bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

In the fifth round of the 12th Nesta-SCMP Debating Competition, Kowloon Sam Yuk Secondary School  and Notre Dame College  debated the motion 'Hong Kong isn't doing enough to ensure gender equality'. 
Sam Yuk was the affirmative and Notre Dame took the negative stance.
The debate took place on  Tuesday at Notre Dame College. The adjudicators were Jeff Bell, English teacher from HKFEW Wong Cho Bau Secondary School,  and Peter Ball, English teacher from HKSYCIA Wong Tai Shan Memorial College.  
The affirmative side kicked off the debate with a clear strategy, arguing that words and reality were different. 
'The government may have signed different agreements and enacted laws to enhance gender equality, but in reality, men and women are not treated in the same way,' said Form Seven student Kelly Chui Kin-yi,  who was the team's first speaker.
She went on to list statistics that showed women were not as well-represented in politics and public service as men. She also highlighted the gap in income between men and women.
The negative side countered by insisting that the government was doing all it could to ensure gender equality. But that took time, it added. 
'Gender equality in Hong Kong is a work in progress,' said Victor Wong Ka-ho, a Form Seven student who was the negative side's first speaker. 'It does not happen overnight. The government has signed agreements and enacted laws to improve gender equality.' 
Flora Tsoi Tsz-miu, also a From Seven student, was Sam Yuk's  third speaker. She pointed out that laws alone could not ensure gender equality. People's prejudices also had to be overcome. 
'Laws or treaties cannot change people's minds,' she said. 'Words are different from reality. An obvious example of gender inequality that cannot be resolved through administrative means is the village house scheme. Only males have the right to build houses in the New Territories. The government says it is not going to change this rule because it wants to protect the local culture.'
In the end, the adjudicators gave the edge to Sam Yuk. 
'They started with the team line that words and reality are different and all three speakers related to that. Their team line was consistent throughout the debate,' Bell said. 
Flora was named the debate's best speaker. 'She is a very strong speaker. I think the point she raised on New Territories villagers was great,' Ball said. 
The speakers from the negative side were in turn praised for their good delivery. The adjudicators advised them, however, to try to make their points easier to follow. 
'Try to keep things simple [in listing facts and figures],' Bell said. 'Don't say 19.3 per cent; simply go with about 20 per cent.' 
The contest is organised by the Native English Speaking Teachers' Association and The South China Morning Post.



A battle of wits