AN OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR
November 1992
from AWARE (Association of Women for Action and Research)
Democracy and the Women of Hong Kong
The attached open letter, or position paper, is addressed to the Governor as a contribution to the debate on democracy. As such, it is being sent to members of Legco and Exco, relevant Heads of Government Departments, and Women's groups. It is also being submitted, for publication as a whole or as a press release, to both an English language and a Chinese language newspaper and to RTHK. Below is a table of contents/summary:
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Omission of women's concerns from Address to Legco.
Explanation by the Governor, women's failure to lobby.
Refutation of this claim and enumeration of relevant expressions of women's concern. These include reservations about inter-governmental working party on discrimination in the work place; lack of progress following Legco's vote for a Women's Commission; and calls for the extension of CEDAW.
Leak of 14 November from working party; it has dismissed the need for legislation against sex discrimination at work."
If women are left out of the democratic process, what sort of democracy is it?
Recent examples of failure to include women at the top: Governor's Business Council, platform of prestigious academic event.
Why?
Suggested reasons, including apparent silence from women: the social and political culture of Hong Kong, to be compounded by Governor's proposed changes.
Statistics on women in Legco 1990/92 & implications.
Solution: Women's Commission - within its scope would be a commitment to helping to raise women's political consciousness, and thus their political participation.
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Denial of housewives as workers in proposed democratisation of functional constituences.
A Women's Commission would monitor extension of CEDAW and give credibility for 1995 UN/ World Women's Conference in Peking. It would also ensure a rather more democratic Hong Kong by 1997 than is at the moment possible, whatever other obstacles are overcome.
Enquiries: Tel. 890.4577; fax 890.5008
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