Gender disenfranchisement in Hong Kong churches

Abstract

Notwithstanding developments in the advancement of gender equity in secular and non-secular contexts, women still remain profoundly unable to access leadership roles globally and traverse the entrenched barriers of gender bias in institutionalized sexism. In order to disrupt conditions of gender disenfranchisement, persistent efforts are required to expose and challenge the status quo of embedded gender-organizational dynamics. This paper focuses attention on understanding the current phenomenon of gender marginalizing treatment within the male-dominated workplace of the Church in Hong Kong, by examining one pervasive aspect of gender inequality: vertical segregation. This shows how Hong Kong clergywomen are not exempt from gender-biased treatment, but instead are compelled to practice and work under deeply-gendered and hierarchical conditions.