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Advocacy
ADVOCACY PROJECTS/ACTIVITIES BIENNIUM 2022-2024
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Encourage women violence victims to seek help!
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Founded in 1977, Zonta Club of Kowloon is a member of Zonta International, a global organization working together to ‘Build A Better World for Women and Girls. In 2012, Zonta International launched a global advocacy campaign to ‘Say No to Violence Against Women’, and it has been supported by Zonta Clubs in over 62 countries.
In 2021, Zonta Club of Kowloon sponsored research on ‘Hong Kong Women’s Experiences of Violence 2021’ based on 1044 questionnaires & 30 in depth interviews. The findings showed that 75% of the women who experience serious sexual violence ‘do not react’ to this abuse, & 39.7% of the victims do not seek help. Our communication with NGOs in the industry showed that women endure violence for a long time before they seek help. On an average women endured the abuse for about 3-4 years.
It has been a story of suffering in silence. It has gone for too long. Women should enjoy a safe environment at home. In bettering the lives of women, we are also bettering the lives of children & their families. With harmony in the family, Hong Kong will be a more prosperous & flourishing society.
Our sympathy goes to the thousands of women who are suffering domestic violence in silence. We strongly encourage women victims to seek help. Societal values in Hong Kong are changing. Family violence should be regarded as wrongdoings in our society. By seeking help, women are also helping their children to have a proper upbringing, and this in term will create harmony and happiness in Hong Kong society. Seeking help is getting easier & it is the proper decision to do.
Zonta Club of Kowloon is here to help women who are not willing or do not know how to seek help. Women Helplines operated by various NGOs can offer one-stop support including advice on legal protection, emotional support as well as accompanying the victim throughout the entire help-seeking process.
By seeking help, you are not only helping yourself. You are also helping your children to have a proper upbringing. We know your family is of utmost importance to you.
Act NOW & give them a call! Seeking help is getting easier & it is the proper decision to do!
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Women Helplines
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Harmony House
24 hours Women Hotline 25220434.
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Hong Kong Federation of women’s Centres
Women's Helpline 2386 6255 (Run by HK Federation of Women's Centres)
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RainLily
Sexual Violence Helpline 23755322
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A message by Zonta Club of Kowloon: www.zontakowloon.org
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1. 1. Distribution of the detailed report on 'Hong Kong Women's Experiences on Violence 2021.
The Advocacy Committee has finalized the covering letter for distribution of the detailed report. (See photo). Hard and/or soft copies of the report has been sent to about 760 contacts in the following categories with about 1500 copies of English or Chinese versions distributed. The distribution will be done before end July.
High Level Government Officials, all LegCo Councillors, Social Welfare department & other NGOs, Police, Other government depts., Academia & university libraries & public libraries, Legal fraternity & lawyers, Quasi government bodies/advisory boards, Schools, Transportation companies, Media, Members of Zonta clubs & Zonta contacts both locally & overseas.
Objectives of this distribution is to influence the opinion of government officials & community leaders. We aim to provide detailed data on women violence, which is rare not only in Hong Kong, but also globally. By establishing a pool of empirical data, we hope the material will be helpful to policy makers & service providers in the planning of future strategies. We also want to call attention to the flight of women in this region, and hope that more data would be available to help violence victims.
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ADVOCACY PROJECTS/ACTIVITIES BIENNIUM 2020-2022
1. Submission to HKSAR government for consultation paper on image based sexual offences.
Advocating for legal reforms on sexual offences is a challenging assignment in Hong Kong. The current laws have been in place for more than 60 years,and are in urgent need for reform.
Zonta Club of Kowloon made our submission to HK government's consultation paper on "Proposed Introduction of Offences on Voyeurism, Intimate Prying, Non-consensual Photography of Intimate Parts and Related Offences" in October 2020. Under a joint effort of the Advocacy Committee and Legal Committee, members agreed to advocate the following:
- Offenders should be prosecuted irrespective of their motives.
