SDG 05: Gender Equality
SDG 05:
GENDER EQUALITY
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
In the General Education course “Gender, Language, and Creativity”, Dr Meilin Chen of the Language Centre guided students to critically analyse AI-generated text and image to uncover gender biases. Students identified how superficially positive words often used to describe gender minority groups may subtly reinforce marginalisation by framing these identities as exceptions to societal norms. The students found that generative AI, trained on large language models, reinforced these subtle forms of exclusion. This course deepened students’ understanding of gender norms and their impact on language and societal discourse. Students were encouraged to recognise hidden inequalities and gender biases, and actively contribute to reshape societal discourse on gender equity.
Advocating equality through creative expression
The “Rethinking Prejudice” initiative engaged Social Work students in a 12-hour intensive workshop to explore human diversity through music and video. Through the creation of seven original Cantonese songs and multimedia projects, students actively challenged issues related to prejudice and fostered an inclusive dialogue on social issues, with particular emphasis on gender stereotypes and sexual orientation. As part of a broader transdisciplinary collaboration with the Academy of Visual Arts, the workshop concluded in a live performance showcasing these original works. The event celebrated diverse voices and lived experiences, prompting meaningful reflection on gender inequality, domestic violence, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. It also encouraged both participants and the audience to confront biases and uphold principles of equality and inclusion.
Department of Journalism
Author: Rose LW LUQIU
This book critically examines how media across China including Hong Kong and Taiwan report on sexual violence and the #MeToo movement under different sociopolitical, cultural, and legal environments. It identifies challenges such as victim blaming, inadequate journalistic guidelines, and gaps in support for survivors, advocating for improved standards and training for journalists. By raising public awareness and advancing the discourse around sexual violence, the research directly supports SDG 5, which aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. The work highlights the importance of media responsibility, education, and advocacy in challenging harmful norms and driving progress toward gender equality. The findings and recommendations encourage more inclusive and effective social mechanisms to protect women, promote legal reforms, and ensure justice for survivors, contributing to the empowerment and well-being of women and girls in Asia.
Adaptive self-reflection as a social media self-effect: Insights from computational text analyses of self-disclosures of unreported sexual victimisation in a hashtag campaign
Department of Communication Studies
Author: Tien Ee Dominic YEO
This study analyses 92,583 English tweets using the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport and finds that 61.8% are personal self-disclosures of sexual victimisation, indicating the campaign’s role in making survivor experiences widely visible. Linguistic analysis (LIWC-2022) shows greater use of past focus, cognitive process, insight, and causation terms in self-disclosing tweets, which is consistent with adaptive self-reflection rather than rumination. Topic modelling and thematic analysis identify three self-distanced representation patterns—acknowledging previously unrecognised victimisation, reaffirming rationales for not reporting, and decrying invalidating responses—supporting meaning-making, voice, and agency in survivors’ narratives. By evidencing how digital platforms can both surface sexual violence and enable reflective coping, the work advances SDG 5.2 to eliminate violence against women and girls, and SDG 5.8 by leveraging information and communications technology for empowerment through better design of survivor-centric communication and support pathways.
HKBU is dedicated to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Fair employment practices ensure that all staff are treated equally with respect, guided by consistent selection, appointment, promotion and development guidelines. A transparent performance assessment and reward system, including a uniform pay scale, ensures evaluations are based on merit, performance and contributions.
Anti-discrimination policies
The University’s Policy Statement on Equal Opportunities is regularly reviewed to maintain compliance and eliminate inequalities. A Task Force led by senior leadership advises on equal opportunity and diversity matters, ensuring a confidential process for handling complaints.
Mandatory anti-discrimination training
All staff are required to complete online anti-discrimination training. Additionally, various specialised trainings on topics including “Understanding and Preventing Sexual Harassment on Campus”, “Managing Complaints of Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace”, “Understanding Effective Skills on Mediation and Conflict Management” and “Promoting Racial DEI in the Workplace” were held to promote anti-discrimination.
Cultural engagement activity
To promote cultural inclusion, staff and their families participated in a cultural tour of the Kowloon Mosque and Chungking Mansions, providing an opportunity to connect with ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.
International Women’s Day campaign
In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Human Resources Office organised the “Accelerate Action” campaign on 6 March 2025, attracting over 500 participants. The campaign included a themed display created in collaboration with social enterprise “Joy Fusion” and the distribution of handcrafted souvenirs from “Time To Gold” and “sis works” to support women’s employment.
Supporting staff with family needs
The University implements family-friendly measures that enable staff members to tend to their family needs. Other than leave provisions which exceed legal requirements, such as full pay maternity and paternity leave, lactation break, marriage leave and compassionate leave, the flexihour work arrangements are also in place, reflecting a commitment to supporting staff members’ professional and personal lives.
Family engagement initiatives
To promote work-life balance, the Human Resources Office organised various programmes for staff and their families. Initiatives include the Island House and Coastline Eco Tour in Tai Po, family wellness programmes such as a parent-child mindfulness massage workshops and lunch-and-learn sessions on couple relationships. In addition, staff enjoy free access to sports facilities on campus, encouraging recreational activities with their families.
HKBU Sustainability Report 2024 - 2025
