We do have rights
WITH regard to the increasing number of letters on the issue of ''women'', be it how they dress, act or anything else, I felt I should say I am becoming conscious of the inherently inferior position of women in the territory.
Take, for instance, the Hong Kong Football Club, where a woman may only become a Lady Subscriber while her male counterpart becomes a full member. Being a Lady Subscriber gives women no say in how the club is run and no vote. Worse still, should a singlelady decide to marry, she and her spouse are forced to take up a married subscription.
Perhaps this is justifiable, but why should the man automatically gain the voting rights? In many circumstances this is absurd, because the husband does not use the club.
Another example is the policy of the St Andrew's Society, which is nothing less than archaic. Even if you are born and bred and have been descended from Scottish stock for centuries, as a female one cannot join the society.
Though some clubs, restaurants, societies, etc, have in recent years relaxed their rules regarding women, there are still many glaring instances of discrimination.
Why should women in Hong Kong accept that there are bars and restaurants which continue to be the preserve of men, like the Jackson Room of the Hong Kong Club? Finally, why is it that equal opportunities are still lacking in the workplace? Most other civilised countries at least provide the framework which allows any qualified person to apply for a job and not be discounted merely because they are female (or male).
And before anyone should label me a raving feminist, I am not. I am an independent working woman in Hong Kong who finds these glaring instances of discrimination intolerable. We do have rights! ELIZABETH IRONS Wan Chai