- For non-consensual photography of intimate parts, both "up skirting" & "down blousing" should be included.
- Offenders should not be allowed to argue on ground of reasonable excuse, as this would create ambiguity to escape conviction.
- The victims' consent would be required for the distribution of images of intimate acts.
- Once prosecuted, details of the offenders should be included in the "Sexual Conviction Record Check Scheme". This would enable employers to check whether eligible employees have any criminal records of sexual offences for the protection of vulnerable people.
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2. Inclusion of 'Urging for Legal Reform' story in ZI website and ZI Twitter.
This advocacy effort is part of the ZCK's overall campaign for "Zonta Says No to Violence". The Write Up & photos have been sent on 26.10.2020 as "Best Practice" example to both Zonta International & District 17 newsletter. Our story on "Urging for Legal Reform" has already been uploaded onto ZI website and ZI Twitter.
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3. Production of ZSN materials and Photo Taking at the Business Meeting
To support the "Zonta Says No to Violence" Campaign, a photo taking event was conducted during the Business Meeting on 24.11.2020 which took the form of a hybrid meeting (either in physical or in virtual format ). Members joined the meeting in attire that included batches of orange colour to show support for this advocacy event. With the help of the PR Committee, a "Zonta Says No" banner and buttons were produced for used in the captioned event and the "Zonta Says No Buttons" were also distributed to ZCK members including Golden Z and Z Clubs members.
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4. Sponsor Research Proposal from Women's Coalition of Equal Opportunities
Violence against women is a global concern and updated empirical data in HK is severely lacking for service planning and prevention work. The need for scientific research study on domestic violence & sexual violence in Hong Kong is urgently called for. The Advocacy Committee is pleased to announce that unanimous support from the Board and approval from members at the Business Meeting on 26.1.2021 to sponsor a research project named "Women's experiences of violence in Hong Kong" by the Women's Coalition of Equal Opportunities (WCEO). The research will be developed by Dr. Annie CHAN Hau Nung, Associate Professor for Lingnan University. The whole research will take the form of a questionnaire survey to collect responses from 1200 respondents as well as 6 focus group interviews.
After completion, the report will make recommendations for improvement in the policy on combating violence against women & remedies to survivors of domestic & sexual violence; so that Hong Kong Government & relevant government bodies such as Police, Hospital authority, Department of Justice, Social Welfare Department, social welfare organizations & civil society organizations can use the research findings to improve their planning polices & services. The report, when completed, will be sent to relevant government bodies & advisory bodies, members of the Legislative Council, political parties & women groups. A press conference is planned around Women's Day 2022 & representative of Zonta Club will be invited to attend. The role of Zonta Club of Kowloon is both a sponsor & joint advocator.
A check presentation ceremony was held during the Zonta club's business meeting on 27 February. Seen here from right are Winnie Teoh, Chair of Advocacy Committee of Zonta Club of Kowloon
inviting Cecilia Kuk, President of Zonta Club of Kowloon to present the sponsorship cheque to Sisi Liu, representing the Hong Kong Women's Coalition on Equal Opportunities.
Members of Zonta Club of Kowloon confirmed their strong support for the 'Zonta Says No to Violence' campaign, initiated globally by Zonta International since 2012.
Previous study in 2013 by Hong Kong Women's Coalition on Equal Opportunities
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5. Invite comments from members on the consultation paper on "Sentencing and Related Matters by the Law Reform Commission's Review"
The ZCK received invitation from the Law Reform Commission to submit comments on their Consultation Paper on “Sentencing & Related Matters in the Review of Sexual Offences” published on 20.11.2020. The Advocacy Committee and the Legal Committee together have jointly summarized members' views and provide a consolidated reply to the Law Reform Commission on 11/2. We advocate that judges should be provided with powers to make mandatory treatment orders for offenders, and to obtain presentencing psychological or psychiatric assessment reports.
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6. We are happy to see that the government has produced a legislative proposal after examining the views received during the public consultations on sexual offences.
