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The Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Mrs Carrie Yau, said the Government has all along attached importance to supporting families, especially those in crisis.
She said the causes for domestic violence were complicated. She urged the community to make concerted efforts to offer assistance to troubled families through multi-disciplinary approaches so as to prevent the occurrence of tragedy at its root level.
Mrs Yau made the remarks at the Award Presentation of Hong Kong Invitational Mural Design Competition and launch of the publicity campaign, Strengthening Families and Combating Violence 2005-06, held by the Social Welfare Department today (December 3).
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Paul Tang Kwok-wai, stressed that everybody had a duty to help prevent domestic violence.
"People who have come across some forms of family problems and violence should strengthen their own protection and social networks and seek early assistance. I urge the whole society to work together to build a domestic violence-free society," Mr Tang said.
To heighten public awareness of family cohesion and the need to build a violence-free society, a working group was set up in 2002 in a bid to formulate various publicity and education programmes.
In order to sustain the momentum of the campaign, all the five sub-themes adopted last year – prevention of child abuse, spouse battering, abuse of the elderly, sexual violence and suicide – have been maintained in the campaign this year.
The mural design competition was one of the main programmes of the publicity drive last year. Fifty-six groups comprising schools, churches, companies, hospitals and non-governmental organisations, were invited to design 42 murals in 18 districts.
Four murals were selected and the artists were presented with awards today to commend their participation and outstanding performance.
The ceremony also featured talks by the adjudicators of the mural design competition, including Legislative Councillor Miss Chan Yuen-han; Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service Ms Christine Fang; and Senior Lecturer of Art School, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Dr Ho Siu-kee; and awardees.
Ends/Saturday, December 3, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:00
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