On 13 November, the Commission organised the EOC Forum 2014 at the Shek Mun Campus of the Hong Kong Baptist University in Shatin, with the aims of engaging the public in constructive dialogues, enhancing communication with stakeholders and enlisting support on our future work plans. In addition to a brief report on the EOC’s major work achievements by EOC Chairperson Dr York CHOW, the public forum focused on presenting the progress of the EOC’s three major work priorities, namely (i) learning Chinese as a second language by ethnic minority (EM) students; (ii) integrated education for students with special educational needs (SEN); and (iii) the EOC’s work on age discrimination in employment. Speakers of the Forum included Dr. Catherine K.K. CHAN, Deputy Secretary for Education (Curriculum & Quality Assurance Branch) and Miss Hera CHUM, Principal Assistant Secretary (Special Education & Kindergarten Education) from the Education Bureau. They respectively discussed the topics of “Learning Chinese as a Second Language by Ethnic Minority Students” and “Integrated Education for Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN)”. Prof. Randy CHIU, Director of the Centre for Human Resources Strategy and Development at the Hong Kong Baptist University, also shared his insights on “Age Smart Management in Hong Kong”, on how to retain and motivate company employees of different age groups.

Read the press release

The Commission places great importance on reporting our work to the public. To provide our stakeholders with more details about our work and accomplishments over the year 2013/14, the EOC has released our Annual Report and Fact Sheet. With the theme “Equal Rights for All”, the EOC’s Annual Report is a user-friendly information tool, which acts also as a medium to convey our message of equality, a way to shed light on our work, and a platform to educate the public on the four anti-discrimination ordinances under our mandate. To provide an easily readable snapshot of our major achievements over the year, the Commission has also produced the Fact Sheet 2013/14 with infographics and brief summaries of our initiatives. The Annual Report and Fact Sheet are now available in hard copy and on our website.

See the EOC’s Annual Report 2013/14
See the EOC’s Fact Sheet 2013/14

The majority of employers in Hong Kong are small-to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who may want assistance and resources to help promote equal opportunities in the workplace.  To facilitate this, the EOC will hold an information booth at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s World SME Expo on 4-6 December 2014. Visit us at booth 1E-C08 to learn more about how to encourage a discrimination-free workplace.

Date:	4 to 6 December 2014
Time:	9:30 am to 7:00 pm (4-5 December 2014) 9:30 am to 6:30 pm (6 December 2014)
Venue:	Booth 1E-C08, Hall 1E Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
*Free Admission

More about the World SME Expo

Amid globalization and increased competition, more and more companies and organizations are seeing the benefits of an equal opportunity workplace, most notably the ability to attract a more diverse pool of qualified individuals, less staff complaints and hence the resources spent on resolving the complaints and above all, better staff morale. The EO Club is the EOC’s dedicated platform for working with businesses and organizations to assist them in implementing good management practices and to ensure that they are prepared to apply equality standards in their work environment. We also work with employers and human resource professionals to enhance their understanding of their rights and responsibilities under the anti-discrimination ordinances. Membership privileges include access to members-only workshops and other tailored resources. Click on the link below to find out more or join us.

Join the EO Club

Too often, people with disabilities face significant barriers in accessing equal opportunities, including here in Hong Kong. The exclusion of people with disabilities from various areas of daily life negatively impacts the whole society, holding everyone back from the benefits of each person’s individual talents. With the International Day for Persons with Disabilities coming up on 3 December, the EOC calls on the community to join together to enable people with disabilities to participate in all areas of life, including policymaking, employment, and the simple enjoyment of leisure activities. On 10 December 2014, the EOC will organize a free workshop, “Access for All”, which aims to explore the provisions under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance in relation to access to premises and provision of goods and services, as well as to explore practical ways of implementing accessible workplace practices. For more details or to register, please see the link below.

Details on the EOC’s Calendar Training
More information about the Disability Discrimination Ordinance
Barrier-Free Life: The EOC’s Resource Page on Disability Issues

On 5 November 2014, the EOC participated in the Equal Opportunities Festival 2014 at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) by holding an activity booth to provide participants with more information about the work of the Commission and the anti-discrimination ordinances. Dr. Ferrick CHU, the EOC’s Head of the Policy and Research Unit, represented the Commission to participate in the Festival. The Equal Opportunities Festival is an annual series of events including talks, sharing session, book exhibition, and visual communication theatre, organised to promote the values of diversity and inclusion among HKU students. This year, the theme of the event is “To build a barrier-free society for all”. As part of this event, the EOC is organising two workshops at HKU – one, on the topic of disability discrimination, was held on 6 November, while another, on the issue of sexual harassment, will take place on 20 November.

More about the Equal Opportunities Festival 2014
View the photos of the EOC at HKU’s EO Festival 2014