Declaration of the 5th East Asian Women's Forum
December 22, 2003 Hong Kong

Over 350 women from East Asia gathered for the 5th East Asian Women's Forum in Hong Kong from December 19th to 22nd, 2003. We were here to share experiences and struggles in making social change. This has strengthened our solidarity and encouraged us to raise our voices to fight for equality, development and peace for women.

While global economy is slowing down, East Asia's GDP is still outperforming the rest of Asia. However, economic growth and globalization have had many negative effects on women, - especially feminization of poverty and agriculture, marginalization in employment, deterioration of labour standard, intensification of trafficking in women and girls and forced migration among others.

Since the 4th World Conference on Women in 1995, despite the government's pledge for gender equality, much remains to be done in gender mainstreaming at all levels, including national machinery, legislation, policy-making, social development programmes and budgeting.

Culturally, despite our long time struggle for gender equality, patriarchal ideology, either from Confucianism or other traditions, still strongly influences women and their family relationships. In the family, the gender division of labour still exists and women are still regarded as caretakers and reproductive tools. This prevailing ideology has hindered women's self-realization and empowerment.

With the current situations, women are facing new serious issues. First, the rapid development of ICT has created new gender gap in both economic and social status. In addition, cyber violence has become a new form of violence against women. Second, HIV/AIDS will become an even more serious problem to women in East Asia in the near future. Third, especially amongst young women, the traditional notions of women's body, sexuality and gender identity are strongly challenged. The increasing commercialization of women's bodies has contributed to violence against women and the erosion of women's self-esteem. Fourth, the war in Iraq and the resurgence of militarism and nuclear issues pose a new threat to peace and human security in East Asia.

"Embracing new challenges: Women in Action" is the pledge of the 5th East Asian Women's Forum. Disabled women, young women and women from different races, ethnicities, nationalities, class, ages, religions, occupations, and/or sexual orientation are determined to network together, to face challenges and obstacles and to take actions to create a society where gender equality is achieved.


5EAWF ACTION PLAN
December 22, 2003 Hong Kong
        

	Action By
Issues	Government / UN Bodies	NGO
Women & Economic Participation	1.    Government should standardize indicators for unpaid & irregular jobs and to be included in the national statistics. 2.    Legal protection and social benefits should be provided for women doing irregular and unpaid jobs.
Women & Peace	The Women & Peace caucus will be made permanent in the East Asian Women's Forum.
Women & Migrant Workers	Decriminalisation of migrant workers.	NGO will exert their efforts in lobbying their government to rectify the Convention on Migrant Workers.
Women Education & Health	East Asian Women NGOs to be vigilant on the growing tendency of the privatization of education and health.
Women & Sexual Right		EAWF will ensure that the language used in the BPFA on sexual orientation should not be changed in the ESCAP meeting in September 2004.
Women & Spirituality		Women (especially leaders) from different religions should work together to challenge the patriarchy and explore deliberating force for transformation.
Women & ICT	The government should provide more proactive ICT education for women.
CEDAW	The government should fully implement CEDAW, withdraw Any reservation and ratify the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.	NGO should monitor the implementation of the CEDAW and submit NGO reports to the CEDAW Committee.
Women & Sexual Violence	Urge the government to criminalize marital rape and gender sensitise all legal personnel in dealing with rape victims	1.    Demand more funding from government and funding agencies in combating sexual violence 2.    Initiate programmes for sexual abusers
Women & Domestic Violence	Propose the government to: 1.    Make the legislation on Domestic Violence to include same sex couples 2.    Sensitise people working in the education, police, administration, and medical systems in terms on domestic violence
Women & Environment		1.    Monitor corporations on their environment-friendly claims 2.    Support environment-friendly candidates to get into politics
Women & Urbanization	Propose the government to: 1.    Provide social support for rural migrant women, especially ethnic minorities in urban areas 2.    Create jobs for rural women
Women & Sex Worker	To push for: 1.    Decriminalisation of sex work 2.    Prevention of child trafficking and child-prostitution
Women & Disabilities		1.    To encourage Women organizations to mainstream Women with Disabilities into their agenda. 2.    To make Women and Disabilities a permanent caucus in the future EAWF.