Diversity in Policy-Making: Farzana Aslam named one of 22 ethnic minority professionals for Diversity List 2017

Farzana Aslam, Director of Kintillo, has been named as one of 22 ethnic minority professionals selected for Diversity List 2017.  Diversity List & Community Connectors 2017 was announced on 21 March 2017, The International Day on the Elimination of Race Discrimination in Hong Kong. It marked the second year of an innovative initiative launched by the Zubin Foundation to raise the issue of diversity and inclusion of ethnic minorities in government policy making in Hong Kong by profiling individuals that are qualified and committed to serve on Hong Kong’s government committees. All candidates go through a vetting process with Spencer Stuart, a leading recruitment firm and partner on the project.  The Diversity List is received by the Hong Kong Government to consider in its appointments process for advisory and statutory boards.

The idea for Diversity List sprang from the findings of Zubin Foundation research ‘The Status of Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong, 1997 to 2014’ authored by Puja Kapai at The University of Hong Kong Centre for Comparative and Public Law. The findings showed ethnic minorities suffering particularly in education and employment. Further research, which analysed the composition of HKSAR Government advisory bodies, found that in 100 publically available advisory bodies, with 1,454 members, only 1.9% of advisory body positions were held by ethnic minorities and 79% of the ethnic minorities serving on Government advisory bodies were “White”.

This year Mr. Matthew Cheung, Chief Secretary for Administration of HKSARG was the Honourable guest officiating the Diversity List 2017 ceremony. In 2016, its inaugural year, it was officiated by Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s newly elected Chief Executive. Since then 5 out of 16 candidates from Diversity List 2016 have been appointed to government advisory committees.  The concept of Diversity List is simple, but one that has had immediate impact.