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聯合國消除對婦女歧視委員會將於本月23日舉行正式聆訊，審議中國（包括香港和澳門特別行政區）履行《消除對婦女一切形式歧視公約》（ CEDAW）之情況，期間更會當面向中港澳政府代表作口頭提問。香港民間代表團亦會遠赴日內瓦聯合國辦事處出席小組會議，要求委員關注本港婦女議題，包括「雨傘運動」中針對女性示威者的性暴力，以及協助他們向港府代表作出提問。
該委員會是聯合國的一個人權公約監察機構，專門負責監察《消除對婦女一切形式歧視公約》締約國落實《公約》責任的情況，在國際間具有崇高地位。在是次正式聆訊之後，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。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，是次審議亦因此值得各方參考和關注。
將會前往日內瓦的民間代表來自多個不同背景和關注範疇， 包括婦女、人權、性工作者、性少眾、身心障礙者、性騷擾和暴力受害者、政策和政黨等等。除了「雨傘運動」中針對女性示威者的性暴力之外，他們關注的議題也包括：
- 平等機會婦女聯席 － 希望聯合國關注本港貧窮女性化問題，要求港府制訂完善托兒政策，提供照顧者津貼、全民退保，及改善零散工女性保障。另外的關注點包括警方對家暴案件的處理手法、新來港婦女面對的歧視、歧視條例檢討及立法的進程、外籍家務工面對的制度不公，及雨傘運動中針對女性的性暴力威嚇。
- 民主黨 － 促請委員會督促特區政府於示威行動中，保護女示威者，避免受到非禮、性騷擾及恐嚇，保障她們表達意見的自由及基本人權。
- 卓新力量 － 關注智障婦女成人的自決權。無論她們是與家人同住或居於宿舍，儘管是成人，日常生活、學習進修、外出工作/加班、交友餘暇、婚嫁等權利，都未能得到家人、專業人士、法律的尊重和確認。
- 青鳥 － 要求政府修訂賣淫場所定義，容許多於一名性工作作者一同工作以保人身安全，並改善性工作者被拘捕時的人權問題。
- 香港女障協進會 － 關注現行的醫療體系，使殘疾婦女仍未能得到相等的服務，加上缺乏統計數據以制定長遠政策支援殘疾婦女在醫療和就業上遇到的問題。
- 粉紅同盟 － 敦促政府盡快立法禁止性傾向及性別認同歧視，並立即取消對變性人士的不人道強制手術規定，以及制定性別承認法。
- 新婦女協進會 － 促請聯合國向香港政府施壓，要求平機會委員會組成程序及準則需合符國際標準，婦委會運作則需更具獨立性、實際權力與資源。
- 關注婦女性暴力協會 － 關注有女示威者在「雨傘運動」期間遭遇性暴力或性暴力威嚇，強烈要求委員會促請港府要嚴正執法，保障女性參與政治活動的權利。港府一直未有全面落實符合世衛標準為性暴力受害人提供的一站式服務，要求委員會敦促港府在醫院內設立真正的一站式服務。現行性罪行條例未能全面保障性暴力受害人，懇切要求委員會要港府就有關法例改革提出清晰時間表，並盡快切實執行有關改革。要真正消除對婦女一切的暴力，希望委員會要求港府制定長遠策略和措施，在正規教育和社區中推廣反性暴力訊息和性別敏銳度。
- 香港融樂會 – 促請香港政府盡快制定全面及完善的「中文為第二語言」政策，配以實質政策目標、執行計劃、時間表、成效指及具透明度的監察系統。政府亦應即時採取有效措施，消除教育制度內的種族隔離現象及防止種族和性別隔離。另外，本會促請平等機會委員會積極倡議修改《種族歧視條例》，使條例明文規定政府不可在行使權力和履行職務時種族歧視，並促請政府接受此建議，在立法會提出修訂草案。
附件一
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團體包括：
• 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
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English Version
For Immediate Release
Press Release
NGO Delegation Leaves for Geneva to Request
UN Concern over Women’s Rights in Hong Kong
(Hong Kong, 15 October 2014) – A United Nations (UN) committee will hold a formal hearing at Geneva on 23 October 2014 to review the obligations of China (including Hong Kong and Macao) under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). At the hearing, members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women will raise questions towards government representatives from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. A group of Hong Kong NGOs will also send a delegation to attend the hearing and lobby the Committee on issues concerning women’s rights in Hong Kong, including the sexual violence against female protestors in the Umbrella Movement.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women is an international human rights treaty monitoring body under the United Nations. It is tasked with monitoring the implementation of CEDAW in its state parties and thus enjoys a high status in the international community. After the hearing, the Committee will publish Concluding Observations on the situation of women’s rights in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, which will be an important indicator of whether the governments have fulfilled their duties under international human rights laws.
