Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2016 7:00:07 GMT 7
No more gender bias as ladies nights with free drinks is banned. What do you think?
www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1937977/ladies-nights-womans-right-cheap-drinks-or-reflection-deep-rooted
Since the city hosted its first ladies’ night in 1994 - a promotional event where women pay less than men for drinks or entry charges - it’s become an iconic fixture of Hong Kong nightlife. But the practise is now under fire following a recent court ruling that such events were discriminatory, leading several bars to halt their ladies’ nights in response.
Stop wasting time on this trivial issue and start tackling real inequality
.
Rooted in controversy, the first ladies’ night in Hong Kong was hosted by Westworld, a club in Wan Chai that has since closed, as a way to draw customers into the lacklustre weekday club scene. Although there were concerns that the practise would clash with anti-discrimination legislation in 1997, ladies’ night became highly successful, and quickly spread throughout the city. Originally a western concept, ladies’ nights are banned in the United Kingdom, as well as certain parts of the United States.
Last orders for Ladies' Nights? Cheaper drinks for women is sex discrimination, man tells Hong Kong's equal opportunities watchdog.
The recent ruling came after the Equal Opportunities Commission filed a case on behalf of a male complainant accusing a Mong Kok club of breaching sex discrimination laws by charging men more than women for a drink. The judgement passed after the club’s operator failed to give any notice of opposition, and is under fierce criticism by several groups including the Hong Kong Bar and Club Association and the Liberal Party. All it is, is a marketing tool to get men there. I think the name they have for it makes it seem like ladies are going to a particular bar. The case is significant because it has not only triggered questions regarding the boundaries of marketing strategies targeting specific groups, but also concerns regarding the state of gender-based discrimination in the city and the methods with which policy-shapers pursue gender equity.
When it comes to gender inequality in Hong Kong - many agree that the concept of ladies night is far from the most egregious issue. For instance, the pay gap between men and women has widened by HK$500 since 2011, and men earn a mean monthly salary that is HK$2,500 more than women, according to a report by the Census and Statistics Department last year.
But experts say that those looking at the issue as a case of discrimination against men may be missing the real controversy - that the practise is a reflection of society’s deep-rooted discrimination and commodification of women.
By using women to attract male customers, ladies night essentially commodifies women and uses them as tools to sell products. It also perpetuates stereotypes like women being incapable of paying for drinks, or reinforces problematic gender norms such as how it should be men who buy drinks on a night out.
www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1937977/ladies-nights-womans-right-cheap-drinks-or-reflection-deep-rooted
Since the city hosted its first ladies’ night in 1994 - a promotional event where women pay less than men for drinks or entry charges - it’s become an iconic fixture of Hong Kong nightlife. But the practise is now under fire following a recent court ruling that such events were discriminatory, leading several bars to halt their ladies’ nights in response.
Stop wasting time on this trivial issue and start tackling real inequality
.
Rooted in controversy, the first ladies’ night in Hong Kong was hosted by Westworld, a club in Wan Chai that has since closed, as a way to draw customers into the lacklustre weekday club scene. Although there were concerns that the practise would clash with anti-discrimination legislation in 1997, ladies’ night became highly successful, and quickly spread throughout the city. Originally a western concept, ladies’ nights are banned in the United Kingdom, as well as certain parts of the United States.
Last orders for Ladies' Nights? Cheaper drinks for women is sex discrimination, man tells Hong Kong's equal opportunities watchdog.
The recent ruling came after the Equal Opportunities Commission filed a case on behalf of a male complainant accusing a Mong Kok club of breaching sex discrimination laws by charging men more than women for a drink. The judgement passed after the club’s operator failed to give any notice of opposition, and is under fierce criticism by several groups including the Hong Kong Bar and Club Association and the Liberal Party. All it is, is a marketing tool to get men there. I think the name they have for it makes it seem like ladies are going to a particular bar. The case is significant because it has not only triggered questions regarding the boundaries of marketing strategies targeting specific groups, but also concerns regarding the state of gender-based discrimination in the city and the methods with which policy-shapers pursue gender equity.
When it comes to gender inequality in Hong Kong - many agree that the concept of ladies night is far from the most egregious issue. For instance, the pay gap between men and women has widened by HK$500 since 2011, and men earn a mean monthly salary that is HK$2,500 more than women, according to a report by the Census and Statistics Department last year.
But experts say that those looking at the issue as a case of discrimination against men may be missing the real controversy - that the practise is a reflection of society’s deep-rooted discrimination and commodification of women.
By using women to attract male customers, ladies night essentially commodifies women and uses them as tools to sell products. It also perpetuates stereotypes like women being incapable of paying for drinks, or reinforces problematic gender norms such as how it should be men who buy drinks on a night out.
