Research Launch: Doing Equality Consciously

'Doing Equality Consciously: Understanding Unconscious Bias and its Role and Implications in the Achievement of Equality in Hong Kong and Asia' is the first research study of its kind examining the nature and prevalence of unconscious bias in Asia. In this seminar, author of the study, Puja Kapai, will launch her research findings and make a number of key recommendations for different sectors. Although the prevalence and impact of unconscious bias has been widely documented in studies across different disciplines and fields, including the education, corporate, healthcare, and legal sectors, the research has predominantely been situated in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. This research aims to plug this gap by providing insights on unconscious bias in Asia. Furthermore, in the wage of suggestions that training and interventions do not address unconscious bias, this study tests the proposition with the research sample and demonstrates the potential of interventions in diverse settings addressing such biases. 

This study is part of a larger project on unconscious bias and is in the first phase of a long term endeavour to develop a better understanding of unconscious bias in Hong Kong and Asia as well as develop contexualised approaches to effectively tackle such biases. The initial phase of the project by the Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and housed at the HKU Women's Studies Research Centre (WSRC) and the Faculty of Law's Centre for Comparative and Public Law (CCPL).