XN000022-1986-02-02 — Page 3

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1986

MORE WOMEN JOIN CUSTOMS WORK

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THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

WHILE THERE WERE ONLY 141 WOMEN OFFICERS IN THE SERVICE IN 1980, THE IR NUMBER HAS INCREASED TO 267 THIS YEAR. THERE ARE NOW 205 WOMEN OFFICERS IN THE CUSTOMS OFFICER GRADE AND 62 IN THE INSPECTORATE GRADE, REPRESENTING ABOUT 10 PER CENT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FORCE, ACCORDING TO ACTING ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, MRS MAGGIE KWOK.

MRS KWOK JOINED THE DEPARTMENT IN 1969 WHEN THE MAIN DUTY OF WOMEN OFFICERS WAS TO CARRY OUT PERSONAL SEARCHES ON WOMEN AT CHECKPOINTS.

+AT THAT TIME, WOMEN OFFICERS WERE GIVEN 25 PER CENT LESS PAY THAN THE IR MALE COUNTERPARTS, SHE RECALLED.

+BUT BY 1975 WHEN THE FINAL STAGE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S 'EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK SCHEME WAS COMPLETED, WOMEN BEGAN TO ENJOY THE SAME BENEFITS AS MALE OFFICERS. OF COURSE, THIS MEANT THAT THEY HAD TO TAKE UP ADDITIONAL DUTIES.

TODAY, WOMEN OFFICERS SERVE IN ALMOST ALL THE UNITS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS THE STRIKE AND SEARCH DIVISION WHERE OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO CARRY OUT SEA AND COASTAL PATROLS, CHECK ON REFUGEES AND CONDUCT STRIKE-AND-SEARCH OPERATIONS.

+WOMEN DO NOT TAKE PART IN THESE OPERATIONS NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF DOING SO BUT BECAUSE FACILITIES IN VESSELS ARE NOT ADEQUATE, SHE EXPLAINED.

MRS KWOK, WHO IS ONE OF THE MOST SENIOR WOMEN OFFICERS IN THE SERVICE, HAS JUST RETURNED FROM AN OVERSEAS CUSTOMS TECHNIQUES TRAINING COURSE IN JAPAN.

SHE IS THE FIRST WOMAN OFFICER TO ATTEND THE COURSE IN WHICH REPRESENTATIVES FROM 15 COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD TOOK PART.

+BEING A WOMAN, I AM PROUD TO HAVE TAKEN PART BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF THE ONLY TWO WOMEN PARTICIPANTS IN THIS INTERNATIONAL EVENT,+ MRS KWOK SAID.

+THAT A WOMAN OFFICER HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO ATTEND THE COURSE WHICH LASTS FOR TWO MONTHS SHOWS THAT THE MANAGEMENT APPRECIATES THE ROLE OF WOMEN OFFICERS.

+THIS ALSO SHOWS THAT WOMEN ARE NOT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST AS FAR AS PROMOTION IS CONCERNED.·

THERE ARE NOW EIGHT WOMEN OFFICERS OF SENIOR INSPECTOR RANK. LOOK ING AHEAD, MRS KWOK ENVISAGED THAT MORE AND MORE WOMEN OFFICERS WOULD RISE TO THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT RANK OR ABOVE.

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