Hong Kong’s sex discrimination ordinance at twenty-five

Achievements, legislative change and continuing challenges

Bibliographic Data

ID12573422
AuthorsAmy Barrow (0000-0003-2047-6172, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume22
Issue2
Pages107-124
Publication date2022-04-18
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Discrimination and the Law (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1358-2291 • E-ISSN: 2047-9468
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/13582291221088423
OpenAlexW4223952946
LanguageEN
References cited14

This article critiques Hong Kong’s Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) as it turns 25, considering its achievements and impact, whilst highlighting continuing challenges for its operation. Although the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), the statutory body responsible for investigating and conciliating discrimination complaints, has promoted the ordinance and disseminated evidence-based research on sex discrimination, sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination, the limited number of litigated cases has inhibited the educative impact of how discriminatory practices are perpetrated across a range of settings including in employment and the provision of goods and services. Politically contentious exemptions persist, and recent law reform does not go far enough in addressing the limitations of the SDO. Drawing on case law and qualitative research interviews with members of the EOC, scholars and non-governmental organisations, this paper questions whether Hong Kong’s SDO is coming of age. The article concludes that despite it 25-year history, there is much works that remains to be done to enhance societal understandings of gender equality

Commission · Criminology · Harassment · Legislature · Political science · Sex discrimination · Sociology · Statutory law · Discrimination and Equality Law · Gender and Women's Rights · Law · Sex work and related issues

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