The Women's Foundation Submission to CEDAW

In January 2021, The Women's Foundation submitted a response to the to the United Nation's Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) for its 80th Pre-sessional Working Group. As part of its overall review of the People's Republic of China, it will review the Hong Kong Government's compliance with CEDAW and recommend steps for the Government to implement going forward to strengthen the protections afforded women and girls in Hong Kong.

Our recommendations focused on nine areas:

  • Gender lens in policymaking and in economic recovery plans
  • Addressing sexual violence, with a particular focus on Domestic Violence under COVID-19
  • Greater support for women in poverty
  • Strengthening support for informal working caregivers
  • Gender gap in STEM subjects and careers
  • Tackling gender stereotypes
  • Conducting city-wide research and improving gender disaggregated data   
  • Increasing the number of women on boards     
  • Eliminating the gender gap in pay 

​​While the Hong Kong Government has taken some positive steps to close the gender equality gap since its last CEDAW review in 2014, large and concerning gaps remain which have only been exacerbated by COVID-19.  

Jan
2021