Serial No
Subject
Background
11
Line-to-take
11.
Participation
in politics by indigenous
women in the
New
Territories
Election of Village Representatives is not governed by legislation, and is usually conducted having regard to the tradition of the village concerned. In many villages in the New Territories, women do not enjoy the same voting rights as their male counterparts in the election of Village Representatives.
Some people, including women's rights campaigners, have criticized this as sexually discriminatory, and advocate an immediate change to remove this discrimination.
Hong Kong government has for many years respected the tradition and local customs of the New
Territories villagers. The Government is at present discussing with the Heung Yee Kuk (New Territories Rural Consultative Council), which is Government's statutory advisory body on New Territories affairs, with a view to relaxing the election rules to enable more women to participate in village and Rural Committee
elections.
"