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SHA stresses importance of equal opportunities
Mutual respect and equality between women and men in the political, social, economic and cultural aspects of life will enable the two sexes to realise their potential to the fullest extent, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Michael Suen, said this (Sunday) afternoon.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Civic Education Day organised by the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education (CPCE), Mr Suen stressed that it was absolutely wrong and outdated to think that advocating equal rights would in any way deprive men of their rights.
He also asserted that to uphold equal opportunities, women should be given the same job opportunities. And, he added, to achieve this, gender stereotyping should be eliminated.
Acknowledging the achievements of the CPCE since its inception, Mr Suen strongly believed that on that basis and with the extra $20 million over the next three years, the concept of human rights could reach "every corner of the community".
Sharing Mr Suen's view, CPCE Chairman Dr Daniel Tse said equal opportunities for women and men was important to everyone.
"Their promotion, therefore, is an essential part of the human rights education."
He said: "Today's Civic Education Day, which is aimed at arousing public awareness of gender equality, is a good beginning for this year's human rights promotional activities."
Noting that the promotion of representative government was also one of the work themes of the CPCE, Dr Tse took the opportunity to urge all eligible voters to cast their ballots in the forthcoming municipal council elections next month and the LegCo elections in September.
He appealed to the public to participate in the monitoring of the operation of the Government by exercising their voting rights to choose representatives of their choice.