Letters | Hong Kong parents must see that gender equality starts at home
- Parents should demonstrate equality of the sexes at home, if it is to filter into the workplace
In Hong Kong, there are laws to prohibit gender discrimination. However, there exist several grey areas in society on equal rights for women. For instance, it is accepted that most senior managers in companies are male, while the secretary should be female, and so on. This kind of normalised discrimination is a common phenomenon in Hong Kong. Some people think education can resolve this problem. I agree, but only to a small extent.
This trend of gender disparity can be seen everywhere, even in schools. How can students be taught not to discriminate on the basis of gender when they see it all around them?
From my point of view, the key to changing social attitudes lies within the children’s families. If they are taught from the start that “boys and girls are equal”, they will naturally see men and women in the same light when they grow up and join the workforce, and will be able to more easily identify instances of discrimination – whether it is over pay, professional advancement or sexual harassment.
Winky Ho, Tseung Kwan O