Equal Opportunities Commission

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Speeches

Inclusion Recruitment Conference 2024
Organised by Queer Straight Alliance

Speech by Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau, Chairperson, Equal Opportunities Commission

21/10/2024

Jessica (Jessica Chan, Co-President, Queer Straight Alliance)

Inez (Inez Wong, Co-President, Queer Straight Alliance)

Marina (Marina Tong, Chief Operating Officer, HSBC)

Distinguished guests and friends

Good evening. Thank you for inviting me to this year’s Inclusion Recruitment Conference. It’s really exciting to see so many young people coming together to explore solutions for creating a more diverse and inclusive future for our city. The Alliance has played an indispensable role in promoting the values of diversity, equality, and inclusion or DEI in the community for over a decade, and I’m sure that the discussions and dialogue today will further strengthen the organisation’s ability to drive meaningful change going forward.

As the theme of this year’s conference highlights, we are living in an age of innovation. In just a few short years, artificial intelligence has brought fundamental changes to many aspects of daily life and transformed how various industries operate. The presence of smart technology in everyday life also continues to grow, becoming essential parts of our homes, workplaces, and public spaces.

The speed of change is exhilarating. Yet, amidst the rapid technological advancement, there are important questions we need to ask about its impact on society. As the statutory body responsible for implementing the anti-discrimination ordinances, we at the EOC are particularly interested in one question: how can we ensure that technological innovations benefit everyone?

There is no doubt that technology has brought greater convenience for many people. But at the same time, we must not forget that technological advancement can be a double-edged sword. While innovations may simplify life for some, they can also inadvertently introduce new obstacles or even exacerbate the exclusion of others.

Let me give you a few examples. More and more restaurants are now relying on self-service kiosks to take orders. For many of us, using these machines is often the faster and more convenient option. However, for those with visual impairments, these machines can create additional barriers when eating out. Separately, a recent study by UNESCO also found that popular Large Language Models reproduce gender biases, portray sexual minorities negatively, and reinforce racial stereotypes.

So, how can we root out these implicit biases in our technology and ensure greater inclusion as we continue to innovate?

I believe the solution to this challenge does not lie in simply improving technology. Instead, businesses and organisations need to prioritise the values of DEI in their talent strategy. That’s because when employers take proactive steps to build teams that celebrate differences, the diverse perspectives from individuals with different backgrounds and life experiences can lead to innovations that empower everyone.

The story of Vint Cerf, who is considered one of “the fathers of the Internet”, serves as a powerful illustration of how diversity can enhance innovation. As a person with hearing impairment, Cerf couldn’t rely on voice calls to communicate with others. His disability and his unique experience with technology eventually played a part in leading him to contribute to the development of e-mail. Of course, as we all know today, e-mail has improved communication not just for those who are deaf or hard of hearing but for all of us.

Here in Hong Kong, we are encouraged to see that an increasing number of companies are putting the values of DEI at the forefront of their recruitment strategy. Nevertheless, despite the growing recognition of the benefits a diverse workforce can bring, significant barriers remain for minority groups and people with different abilities to access equal opportunities in the workplace. The unemployment rate of people with disabilities, for example, was almost double that of the general population in 2020. Figures from last year also showed that the labour force participation rate of women is lower than that of men. And for the non-Chinese speaking communities and the LGBTQ+ community, stereotypes and discrimination continue to be a fact of everyday life.

Convincing more employers to become our allies and put the values of DEI into practice will require commitment and contributions from everyone. Raising awareness about the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace through events such as today’s conference is certainly an important step. At the same time, we need more companies that embrace DEI to share their success stories and help strengthen the business case for expanding the talent pool.

For our part, the EOC has been working with companies in different sectors and of different sizes to help them realise their DEI goals. For example, our Racial Diversity and Inclusion Charter for Employers, which provides a list of practical policies and practices for employers to implement to enhance racial inclusion, has grown to include over 480 signatories. And through training and consultation, we are empowering HR professionals and their organisations to eliminate biases in their recruitment process and provide support for talent from different backgrounds to thrive in the workplace.

Besides raising awareness and education, we see that policy changes are necessary to encourage more employers to hire from marginalised communities and create inclusive work environments. In recent years, we have advocated the importance of providing incentives for employers to hire people with disabilities, strengthening career planning and support for non-ethnic Chinese young people, and enhancing support for carers to help them balance responsibilities at home and at work.

In regard to enhancing protection for sexual minorities, the EOC is certainly concerned about the discrimination the LGBTQ+ community faces, even though our statutory responsibility covers the four anti-discrimination ordinances. Indeed, we believe that no one should be subject to discrimination on the ground of their characteristics – whether it is age, gender, disability, family status, race, sexual orientation or gender identity. As part of our regular review of the workings of the anti-discrimination ordinances, we have been looking into the feasibility of including gender orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics as protected characteristics under the existing legal framework, and will continue the study, while hearing the views of different stakeholders.

Before I conclude, I want to give a word of encouragement to all the students and young people here today. Keep working to create a society with equal opportunities for all. Change doesn’t come overnight and it’s often the result of a multitude of actions, no matter how big or small. Your commitment to advocacy, your dedication to building alliances, and your passion for equality are the building blocks of the inclusive future we strive to achieve. By incorporating the values of DEI into the technologies we create and the innovations that we implement, we can foster a more inclusive society and empower people to lead meaningful lives.

Thank you once again for inviting me here today. I wish the Inclusive Recruitment Conference resounding success, and look forward to working with you all to make a truly diverse and inclusive society a reality.

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