【明報專訊】In September 2010, the management of HKCWC Fung Yiu King Memorial Secondary School apologised to a woman teacher who had taught there for asking her to be in a dress at work. The incident aroused concern about gender stereotyping and discrimination.
Kwong Hoying got her first full-time teaching job at Fung Yiu King Memorial Secondary School in 2007. She went to work in a pair of pants, which she considered quite appropriate. However, in the first week, she got three warnings from her principal. She was told that all women teachers were required to be in skirts at work. She turned to the Equal Opportunities Commission for help and subsequently took the school to court for discriminating against its women teachers. The legal battle dragged on for three years. She finally got an apology from the school. Her case has drawn attention to the "old-fashioned" gender stereotyping in our modern society, especially in the education sector.
■Keywords
gender stereotype……性別定型
Sex Discrimination Ordinance……《性別歧視條例》
Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)……平等機會委員會
■Questions
1. What issue does the above passage point to?
2. To what extent is Kwong's victory significant?
3. Are people of both sexes still treated differently in Hong Kong? Use examples to illustrate your answer.
■Further readings
Equal Opportunities Commission: http://www.eoc.org.hk
