The Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) co-organized an event: “To Foster the Olympic Spirit: Seminar on Eliminating Discrimination and Anti-sexual Harassment in Sports Sector” today (30 January 2018). The Seminar was attended by more than 200 representatives and staff members of various sports organisations and their affiliates. With the support from the Home Affairs Bureau and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Seminar aimed at raising the awareness on eliminating discrimination and preventing sexual harassment in the sports sector, as well as assisting sports organisations in understanding how to develop anti-sexual harassment policies and handle complaints, to ensure that everyone can participate in sports activities in a safe environment.

Prof Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming, SBS, JP, Chairperson of the EOC said, “Last year, hurdler Miss Vera LUI Lai-yiu revealed on the social media that she was sexually assaulted by her coach during her teens. The incident has triggered widespread discussion in the society and cast the spotlight on sexual harassment issues. In the past three years, the Equal Opportunities Commission has received 233 complaints regarding sexual harassment. A lot of victims choose to remain silent, implying that sexual harassment might be more severe than we have thought. Sexual harassment is a serious problem in our community and we must face it squarely. The EOC has started an Anti-Sexual Harassment Campaign since 2013. The EOC and the SF&OC have decided to organize today’s seminar again in order to raise the sports sector’s awareness on discrimination and sexual harassment issues, and to assist sports organisations in developing policies to protect athletes against sexual harassment.”

Mr Ronnie M.C. WONG, JP, Honorary Secretary General of the SF&OC said, “The SF&OC has always been highly concerned about discrimination and sexual harassment issues in the sports sector, and has adopted a series of measures to protect athletes against harassment and abuse of power. Discrimination and sexual harassment not just violate the Olympic spirit, but also threaten the well-being of individuals and the team. As spokespersons of the Hong Kong sports sector, the SF&OC and all sports institutions must take the lead in protecting the rights of everyone participating in sports. With a number of large-scale international multi-sports events to be held in 2018, the sports sector must join hands together at this critical time, to create a respectful and safe environment for athletes and their teams to prepare for these sports events.”

Mr YEUNG Tak-keung, JP, Commissioner for Sports, Home Affairs Bureau said, “Sports development has been making steady progress in Hong Kong in recent years and Hong Kong athletes have obtained remarkable achievement in international sports competitions. If the sports sector in Hong Kong is to continue to strive for excellence, sports organisations must enhance their governance and the professional knowledge of their teams. Various speakers have been invited to talk about the anti-discrimination ordinances and how to eliminate sexual harassment today. We hope to facilitate sports organisations in understanding such ordinances and raise their awareness. We encourage them to be more proactive in adopting open and transparent measures and guidelines to promote equal opportunities for all in the sports sector.”

Speaking at the Seminar, Prof LEUNG Mee-lee, MH, Honorary Deputy Secretary General of the SF&OC, talked about the SF&OC’s work with the International Olympic Committee in promoting gender equality and preventing sexual harassment. Dr Ferrick CHU Chung-man, Director of Policy, Research & Training of the EOC, explained the anti-discrimination legislation and how to eliminate sexual harassment. Mr CHONG Yiu-kwong, Solicitor, Deputy Convenor, Working Group on Anti-Sexual Harassment Campaign of the EOC talked about the liabilities of sports organisations and formulating an effective anti-sexual harassment policy.

In their closing remarks, Ms Carmen K. M. LEE, Member of the SF&OC Athletes Committee and rowing athlete said, “On behalf of Hong Kong athletes, I would like to urge all sports organizations to formulate a mechanism and guidelines for handling and preventing discrimination and sexual harassment, and to educate all parties about the problem. This would help create a respectful and safe environment for athletes, coaches and other supporting personnel such that they can contribute to the well-being of the team wholeheartedly and strive for better results together.”

“As a female athlete, whenever I find other female athletes being discriminated against or sexually harassed, I would wonder: as a woman and as an athlete, what can we do to prevent similar incidents from happening again? Besides, when facing sexual harassment and discrimination issues, we need to bear in mind that athletes of all ages, nationalities and genders are equally vulnerable to sexual harassment. We have to let more athletes and stakeholders in the sports industry understand our rights and obligations through education and promotional work,” said Miss YU Chui-yee, Board Member of Equal Opportunities Commission and Hong Kong Paralympics representative in wheelchair fencing, at the closing. She also urged sports lovers to be more confident in reporting sexual harassment cases to protect athletes from sexual harassment.

Following the successful conclusion of the Seminar, the SF&OC and the EOC will organize two workshops on preventing sexual harassment and handling related complaints in March 2018.

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Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China
Equal Opportunities Commission

30 January 2018