue our advocacy in this area, the EOC Chairperson, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, was one of the speakers at the 2012 Autism Summit on 31 March 2012 convened by Goldman Sachs, the Child Development Centre, and Autism Speaks. The theme of the summit was "Investing in our Future: the Economic Costs of Autism." The EOC strongly believes that everyone, including people with autism and other developmental disabilities, should have the right to lead meaningful lives without barriers. We call upon the community to work together to find a more coordinated strategy to tackle this issue.
Case analysis: Disability discrimination due to autism
EOC Chairperson's speech at the 2012 Autism Summit (English version only)
More details on the 2012 Autism Summit
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The Women's Foundation will organise the captioned panel discussion on 16 April 2012 from 6.30-8.00 pm. The EOC Chairperson, Mr. W.K. Lam, will deliver remarks to open the programme. Other esteemed speakers are: Prof. Paul Yip from the University of Hong Kong, Alex Lo of the South China Morning Post, Adrienne Burgess from the Fatherhood Institute of the United Kingdom, and Robin Egerton, Chair of the Hong Kong Family Law Association. Enrol now!
Panel discussion details and enrolment
Stay updated on the EOC's work and positions by referring to our press releases, speeches, media interviews, and calendar training on our website. 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.