On 14 February 2018, EOC Chairperson Professor Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming, along with senior staff members of the Commission, presented the EOC’s work progress and major upcoming initiatives to the Legislative Council Panel on Constitutional Affairs.

In his presentation, Professor Chan highlighted the progress achieved by the EOC on various fronts, since the last briefing was made to the Panel in April 2017. The major steps made included: the Government agreeing to take forward nine out of the 73 recommendations by the EOC under the Discrimination Law Review; policy measures introduced by the Government and public bodies in enhancing the education and employment prospects of ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities; and concerted efforts by different sectors to combat prevalent discrimination, such as sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination.

Professor Chan also explained the process review undertaken by the EOC, which aims to examine the complaint handling and legal assistance functions of the Commission, and consider possible enhancement measures. Simultaneously, the EOC is taking the opportunity to review the management structure and governance of the organisation, two years after implementation of its restructuring in 2015. The two reviews are overseen and steered by a review panel under the EOC Board, with the support of a Chief Project Manager recruited through open and fair procedures.  Upon completion of these reviews around mid-2018, the EOC will seek the endorsement of the Board on the findings and recommendations. Professor Chan emphasised that the EOC is committed to working closely with key stakeholders across different sectors, including the Government and NGOs, to seek for greater enhancement to its work in response to the needs of service users and the community.

Read the EOC’s submission to Legislative Council Panel on Constitutional Affairs
Read Professor Chan’s speech at the Panel meeting (Chinese only)

For many residents in Hong Kong, picking up groceries from the market is a simple, daily routine. Yet for wheelchair users, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and the elderly, this could be a daunting task, as they need to manoeuvre through countless barriers in their journey to the market. Take the market in Heng On Estate, Ma On Shan as an example. The main access to the market used to be connected by stairs, which made it difficult if not impossible for PWDs and the elderly to reach the market. For years, the residents have been requesting for the provision of barrier-free access but to no avail. Thereafter a complaint was lodged to the EOC under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance. Unfortunately, the case could not be settled by conciliation and talks came to a standstill. But instead of closing the file, the EOC took an extra step, and arranged for the parties concerned, including the Link REIT and the Owners’ Corporation to continue the discussion. Eventually, agreement was reached, with the Link REIT installing a ramp as part of the renovation works of the market early this year.

On 13 February, EOC Chairperson Professor Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming released a Chinese article in Stand News, detailing the background of the case, and the challenges faced by the EOC in handling and resolving the complaint. Professor Chan explained that legal action might not be the best solution for this case, given the extensive time and costs involved. Instead, by making use of the alternative dispute resolution process, including conciliation, mediation and negotiation, a settlement agreeable to all parties could be reached efficiently, and a positive relationship and goodwill could be maintained.

Read Professor Chan’s article in Stand News
Find out more about the Disability Discrimination Ordinance

With the tide of the #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns continuing to sweep across different places and sectors, there is more than ever a need to push forward the agenda of preventing sexual harassment. While this unwelcome act affects both men and women, complaint and research data indicates that women are more prone and vulnerable to sexual harassment.

In the advent of International Women’s Day on 8 March, a global day celebrating the social, cultural and political achievements of women, the EOC is joining hands with the Gender Research Centre of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong to organise a seminar on 5 March 2018. Entitled “Seminar on Enhancing Awareness of Sexual Harassment in Different Sectors”, the event aims to raise awareness and mobilise community effort to prevent sexual harassment.

The seminar will feature talks on formulating anti-sexual harassment policies in the education sector, insight into the cold shoulder response to the problem, sharing of study findings on workplace sexual harassment against female Mainland Chinese immigrants and grassroots women. There will also be panel discussion on how concerted effort of different sectors can prevent sexual harassment. Details of the seminar are as follows:

Date: Monday, 5 March 2018 (2pm – 4:45pm)
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, G/F, Yasumoto International Academic Park, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories (Exit D of University Station, East Rail Line)
Language: Cantonese

Parties interested in attending the seminar may register on or before Wednesday, 28 February 2018.  Seats are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register for the seminar
Access the anti-sexual harassment resources of the EOC

As Hong Kong celebrated the Lunar New Year, the city was laden with festive decorations. Consumers crowded the glitzy malls and busy markets to spend on gifts and indulgences. Yet in this city, there is another world – a poverty-stricken world where families struggle to make ends meet. With one of the world’s highest Gini coefficient, it is not surprising that a portion of the city’s population, including the ethnic minorities (EMs), is living in dire situation. In the latest Hong Kong Poverty Situation Report on Ethnic Minorities 2016 released by the Government in February 2018, the poverty rate of EMs went up from to 15.8% in 2011 to 19.4% in 2016. This means that almost one in every five EMs is living in poverty. Even taking into account Government subsidies and allowances, the rate stood at 14.5%, higher than that of the general population.

In response to the report, the EOC issued a media statement on 13 February, urging the Government to take concrete measures for improving the employment prospects of EMs as a key to alleviate their poverty. EOC Chairperson Professor Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming said, “The Poverty Situation Report on Ethnic Minorities 2016 shows alarming levels of poverty among the city’s ethnic minority population. Equal access to employment opportunities necessitates the provision of equal access to quality education and necessary support to overcome language and social barriers. The Government needs to study the data carefully and come up with concrete steps to help the EMs in order to show its commitment towards their betterment.”

The EOC has been advocating for greater support to the EMs in their education and employment. As well as working with the respective Government departments, such as Labour Department, on enhancing their services to EMs, the EOC also lines up the support of private enterprises on hiring more EMs. In the run-up to International Day on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March, the EOC is organising a number of events, including a public event in collaboration with Radio Television Hong Kong Radio 2 at Lok Fu Place in the afternoon of 10 March, and a seminar on inclusive corporate practices in collaboration with HSBC on 21 March. The EOC hopes that these events could raise awareness of the plight of EMs and encourage greater inclusion in society.

Read the EOC’s media statement
Read the EOC resource page “A World of Colours”