A Provisional Urban Councillor has been accused of sexual discrimination after suggesting that mishandling of the bird flu crisis was linked to women in the Government.
'Why are so many of the SAR's senior officials female?' Joseph Chan Yeuk-sut said during an open meeting to discuss the inter-departmental group handling the alert. 'The Government's lack of ability to deal with the crisis has completely exposed this.' He said he was not pointing the finger at Director of Urban Services Elaine Chung Lai-kwok, who was in the chamber and did not reply.
However, chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission Dr Fanny Cheung Miu-ching jumped on the issue, saying the remark 'reflected a gender-biased and discriminatory attitude'.
'It is regrettable that a public figure should have uttered such a derogatory remark. This is the type of ignorance that the EOC's education programme is aimed at,' she said.
The women handling the bird flu crisis include Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang, Secretary for Health and Welfare Katherine Fok Lo Shiu-ching, Director of Health Dr Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun and Director of Agriculture and Fisheries Lessie Wei Chui Kit-yee.
