ENG-2010 — Page 262

212 Social Welfare

since 2001. All bureaux and departments now have their own Gender Focal Points through which matters concerning women's interest and status can be channelled.

With regard to the empowerment of women, the WOC strives to promote development of new service models and good empowerment practices. The introduction in March 2004 of an innovative and flexible learning mode, called the Capacity Building Mileage Programme, was a major step towards helping women develop their full potential.

This programme seeks to enhance women's all-round abilities and promote life skills. It is carried out in collaboration with the Open University of Hong Kong, a radio station and nearly 70 women's groups and NGOs. By year-end, the cumulative number of enrolments exceeded 44 000, a figure that did not include the large audience reached through radio programmes. The programme was first introduced on a trial basis for three years with funding from the Lotteries Fund. Since March 2007 the Government has been providing funds for the programme. In February 2009, the Financial Secretary announced that a total of $20 million would be allocated in the next three years to expand the programme and provide fee remissions to women with financial difficulties.

Continuous efforts were made to raise public awareness of women-related issues and reduce gender stereotyping. The WOC attaches great importance to the promotion of gender awareness in school education to reduce gender stereotyping of students in their early stages of life and to make a sustainable impact. In 2010, the WOC organised a short video filming competition on gender awareness for secondary students to enhance contestants' gender awareness and sense of gender equality, as well as to arouse the community's concern over these topics and inflection on how gender prejudice

how gender prejudice and gender stereotyping impact society nowadays.

Rehabilitation Advisory Committee

The Rehabilitation Advisory Committee (RAC) was set up in 1977. It serves as the principal advisory body to the Government on matters pertaining to the well- being of persons with disabilities and the development and implementation of rehabilitation policies and services in Hong Kong. Sub-committees were set up to look into specific areas of concern, such as access, employment and public education.

The RAC and its sub-committees are chaired by non-officials, and all their members are appointed in their personal capacities by the Chief Executive. To ensure that the interests of persons with disabilities are represented, the membership of the RAC includes persons with different disabilities, parents of persons with disabilities, representatives of self-help organisations for persons with disabilities and NGOs providing rehabilitation services, as well as academics, community and business leaders, professionals and other persons who have a keen interest in the well-being of persons with disabilities. Representatives of relevant government bureaux and departments also serve as ex-officio members to provide the necessary support to the RAC and follow up on issues it raises.