平等機會婦女聯席
終止對女性的一切暴力行為──就印度女性受性暴力事件聯署聲明
(English version below)
印度女性地位卑微，受盡社會壓迫，針對女性的性暴力從未止息。十二月二十九日清晨，新德里巴士輪姦案的二十三歲女大學生因多個器官衰竭延醫不治。除此，印度接連番爆出多宗駭人的針對女性的嚴重暴力事件，包括少女受到輪姦後報警，竟受到負責調查的督察性侵犯、以及以「榮譽」之名殺害有婚外情的女性等等，印度民眾不理宵禁令上街舉行反性暴力示威，要求政府正視性暴力的問題。
根據印度官方數字，去年共有228650宗針對女性的暴力罪行，平均每二十二分鐘就有一名女性被強暴，然而有不少女性因怯於社會壓力而對暴力啞忍，更有女性在報警後受到更沉重的壓力和進一步的傷害。印度女性於社會上受到不同形式的暴力對待，除了數之不盡的性暴力事件外，她們會因嫁妝不足而受到夫家虐待、家庭地位低落屢受丈夫毆打、殉葬制度（sati）令不少寡婦被活活燒死，其嚴重及普遍程度致使每六小時就有一名印度婦女因家庭暴力而喪命。印度警方不但沒有正視這些暴力事件，反而縱然警方侵犯及傷害受害女性，更打壓關注事件及參與示威的群眾。而女性反而成為被怪責的對象，她們的行為及衣著被指責，女性的自主被限制。
聯合國《消除暴力對待婦女宣言》中指出，國家必須「施行審慎評鑑以防止、調查及按國家立法懲處暴力對待婦女的行為，無論是國家或私人干犯均需一視同仁」。意指國家必須確保人權法所列明的權利在現實生活中得到實踐，一旦權利受到侵犯，國家需要負起挽救及補償的責任。可惜，從諸種案例中均可見到，印度政府不旦沒有負起改變性別不平等的情況，更遲遲未肯制定有效的政策保護女性免受暴力侵犯，甚至意圖將防衛責任推諉女性，要求女性學習自衛術以減低性罪行的發生。
我們認為：
Ø 向侵犯者追究責任，懲處侵犯者，為受害人討會公道
Ø 實踐人權，國家有責
Ø 政府保障女性權利和尊嚴
Ø 社會尊重女性的身體自主權，立即停止指責受害者
Ø 為家庭／性暴力受害的女性提供安全而支援的環境，指證暴行的發生
發起團體：平等機會婦女聯席
聯署團體（排名不分先後)：關注婦女性暴力協會、香港婦女勞工協會、F-Union、同根社、新婦女協進會、群福婦女權益會、青鳥、香港婦女基督徒協會、香港婦女中心協會、香港女障協進會、香港職工會聯盟婦女事務委員會、零售,商業及成衣業總工會、香港家務助理總工會、電訊盈科職員協會、通訊業總工會、混凝土業職工會、香港交通運輸業職工聯合會、香港雀巢職工會、香港屈臣氏公司職工會、維他奶職工會、飲食及酒店業職工總會、建築地盤職工總會、工黨、清潔服務業職工會、香港物業管理及保安職工總會、香港基督徒學會、基督教勵行會、Bethune House Migrant Women's Refuge、 Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW Ltd)、Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB)、Gabriela Hong Kong、United Filipinos in HK (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)、Filipino Migrant Workers' Union (FMWU)、 Abra Tinguian Ilocano Soceity (ATIS)、Cordillera Alliance (CORALL)、 BAYAN Hong Kong、United Pangasinan Hong Kong (UPHK)、Filipino Women Migrant Workers Associaton (FILWOM)
聯署網址：http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/end-all-kinds-of-violence-against-women.html
Hong Kong Women’s Coalition on Equal Opportunities
End all kinds of Violence Against Women---Joint Declaration on Sexual Violence Incidents Against Women In India
Women in India suffer from an extremely low social status and social oppression, and sexual violence against women has never ceased. In early morning on 29th December, the 23-year-old female university student, victim of the New Delhi bus gang rape, passed away as a result of organ exhaustion. Apart from this, a series of incidents of serious violence against women were unveiled in India: for example a teenage gang-rape victim was sexually assaulted by the superintendent who was responsible for the investigation after reporting her case to the police, and the women having extra-marital affairs were murdered in the name of “honour”, so on and so forth. The India public went on street to protest against sexual violence in spite of the curfew and demanded the government to look into the problem of sexual violence.
