| Equal
Opportunities The Government is firmly committed to promoting equal opportunities
for all and eliminating all forms of discrimination. We have-as appropriate-adopted
various legislative, administrative, and/or educational measures to promote equal
opportunities for people of different gender, family status, sexual orientation and
race. Sex and Family Status The Sex
Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 480) and the Family Status
Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 527) came into force in 1996 and 1997 respectively
to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sex and family status. The Equal
Opportunities Commission , which is an independent statutory body established
in 1996 under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, is responsible for overseeing
the implementation of these ordinances.
Sexual Orientation
The Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Unit was established in May 2005 to provide dedicated service for the promotion of equal opportunities for people of different sexual orientation and transgendered persons. The Unit is responsible for managing and monitoring the Equal Opportunities (Sexual Orientation) Funding Scheme; launching publicity and education programmes; maintaining a hotline for enquiries and complaints on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity; and providing secretariat support to the Sexual Minorities Forum.
We promote equal opportunities on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity through various publicity and educational measures. These include, among others, the Equal Opportunities (Sexual Orientation) Funding Scheme which provides funding support to worthwhile community projects that promote equal opportunities on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, or provide support services for the sexual minorities.
In September 2004, we established the Sexual Minorities Forum to provide a regular and formal channel for non-governmental organisations and the Government to exchange views on issues concerning sexual minorities and transgendered persons in Hong Kong. Click here for the Forum's meeting notes and papers.
Race
Promotion
and support services Over the years, we have been active in
promoting racial harmony and integration through public education and support
services to ethnic minorities. Examples are Equal
Opportunities (Race) Funding Scheme for community based projects, publications
for adults and children, and advertising campaigns. In June 2002, we established
the Committee
on the Promotion of Racial Harmony and the Race
Relations Unit to improve our services to the ethnic minorities. The Committee
advises the Bureau on activities for the promotion of racial harmony. The Unit
is the Committee's secretariat and puts the latter's proposals into effect. It
also conducts promotional activities in schools and maintains a hotline for complaints
and enquiries about racial discrimination. For details, please visit the Race
Relations Unit's website. Ethnic Minorities Forum
We established the Ethnic
Minorities Forum in 2003 in order to provide a regular and formal channel
of communication between the Government and Hong Kong' s minority communities
and the organizations dedicated to serving them. The Forum serves to keep us informed
of the concerns and needs of the ethnic communities and provides opportunities
to discuss possible ways of addressing them. The first meeting was held on 30
July 2003. Click here
for the Forum' s meeting notes and papers. Race Discrimination
Ordinance
The Race Discrimination Ordinance was passed by the Legislative Council on 10 July and gazetted on 18 July 2008.
Under section 1(2) of the Race Discrimination Ordinance (29 of 2008), 3 October 2008 was the day on which sections 1, 59, 61, 62, 63, 82, 83, 91,92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 and 106 of the Ordinance came into operation.
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