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(b)
During the period from October 1995 to September 1996, a number of public education programmes, attended by more than 6,000 participants, were organized by the SWD. In the meantime, a wide range of activities, totalling over 300, are being organised by the SWD and the NGOs to educate married couples on how to manage marital stress and handle conflicts. 45 more of such programmes will be run before April next
year.
Apart from ensuring that the activities organised by the SWD and various NGOs complement one another in terms of timing, content and target participation, the Working Group takes the lead in instigating training programmes for professionals, such as social workers, police officers, clinical psychologists, doctors, lawyers etc., and publicity through the mass media. A seminar was held in March this year with the view to fostering a better understanding of the problem amongst the professionals in various disciplines and their greater co-operation in handling such cases: it was well attended by over 350 professionals.
Publicity efforts will be stepped up. In this connection, the Working Group intends to introduce television and radio announcements, posters and leaflets early next year to give yet wider coverage to the problems associated with battered spouses. The SWD has set aside $500,000 for this purpose.
At present, three refuge centres are operated by the SWD and subvented NGOS; one of these was newly opened this year. Together they provide temporary accommodation of up to three months for up to 120 battered women and their children. Experience indicates that the victims of domestic violence normally stay in these refuge centres for about 3 weeks. When circumstances so require, they can always stay in the refuge centres for a longer period.
Social workers try as far as possible to reconcile victims with their spouses. In the case of irreconciliable relationships, the SWD will assist those victims with longer term housing needs through the compassionate rehousing programme. The victims can apply for a conditional tenancy in a public housing estate under this programme if they need e.g. to live apart from their abusers while going through divorce proceedings. Between 1993/94 and 1995/96, victims involved in 635 cases were rehoused under this conditional tenancy arrangement. This system is working well and there seems to be no need, therefore, to set up half- way houses for this purpose.