Pornography may be on the rise on an alarming scale in Hong Kong, but local women's groups are apparently unprepared. Group representatives cite more pressing issues like the introduction of more far-reaching anti-discrimination legislation and various services for women as their top priorities. General-secretary of the Hong Kong Women Christian Council, Rose Wu Lo-sai, said widespread pornography posed a threat to women's standing in society. She called on the newly-established Equal Opportunities Commission to start thinking about ways to educate the public on subtle forms of sexism and discrimination, and to build up a proper image of women. Cheung Yuet-lan, chairwoman of the Democratic Party's Women's Committee, is equally concerned. The widespread infiltration of pornography in the media, she warns, could reinforce a tendency among the public to judge women on their looks alone. To ensure compliance with the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance, the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) now has a patrol team of 14 officers, a rise from 10 before March, conducting regular inspections of publications on sale on news-stands and in shops to see if they violate rules. Sales of obscene articles are currently banned and all articles classified as indecent required to be sealed in a wrapper and attached with a warning label. Yet to the dismay of some women representatives, members of the patrolling team happen to be all male. Public Affairs Committee chairman of the Association of Professional and Business Women, Carole Petersen, points out that an all-male team could give an 'incomplete view' of the standards of printed materials available on the streets. She urges TELA to have consultations with women's groups in deciding whether some material is in breach of the Ordinance. The public can submit complaints to TELA concerning violations of the ordinance either by writing or calling the complaints hotline on 2594 5836.