On the 25th of November every year, the world observes the International Day on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW), sending out a sombering reminder of the abuse and debasement women continue to suffer on a daily basis. According to the United Nations, one in every three women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most frequently by an intimate partner.

In response to recent media reports about EOC receiving a “C” status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), EOC Chairperson, Prof Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming published an article in am730 on 28 November 2018 to further clarify the reasons behind the accreditation, following a statement issued by the EOC on 21 November 2018.

SmartBiz Expo is coming back next week, from 5-7 December 2018 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The EOC is once again joining this annual get-together, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for companies across a range of industries and sectors, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

A pioneering, EOC-funded study on ethnic minority (EM) elders was released on 20 November 2018. Entitled “Acculturation and Needs Assessment of Elderly Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong: A Qualitative Study”, the research was jointly conducted by the Department of Social Work and Social Administration of the Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Christian Service.

On 28 November 2018, the EOC hosted a visit by participants of the “Shared Value” programme organised by CSR Asia. Through an interactive idea-jamming session, they were invited to reflect on why diversity matters to both employers and employees, and ways to build an inclusive workplace.