FINDINGS OF WORKING GROUP ON
SEX DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT
Appendix 'I
BACKGROUND
1.
to
In March 1992,
an Inter-departmental Working Group chaired by the Secretary for Education and Manpower was set up
ascertain the extent to which discrimination against women is
a problem, to identify measures to tackle it and to advise whether the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of A11 Forms of Discrimination Against Women ("CEDAW") should be extended to Hong Kong insofar as employment matters are concerned.
2
The Working Group comprised representatives from eight policy Branches and Departments, namely, the Education and Manpower Branch, Constitutional · Affairs Branch, Health and Welfare Branch, Economic Services Branch, Civil Service Branch, city and New Territories Administration, Labour Department and Legal Department.
3.
In May 1992, Legislative Councillors: asked the Government to set up an advisory "women's commission" to provide a forum for addressing matters affecting women in Hong Kong. Since the proposal was related to the issues being studied by the Working Group, it was considered in the context of that study.
4.
In
Of
The Working Group met formally on seven occasions, the *process
its deliberations,
has consulted· relevant academic studies and established dialogue with interested women's groups, and has examined a. number of issues related to sex discrimination in employment. findings are set out below.
MAIN FINDINGS
Differentials in Wages and Fringe Benefits
5.
Kong.
that
to
The main
With the assistance of the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), statistics have been gathered from various sources, including the 1981 and 1991 Population Censuses, to find out more about the extent of pay differentials in Hong
The statistics show
the labour force participation rate of women (percentage of Those in the labour force among the female population aged 15 and over) rose continuously from 45% in 1976
49.5% in 1991. Meanwhile, women's median earnings had risen from 69% OF men's earnings in 1981 to, 78% in 1991. The increase in female labour participation, sectoral shifts toward the service sectors and increased education are probably the main behind the narrowing of the wage differential. The current wage differential appears to be no worse than those in Western countries. For example, women's average hourly
Factors
earning in the UK is 77% of men's.