- In the Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2021 of which the first reading was tabled at Legislative Council on March 24, 2021, the offences of Voyeurism, Non-consensual Recording of Intimate Parts and Related Image Publication Offences are proposed in a new section Part XII AA.
- For offence of voyeurism, contravention will attract a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment.
- For non-consensual recording of intimate parts for sexual purpose or for a dishonest gain, there will be a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment. As per our proposals, both “upskirting” and “down-blousing” are included.
- The publication of intimate images without consent, & non-consensual recording of intimate images would constitute an offence.
- Offences of voyeurism or non- consensual recording of intimate parts will be included under the Sexual Conviction Record Check Scheme for the better protection of children and mentally incapacitated persons from sexual abuse.
- Through the above efforts, the Zonta Club of Kowloon has played a contributing part in urging the Hong Kong Government and the Justice Department to implement necessary legal reforms. With development of media channels and cyberspace, we need to safeguard the privacy and safety of women and girls. The trauma inflicted on victims can be lifelong, and it can crush the victims' self-esteem forever. Advocating for legal reform on sexual offences is a long journey - it requires continuous efforts step-by-step, month after month, to advance our advocacy goals.
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7. Consultation Paper by Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Advocacy Chair Winnie Teoh together with members of Advocacy Committee have contributed our thoughts to the Consultation Paper by Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Corporate Governance. This is upon the request by Julianne Doe, Chair of Legal Committee. We will be submitting our views before the deadline on 18 June 2021.
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8. Zonta International's Statement On Climate Change
Zonta International urges all to increase their awareness of climate change and on its gender-related consequences.
We need to support the inclusion of women at the national and local tables of decision-makers on environmental sustainability.
We need to promote girls' education and the inclusion of climate literacy in schools,
as well as to promote girls’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies to increase gendered scientific and technical contributions to climate change mitigation.
We need to advocate for national policies that take into account women's economic opportunities and ensures their full and equal participation in the economy.
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9. Recovering arrears of maintenance payment
- The official term for alimony recovery is 'Recovering arrears of maintenance payments.' As recent as May 26,2021, Councillor Elizabeth Quat has posted the question of 'Recovering arrears of maintenance payments' at LegCo. The answer from Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui at LegCo is as follows. 'We understand that specialized agencies or schemes are in place in some overseas countries to handle matters relating to maintenance payments. The HK government has commissioned a research team through the Family Council to study the system of collection of maintenance payments, enforcement of maintenance orders, examine the pros and cons of overseas systems and analyze their application in HK.' Up to now, there is now further news from Home Affairs Department.
- Advocacy Committee has managed to locate more statistics on the size of this underprivileged group who are women suffering because they are not receiving full alimony from their ex-husbands. There are some 58400 single parents rearing their children aged below 18 in Hong Kong, taking up 8% of all families in Hong Kong. According to a survey of Census and Statistics Department, of all divorcees entitled to maintenance, 41% could not receive full payments from their ex-spouses in 2015, but most (88%) of them did not apply to court for arrears recovery, partly on the grounds of complicated court procedures. Actually as many as one-third of single-parent families are living below the poverty line. This information has also been conveyed to the SSC, so that they may consider service projects helping this underprivileged group.
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10. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centers, they have organized an 'International Conference on 'Moving Towards Gender Equality & a Sustainable Society' at Chinese University of Hong Kong on December 10. Winnie Teoh attended on behalf of ZC Kowloon.
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12. Survey on ‘Hong Kong Women’s Experiences of Violence 2021' Findings & Recommendations
Our club realizes there is a scarcity of statistics on sexual violence & domestic violence in Hong Kong. That is why we decided to sponsor the research titled 'Hong Kong Women's Experiences of Violence 2021.’ It is organized by Women’s Coalition on Equal Opportunities. Researcher is Annie Chan from Lingnan University who organized the survey comprising 1044 questionnaires completed by violence victims, plus 30 in-depth interviews. A Press Conference was held on ZOOM on March 7,2022 to announce our findings to the Hong Kong media. We have come up with encompassing & wide-ranging recommendations for improvement in the policy & servicing strategies to help survivors of sexual violence & intimate partner violence. The Press Conference has received tremendous local media interest and it was covered by 17 newspapers, radio & TV stations. Our recommendations include the following:
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- We recommend Hong Kong Government offers Financial Support & Housing Support to women victims, as well as establish Sexual Violence Crisis Support Centres.