The NGO delegation to Geneva is concerned about the following issues:
* Hong Kong Women’s Coalition on Equal Opportunities calls upon the UN to express concern over the feminization of poverty in Hong Kong and requests the government to implement better childcare policies, to provide carers’ allowance and universal pension and to improve the conditions for female casual workers. It is also concerned with the police’s handling of domestic violence cases, the discrimination faced by new immigrant women, the discrimination law review and the relevant legislative process, the institutional injustices faced by migrant domestic workers, and the sexual violence and threats against female protestors in the Umbrella Movement.
* Democratic Party requests the Committee to urge the Hong Kong government to protect female protestors from indecent assaults, sexual harassments and threats, and to safeguard their basic human rights and freedom to express their opinions.
* Chosen Power (People First Hong Kong) is concerned with the right to self-determination of adult women with intellectual differences. Whether living with their family or living in hostels, these adult women’s rights in daily lives, education, employment, social lives and marriage are often not respected nor recognized by their families, by professionals or by the law.
* Action for REACH OUT requests the government to amend the definition of “vice establishment” in the law, so as to allow more than one sex worker to work together in one place, thus improving their physical security. It also requests the government to address the human rights issues that sex workers face when they are being arrested.
* Association of Women with Disabilities Hong Kong is concerned that the existing healthcare system does not provide services on an equal basis to women with disabilities, as well as the lack of statistics that can be used to devise long-term policies to support women with disabilities in healthcare or employment.
* Pink Alliance requests the government to swiftly enact laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, to immediately remove the inhuman surgical requirements imposed on transsexual persons and to enact a comprehensive and inclusive gender recognition law.
* The Association for the Advancement of Feminism urges the UN to put pressure on the Hong Kong government to revise the composition, procedures and guidelines of the Equal Opportunities Commission according to international standards, and to ensure greater operational independence, substantive power and more resources for the Women’s Commission.
* Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women is concerned with the sexual violence and threats that female protestors face in the Umbrella Movement, and it strongly requests the Committee to urge the Hong Kong government to be serious in enforcing the laws and protecting the rights of women to take part in political activities. It also requests the Committee to urge the Hong Kong government to provide hospital-based one-stop services to victims of sexual violence as required by the World Health Organization. Moreover, it sincerely requests the Committee to urge the Hong Kong government to provide a clear timetable as to the reform of sexual offences laws and to earnestly implement such reforms, so as to better protect victims of sexual violence. To truly eliminate violence against women, the Association would like the Committee to request the Hong Kong government to implement long-term strategies and measures to promote anti-sexual-violence messages and gender sensitivity in formal education and in the community.
* Hong Kong Unison urges the government to formulate a comprehensive and adequate “Chinese as a Second Language” policy with a concrete policy goal, an implementation plan and timetable, output indicators and a transparent monitoring mechanism as soon as possible. Also, the government should take immediate and effective steps to eliminate the de facto racial segregation and prevent racial and gender segregation in the public education system. Furthermore, it urges the Equal Opportunities Commission to proactively advocate amendment to the Race Discrimination Ordinance to expressly bring government functions and powers within its purview and the Government to put forward an amendment bill in the Legislative Council.
Appendix 1
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.