According to the Indian official figures, last year there were totally 228650 cases of violent crime against women, and every 22 minutes there would be one woman get raped. However many women kept silent towards violence in fear of social pressure, some of them even suffered from heavier pressure and further trauma after reporting to the police. The Indian women face different kinds of violence in society: apart from numerous sexual violence incidents, they are abused by the husband’s family due to insufficient dowry, repeatedly beaten up by the husband due to lower family status, many widows are burnt alive due to the institution of widow immolation system (sati); the level of severity and prevalence has resulted in the death of one Indian women in every six hours due to domestic violence. The Indian police does not look into these violence incidents, instead the police tolerates the assaults and harms the women, and even suppresses the public which is concerned about the incidents and protests. Women turn out to be the target to be blamed: their behavior and dressing are being blamed while the female autonomy is restricted.
The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the United Nations points out that states have an obligation to “exercise due diligence to prevent investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, punish acts of violence against women, whether those acts are perpetrated by the State or by private persons”(Article 4c), which means that states must ensure those rights listed in the human rights’ law should be put into practice in reality; once the rights are violated, states need to take up the responsibility to remedy and compensate. Unfortunately, it is seen from various case laws that the Indian government does not only fail to change gender inequality, but also delaying in enforcing effective policies to protect women from violent assaults. Worse still, the government even intends to shift the responsibility of defence to the women, and blames theh women for being unable to protect themselves in times of sexual violent crimes.
We advocate for the following, that:
Ø Perpetrators should be punished for victims’ justice;
Ø Women’s rights be regarded as human rights, and states are responsible to human rights into practice;
Ø The Indian Government should protect the rights and dignity of women;
Ø Society should respect women’s body, and immediately stop blaming the victims;
Ø Supportive environment should be established to victims of domestic/sexual violence so as to encourage them to report violent crimes.
Initiating organization: Hong Kong Women’s Coalition on Equal Opportunities
Co-signing organizations:
1. Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women
2. Hong Kong Women Workers’ Association
3. F-Union
4. New Women Arrivals League
5. The Association for the Advancement of Feminism
6. Hong Kong Association for the Survivors of Women Abuse (Kwan Fook)
7. Action for REACH OUT
8. Hong Kong Women Christian Council
9. Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres
10. Association of Women with Disabilities Hong Kong
11. Women's Committee of Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions
12. Retail, Commerce and Clothing Industries General Union
13. Hong Kong Domestic Workers General Union
14. Pacific Century CyberWorks Staff Association
15. Communication Workers General Union
16. Concrete Industry Workers Union
17. Federation Of Hong Kong Transport Worker Organizations
18. Hong Kong Nestle Workers Union
19. Hong Kong A. S. Watson & Company Limited Employees Union
20. Vitasoy Employees Union
21. Catering And Hotels Industries Employees General Union
22. Construction Site Workers General Union
23. Labour Party
24. Cleaning Service Industry Workers Union
25. Hong Kong Building Management and Security Worker General Union
26. Hong Kong Christian Institute
27. Christian Action
28. Bethune House Migrant Women's Refuge
29. Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW Ltd)
30. Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB)
31. Gabriela Hong Kong
32. United Filipinos in HK (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
33. Filipino Migrant Workers' Union (FMWU)
34. Abra Tinguian Ilocano Soceity (ATIS)
35. Cordillera Alliance (CORALL)
36. BAYAN Hong Kong
37. United Pangasinan Hong Kong (UPHK)
38. Filipino Women Migrant Workers Associaton (FILWOM)
TO SIGN : http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/end-all-kinds-of-violence-against-women.html