- We recommend Hong Kong Government to improve flexibility in service provision and increase funding to NGOs servicing female victims.
- We recommend Hong Kong Government to review procedural guidelines for handling sexual violence cases, procedural guidelines for handling intimate partner violence cases, and procedural guidelines on child abuse.
- We recommend Hong Kong Police to review existing classification for domestic violence, which leads to an under-reporting of the prevalence of domestic violence.
- We recommend Equal Opportunities Commission establish mandatory sexual harassment policies for companies and implement staff training.
- There is a need to improve policy, legal and professional training provision. This would include modernization of Family Court, increase training for personnel who work with women, and speed up reforms on sex crime legislation.
- We need to educate the public about sexual and intimate partner violence and equip women with information on women’s rights and relevant laws to protect women in Hong Kong.
- There is a need to address sexual violence in public transportation and schools.
We hope that our recommendations would be useful for Hong Kong Government, relevant government bodies such as Police, Hospital Authority, Department of Justice, Social Welfare Department, NGOs, transportation companies and schools, for incorporating into their planning & servicing models for the coming years.
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'Tie*Journey' Exhibition
In November 2017, Zonta Club of Kowloon offered Ruby Sponsorship to Les Beatitiudes for its 'Tie*Journey' Exhibition held at UOB Art Space at Regal Airport Hotel from November 2017 to January 2018. The special exhibition demonstrated, through art and craft, how people can support each other on their life journey by simply sharing a necktie. The Exhibition aimed to provide opportunities for women's economic empowerment, vocational education, and exposure to the outside world.
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The 1 AM Apps (lst Action Moment) launched by Zonta Club of Kowloon on 8 March 2016 (for more information)
Zonta Club of Kowloon has recently launched the 1 AM (First Action Moment) Mobile Apps application during a press conference scheduled on Zonta Rose Day, 8 March 2016.
The 1 AM is a mobile application that can be freely downloaded from Apps store by clicking https://appsto.re/hk/qqXy7.i on iPhone or Android. It is the first Chinese speaking Apps launched worldwide for the prevention of domestic violence amongst women and girls.
More details >
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Zonta Says No
Photo Shooting Event to support “Zonta Says No to Violence against Women and Girls Campaign”
Advocacy Committee will organize the "Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women" Campaign photo taking event after our Business Meeting on 26 Oct 2021. With the ZSN banner, buttons and pop ups, our message will be loud & clear. Members are asked to dress in attire that includes some orange colour. Our Advocacy Research Project partner Hong Kong Women's Coalition on Equal Opportunities (WCEO) is invited to support our ZSN event as well.
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Together with other Zonta Clubs in Hong Kong, Zonta Club of Kowloon has developed a poster to inform victims of violence how to seek help.
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Z-moves Multi-Media Art Educational Program
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To support the Zonta International's "Zonta Says No" Campaign to end
violence against women, Zonta Club of Kowloon will join hands with the
Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women (ACSVAW) to
co-organize the Z-moves Multi-Media Art Educational Program in 2014.
"Z-moves" means "Zonta Moves the World" and we aim to spread the
"Zonta Says No" message through arts in order to end gender-based
violence.
