2014年10月21日 星期二

[聯合新聞稿] 聯合國開始審議香港報告 委員關注婦女權利狀況

(For English version, please click into the article and scroll to the bottom.)
1. 聯合國消除對婦女歧視委員會(「聯合國委員會」)今天開始審議中國、香港及澳門政府履行《消除對婦女一切形式歧視公約》(「婦女公約」CEDAW)的報告。正在日內瓦的香港民間代表團昨天(10月20日)出席聯合國委員會與民間組織進行的會議,並在會上發言。會議期間,聯合國的委員對於香港婦女權利狀況表現甚為關注,並向出席會議的民間代表團以及平機會代表作出多項提問。


2. 民間代表團在昨天會議上的發言涵蓋了五個範疇,包括:
香港的不公平政制,窒礙婦女參政,而雨傘運動中女性示威者亦面對性暴力及威嚇;
針對婦女的家庭暴力和性暴力問題;
處理婦女事務的中央機制,包括平機會和婦女事務委員會的缺陷;
「貧窮女性化」,亦即香港貧窮人口中女性佔大多數的問題;
處於邊緣群體的女性,包括外傭、新來港婦女、性工作者、性小眾、身心障礙者、少數族裔和難民等等所面對的困境。

3. 聯合國委員會聆聽香港民間代表團提出的意見後,就部份議題表達關注,並向民間代表團作出提問
委員會副主席之一、毛里裘斯委員 Pramila Patten 女士就雨傘運動中女性示威者遭受性暴力及威嚇的情況,詢問受害女性有否向警方作出正式舉報;關於普遍婦女面對性暴力的問題,Patten 女士亦詢問民間代表團,對於法律改革委員會有關性罪行檢討工作的意見;最後,Patten 女士亦問及婦女事務委員會和平等機會委員會的架構問題,包括它們的權力限制、獨立性等等;
日本委員 Yoko Hayashi 女士提到平機會仍然不是一個符合《巴黎原則》的「國家人權機構」,並就平機會在架構上的缺陷向民間代表團作出提問;另外,Hayashi 女士亦問到平機會現在有甚麼能力調查或處理性小眾婦女作出的申訴,以及有沒有需要檢討有關法律以處理性小眾所面對的問題。

4. 另外,平等機會委員亦有派出代表出席會議,並就香港婦女權利狀況發言。在聆聽香港民間代表團以及平機會的意見後,聯合國的委員亦有向平機會代表作出提問:
東帝汶委員 Maria Helena Lopes de Jesus Pires 女士指出,關於女性示威者面對性暴力及威嚇的問題,平機會雖然沒有調查權力,但亦可以協助把這些性暴力事件記錄在案;另外,Pires 女士亦問到香港婦女參政面對的困難,以及香港政府有否就少數族裔女性的教育困境作出特別措施補救。

5. 面對聯合國各委員對於香港婦女權利狀況的關注,民間代表團感到非常欣慰,並針對委員提出的問題作出詳細回答。對於有委員以雨傘「革命」形容香港近日的民主運動,民間代表團亦予以澄清,表示香港出現的是雨傘「運動」,而非「革命」

6. 聯合國消除對婦女歧視委員會將會於 10 月 23 日(四)舉行正式聆訊,向港府代表作出口頭提問。在正式聆訊之後,委員會將會就中港澳的情況發表一份「結論性意見」,總結他們關注的範疇,並向三地政府分別作出政策建議。聯合國消除對婦女歧視委員會作為聯合國的一個人權公約監察機構,在國際間具有崇高地位,而這份「結論性意見」將強烈反映各地政府有否履行國際人權法下的責任。因此,是次審議值得各方參考和關注。

7. 是次前往日內瓦參與《消除對婦女一切形式歧視公約》審議過程的香港民間代表團,包括以下民間團體的代表:
平等機會婦女聯席
民主黨
卓新力量
青鳥
香港人權監察
香港女障協進會
粉紅同盟
新婦女協進會
關注婦女性暴力協會
香港民間團體代表在聯合國公約聆訊會場合照

English Version:
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
UN Committee Members Express Concerns
Women’s Rights in Hong Kong
1.      The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (the “UN Committee”) has commenced its review on Hong Kong’s implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (“CEDAW”). The NGO Delegation from Hong Kong, which is now in Geneva, attended and spoke at a meeting with the UN Committee, which was held yesterday on 20 October 2014. During the meeting, members of the UN Committee expressed heightened concerns towards the situation of women’s rights in Hong Kong.

2.      At the hearing, the NGO Delegation covered 5 aspects of women’s rights, including the following:
·         The unjust electoral systems in Hong Kong, which hindered the political participation of women, as well as the sexual violence and threats that female protestors face in the Umbrella Movement;
·         Domestic and sexual violence against women;
·         Central mechanisms dealing with women’s issues, including the Women’s Commission (“WoC”) and the Equal Opportunities Commission (“EOC”);
·         Feminization of poverty in Hong Kong;
·         Marginalized groups of women, including migrant domestic workers, new arrival women, sex workers, sexual and gender minorities, women with disabilities, ethnic minorities and refugees.

3.      After hearing input from the NGO Delegation, the UN Committee expressed concerns over and asked questions about some of the issues:
·         Ms. Pramila Patten of Maritius, Vice-chairperson of the UN Committee, asked if female protestors who have suffered from sexual violence and threats in the Umbrella Movement have lodged complaints at the police. Ms. Patten also asked about the sexual offences law reform, as well as the gaps in the mandates and independence of the WoC and the EOC; and,
·         Ms. Yoko Hayashi of Japan mentioned that the EOC is still not a National Human Rights Institution compliant with the Paris Principles, and she asked about the shortcomings in the structure of the EOC. Ms. Hayashi also asked about whether the EOC is capable of dealing with complaints from sexual minorities and whether legal amendments were needed to deal with this issue. 

4.      The EOC also sent representatives to attend the meeting yesterday. After hearing input from the NGO Delegation and the EOC, Ms. Maria Helena Lopes de Jesus Pires of Timor-Leste raised questions towards the EOC representatives. Ms. Pires mentioned that, while the EOC does not have to powers to investigate complaints of female protestors suffering from sexual violence or threats, the EOC could nonetheless document the cases. Ms. Pires also asked about the obstacles that women face in political participation, as well as whether the Hong Kong Government has implemented temporary special measures to address the difficulties that ethnic minorities girls face in education.

5.      The NGO Delegation is pleased to see the high level of concern that the UN Committee members have expressed towards women’s rights in Hong Kong and has provided detailed answers to the questions raised. In particular, some Committee members used the term “Umbrella Revolution” to refer to the recent protests in Hong Kong, and the NGO Delegation clarified that what is now happening in Hong Kong is an “Umbrella Movement”, instead of a “revolution”.

6.      The UN Committee will hold its formal hearing on 23 October 2014, during which its members will raise oral questions towards representatives from the Hong Kong Government.  After the formal hearing, the UN Committee will publish Concluding Observations on the situation of women’s rights in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. The Concluding Observations will be an important indicator of whether the governments have fulfilled their duties under international human rights laws.

7.      The NGO delegation to Geneva consists of members from:
·         Action for REACH OUT;
·         Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women;
·         Association of Women with Disabilities Hong Kong;
·         Chosen Power (People First Hong Kong);
·         Democratic Party;
·         Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor;
·         Hong Kong Women’s Coalition on Equal Opportunities;
·         Pink Alliance; and,
·         The Association for the Advancement of Feminism.