24 May 2012
Issue 53
24 May 2012
Issue 53
On 17 May 2012, an article by the EOC Chairperson, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, appeared under the title "Family First" in the South China Morning Post. Long working hours, a near-absence of family-friendly work arrangements, and gender stereotypes all have negatively impacted Hong Kong's families. The article urged Hong Kong's workers to give our loved ones the attention they deserve and strive for better work-family balance. The EOC Chairperson also encouraged employers to do more to enable a family-friendly work environment, which would be to the company's benefit. "By building a supportive work culture, companies can become employers of choice," said Mr. Lam.
Read the article
*********************************************
On 18 May 2012, the EOC Chairperson, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, was a speaker at the first part of the Gender Gap in Pay Discussion Panels, organized by the Women's Foundation. During the session, Mr. Lam, along with other experts on the topic, covered a variety of issues including the current gender pay gap situation in Hong Kong in the context of social and demographic changes, occupational segregation along gender lines, and current legislative protection against gender pay inequality. Mr. Lam pointed to structural causes of the gender pay gap, such as the near-absence of childcare support especially at the low-income level, as well as the impact of prevailing gender stereotypes on maintaining the gap in pay between women and men. Mr. Lam further urged the panel's participants to make their views on this issue known at both the corporate and social levels and vigorously reject stereotypes in their daily lives. The second part of this panel discussion will be held on 26 June 2012 and aims at providing participants with practical advice on how to attain equitable pay. Please click on the below link for more details.
Event details
*********************************************
The EOC's youth mentorship programme, "Career Challenge," held a sharing session with Guest Mentor Mr. Kenny So on 11 May 2012. Career Challenge underlines the importance of breaking down stereotypes, which often limits the life choices for young people. As a registered social worker and a pop-song lyricist with cerebral palsy, Kenny shared with the young mentees his experience in overcoming his disabilities to lead a happy life. Kenny's story of success, as well as this Career Challenge sharing session, was covered by the "Tuesday Report" from TVB News. Click on the link below to view the clip of this episode.
View the episode (Part I in Cantonese only)
View the episode (Part II in Cantonese only)
More information on the Career Challenge programme
HK Career Challenge Facebook Page
*********************************************
To further promote the concept of "Access for All", our roving exhibition on accessibility will be extended to the northern part of the New Territories from mid June to early August 2012. The exhibition, which was previously staged at eight MTRC stations of the urban rail from March to May 2012, will be staged in six MTRC stations of the East Rail. It features 3-D displays of the perspectives of four user groups, namely people with visual impairment, people with hearing impairment, wheelchair users, and elderly people. With this exhibition, the EOC aims to raise awareness on the benefits of Universal Design in everyone's daily life and solicit public support for improving access. Check out the schedule below and come visit us.
| MTRC Stations | MTRC Stations | |||
| 19 - 21 June | Hung Hom | 10 - 12 July | Sheung Shui | |
| 26 - 28 June | Mong Kok East | 17 - 19 July | Fanling | |
| 3 - 5 July | Tai Po Market | 31 July - 2 August | Sha Tin |
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.