The Human Rights of Women in the Hong Kong Special Administration Region

Abstract

Although Hong Kong is a party to the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and has enacted legislation to safeguard women’s rights, the existing framework of protection is inadequate in critical respects and fails to achieve substantive equal protection for women. This paper examines existing law and policy governing women’s rights and identifies the underlying causes for its continued failings. It identifies some of the key gaps that render women continually vulnerable to discriminatory treatment. This paper concludes by outlining recommendations for achieving the goals of substantive and transformative equality for women