Equal Opportunities Commission Issues Recommendations To Reform

Hong Kong's Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has made 73 recommendations to the government to reform the city's existing four anti-discrimination ordinances, namely:

• Sex Discrimination Ordinance;
• Family Status Discrimination Ordinance;
• Race Discrimination Ordinance; and
• Disability Discrimination Ordinance.

The EOC highlighted 27 issues as higher priority areas for reform. In summary these are:

• Providing stronger and more comprehensive protection for various vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, women, and ethnic minorities.
  
  
  • Recommendations include introducing express protection for people with disabilities who are accompanied by assistance animals and women who are breastfeeding, and expanding the protection against racial discrimination by association beyond close relatives to also cover friends, colleagues, and other associates.