"Z-moves" is the first program of its kind in Hong Kong : a
multi-media art educational program aimed at raising awareness of
gender-based violence in Hong Kong. The number of target visitors to
"Z-moves" is over 2,500. We will invite artists interested in the
topic of gender violence to create artworks to arouse public
involvement in the "Zonta says No" Campaign. The artworks will be
displayed in the "Z-moves" Arts Festival. We hope that this will
provide a new perspective of global sexual violence problem. Hong
Kong young director Lai Yan Chi (2013 Hong Kong Spirit Ambassador,
2012 Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award) has been invited to produce
a documentary focusing on gender violence problems in Asia, and this
documentary will be premiered at the "Z-moves" Arts Festival to draw
attention to the issue.
The "Z-moves" Program will collaborate with Zonta's Golden-Z and Z
Clubs to provide free art education activities for local secondary and
university students. Through a series of workshops, arts will be used
as impactful media to engage the public in open discussion on
gender-based violence, with an aim of enabling young girls to learn
about the human body through art forms, as well as issues relating to
gender equality and gender-based violence. In so doing, our aim is
for them to be equipped to defend themselves against violence.
website: http://zontamoves.wix.com/zmoves
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Zonta Club of Kowloon Response Paper to the Review of Enhancement of Retirement Protection as proposed by the Commission on Poverty (CoP)
We, Zonta Club of Kowloon is very much a part of Hong Kong and we take an interest in issues that affect our local community. We are committed to being an impactful contributor on issues pertaining to the livelihood of our local community. We agree to the pressing need of enhancing our current retirement protection system. When the Review of Enhancement of Retirement Protection as proposed by the Commission on Poverty was in full swing, we have seized the opportunity by actively voicing our views, concerns and suggestions in our Response Paper.
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Say No- Step Out Project
6 Dec 2014
Z Say No Project of Zonta Club of New Territories on 6 December 2014.with Tung Wah CEASE Crisis Centre attended by International Director, Winnie Teoh and Zontians from Zonta Club of Kowloon, including President Julianne Doe, Advocacy committee members Cecilia Yao and Helen Kwan. The project is a preventive educational project on anti- sexual assault for girls with intellectual disabilities- 'SAY NO- STEP OUT'.
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10 October 2014
Guests and celebrities joined hands with Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women to support Zonta Club of Kowloon in its commitment in Zonta Says NO campaign to eliminate violence against women at the Opening Cocktail party for Z-moves & Premiere Screening of Bodylodge《身訴》 at Science Museum on 22 October 2014. Bodylodge《身訴》directed by Mo Lai Yan Chi (賴恩慈) records the experience of violence of the survivors in RainLily. The films not only depicts the contradictions and struggles, but also aims at bringing discussions about violence against women, breaking the silence and voicing out concerns.
As violence leads to misery and suffering, Zonta Club of Kowloon further cares the healing in the aftermath of violence which is often difficult for each survivor. Although each survivor's needs and recovery process are different, Zonta Club of Kowloon encourages survivors to seek help through appropriate ways in which counselling and advocacy might help
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Zonta Says No - Tram Ride Event
8 Dec 2013
34 of our Club members and 23 Z Club students joined forces with the Zonta Clubs of Hong Kong, Hong Kong East, Victoria, New Territories and Hong Kong II to further the cause of the "Zonta Says No" campaign to alert the Hong Kong public to the problem of violence against women. Two of Hong Kong's unique trams carried Zontians and Z Club members and families on a three-hour trip around Hong Kong island, where orange balloons, calendars and T-shirts proclaimed our resolve to bring the issue of violence against women to the forefront of attention of the local population. Zontians and Z-Club girls also stationed at various tram stops to hand out souvenirs to raise awareness of this social issue to passers-by.
More details >
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Rainlily Seminar
23 Nov 2013
Rainlily Seminar on Protection of Sexual Violence Victims in Judicial System was successfully held on 23 November 2013. It was co-organized by Rainlily and Hong Kong Federation of Women Lawyers in response to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Representatives from Social Welfare Department, Department of Justice, the police, and legal sector were invited to be guest speakers. Our Club was proud to be a Supporting Organization to champion the cause against sexual violence against women. Rainlily was set up in November 2000 by the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women as Hong Kong's first one-stop crisis center for female victims of sexual violence.
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