At the 104^th EOC Meeting on 19 December 2013, Members of the EOC discussed various initiatives of the Commission over the past year. In particular, Members reviewed the progress of the review of the existing anti-discrimination ordinances, which has initially identified possible areas for amendment in conjunction with preliminary meetings with stakeholder groups. The public consultation on the review of the anti-discrimination law is expected to be launched in mid-2014 for a period of three months. The EOC Chairperson, Dr. York CHOW, also briefed Members on meetings with senior management of local universities to advocate support for students with disability and special needs, review of Chinese language requirements for admission of ethnic minority students, and the establishment of proper procedures for handling sexual harassment complaints from students and staff.

Read the press release

The EOC’s vision is an inclusive society where no one will face barriers to equal opportunities. However, we are aware that many in society continue to face discrimination due to characteristics such as age, sexual orientation and gender identity, which are currently not specifically protected by anti-discrimination legislation. To better understand the situation amid increasing public interest, the EOC is introducing a new exploratory study on the issue of age discrimination in employment with a view to examining the need for legislation against age discrimination in Hong Kong. In addition, in line with the EOC’s Three-Year Strategic Work Plan and in the light of Hong Kong’s international obligation to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, the EOC will be launching a systematic study to identify discrimination, harassment, and vilification encountered by sexual minorities in the public domain, including employment, education and training, social interaction, and access to services and facilities. Based on the findings, the EOC will seek public views through questionnaires and focus group discussions on measures to tackle this issue, including legislating against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Learn more about the EOC’s Three Year Strategic Work Plan

The Anti-Sexual Harassment Campaign is one of the EOC’s major ongoing undertakings. Earlier this year, the EOC has published a series of surveys and a study relating to combating sexual harassment in education and business sectors. To follow up on the findings, the EOC has undertaken an array of measures to help the sectors tackle sexual harassment. Specifically, the Commission has developed frameworks for designing and implementing an anti-sexual harassment policy in schools and the workplace, which are available on the EOC website. Workshops and seminars on the formulation of such policies are also provided for relevant stakeholders in these sectors, including principals and teaching staff of schools. More recently, the EOC has launched a dedicated webpage “Dignity for All”, which provides a one-stop resource for addressing sexual harassment in the education and employment settings.

“Dignity for All”: the EOC’s resource webpage on addressing sexual harassment
Framework for Sexual Harassment Policies in Schools
Framework for Corporate Policy on Sexual Harassment

Advocating for equality is one of the key areas of the EOC’s work. On 10 December 2013, the EOC Chairperson, Dr. York CHOW, gave a talk on the issue of “Ethnic Minorities’ Challenges in Hong Kong,” at a breakfast organised by the British Chamber of Commerce. In the talk, Dr. Chow discussed the struggle faced by many ethnic minorities for equal access to education and employment opportunities, as well as the Commission’s initiatives to tackle these issues. On 5 and 11 December 2013, representatives from the EOC presented the Commission’s work to promote racial equality to the Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony and the Ethnic Minority Forum respectively. Meanwhile, the EOC continues to outreach to the ethnic minority communities. On 14 December 2013, the EOC participated in the forum organised by Confucius Hall Secondary School, to share our views on issues faced by ethnic minority students and what the EOC has been doing to address the situation, including our urge to local universities to consider third-language capabilities as additional qualifications in university admission.

“A World of Colours”: the EOC’s resource webpage on racial equality
Read the EOC Chairperson’s September 2013 article on this issue

From now until 8 March 2014, members of the public who downloaded the EOC Smart Phone App may enter a lucky draw, and stand a chance of winning an iPad mini or a portable charger for mobile phones. The EOC smart phone app has been developed to facilitate convenient access to the EOC’s information. It features an introduction to the EOC, a brief description of the four anti-discrimination ordinances, our latest news, a multimedia centre and a mini-game. Another significant feature of the app is that it provides users with “Barrier-Free Access Support” to cater to the special needs of different users.

Download the EOC Smart Phone App for iPhone
Download the EOC Smart Phone App for Android
Enter for the Lucky Draw
Press release on the introduction of the EOC Smart Phone Apps

“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and [with] equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” – Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

Nelson Mandela passed away on 5 December 2013. In his struggle against systemic racial discrimination in his country, he inspired millions around the world to embrace the ideals of equality, inclusion, and justice. The EOC salutes the life of this great man who, through his dedication and sacrifice, proved that equal opportunities were not only a possibility, but also a necessity for society to progress. At his memorial on 10 December, aptly Human Rights Day, world leaders again reiterated the importance of fairness and equality for all as Mandela’s legacy. The EOC will draw inspiration from Mandela’s example as we fight for a society where all persons can live with equal opportunities.

The EOC is committed to advancing equal opportunity in education for students with special educational needs. Towards this goal, the Commission is a co-organiser of the Education Bureau’s “Home-school Co-operation in Building an Inclusive School Culture Award Scheme,” along with the Subsidized Primary Schools Council, the Union of Government Primary School Headmasters and Headmistresses, the Hong Kong Subsidized Secondary Schools Council, the Association of Principals of Government Secondary Schools, the Hong Kong Special Schools Council and the Committee on Home-School Co-operation. The award scheme aims to promote inclusive school culture through commendation to families that provide appropriate support for their children with special educational needs, as well as families or parent teams that actively co-operate with schools in implementing inclusive policies and practices. Nominations for the award can be made to the Education Bureau by 31 January 2014.

Learn more about the award scheme (in Chinese only)