The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) invited academics and government officials to a workshop to discuss developing strategies to create a Hong Kong Free of Violence Against Women on Saturday, 20 March 1999.

Dr. Fanny Mui-ching Cheung, Chairperson of the EOC said in her opening remarks, "Despite progress made in support services for abused women, many women continue to feel unsafe from violence. We need a strategy not only to care for the women after the violence has been perpetrated but also to keep the women safe. Unless women are safe, their rights and access to equal opportunities are barred."

Dr. Cheung continues, "The problem of violence against women cannot be resolved without the development of a woman's policy and high level government mechanism to co-ordinate measures and services among different government departments. The success of the strategy to end violence against women requires the participation of the whole community; men and women working together."

Ms. Elsie Leung, Secretary for Justice, Mrs. Regina Ip, Secretary for Security, and Mr. Andrew Leung, Director of Social Welfare spoke on the second panel about the development of Strategies Towards a Hong Kong Free of Violence Against Women. The Problems, Issues, and Solutions concerning rape and domestic violence were outlined by Dr. S. L. Beh, Associate Professor Andrew Byrnes, and Dr. Caroline Yeung.

The Workshop was organised in response to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)'s video conference, on 8 March 1999, on "A World Free of Violence Against Women".

The United Nations defines 'Violence Against Women' as: "… any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological or physical suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty whether occurring in public or in private life."

Enquiry: EOC Hotline        25118211