Complaint alleging discriminatory school rule banning boys’ long hair accepted by EOC
投訴禁男生長髮校規歧視 平機會受理
A Form Five male student at Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Wong Fung Ling College complained to the Equal Opportunities Commission last month, questioning whether the school rule banning boys from keeping long hair breached the Sex Discrimination Ordinance. The complaint has been accepted and is currently at the mediation stage. In an interview with this newspaper, the student said the school’s requirement that boys keep short hair was unreasonable and outdated. He questioned how boys keeping long hair could damage the school’s reputation, and said gender stereotyping not only made the rule discriminatory but also disregarded reasons such as students’ gender anxiety for keeping long hair. He said he was determined to campaign for schools across Hong Kong to abolish hair restrictions. The school said the matter had been referred to the Equal Opportunities Commission and declined to comment further for now.
東華三院黃笏南中學一名中五男生上月向平機會投訴，質疑校規禁男生留長髮涉違《性別歧視條例》，投訴獲受理並正處調停階段。學生接受本報訪問，稱學校規定男生短髮的做法不合理及不合時宜。他質疑，男生留長髮不會損校譽，又認為性別定型令學校不准男生留長髮，不但是歧視，也漠視學生性別焦慮等留長髮原因，決心推動全港學校廢除「髮禁」校規。校方稱事件已交平機會處理，現沒進一步回應。