STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3181

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 97

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 97 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING STATE DEPARTMENTS AND THE SEVERAL COUNTIES TO AFFIRM THE TENETS AND PRINCIPLES FOUND IN THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Request that the state departments and counties affirm the tenets and principles found in the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women;

     (2)  Urge the state departments and the counties to work with the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women to develop gender analysis guidelines; and

     (3)  Urge the Department of Human Resources Development and the counties to implement a gender analysis of governmental functions.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, YWCA O‘ahu, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, and one individual.

     Your Committees find that in 1981, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women entered into force as an international treaty, and is the only human rights treaty focused on women's rights.  The "Cities for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women" campaign seeks to protect the rights of women and girls by passing ordinances that establish the principles of the treaty in cities and towns across the United States.  The City and County of Honolulu has become the most recent city to join the Cities for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women campaign, and implementation of this measure will address the barriers that reduce the quality of life and equity of opportunity for women and girls.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 97 and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair