STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3407

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 Committee on Judiciary and Labor, 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,"

begs 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 Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, Community Alliance on Prisons, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds 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 record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 97 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair