Freedom from Violence

According to statistics of the Social Welfare Department, over 84% of the victims of newly reported spouse or cohabitant battering cases and over 96% of the victims of newly reported sexual violence cases in 2017 were women. Besides physical and sexual violence, violence against women also includes any practices that harm a person because the person is a woman, such as economic abuse and diverse forms of harmful practices that negatively affect women’s physical and psychological well-being. Violence against women is a brutal consequence of gender inequalities.

This year, we made grants to support various projects to research on violence faced by teenage girls, new arrival women, sexual minority and other women. The grants also support activities and workshop to promote awareness on violence and its gender-based causes, and enhance participants’ readiness to protect themselves, so as to advocate for changes in the long run.

Project Highlights

Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women – work for the elimination of second trauma

In 2007, Hong Kong government adopted new practice to appoint one social worker as case manager for victims of sexual violence to coordinate services provided by the police, medical personnel, legal practitioners and counselors, etc. However, the new practice still require victims to recall and repeat the experiences to different strangers in the process, which causes second trauma to them. Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women has strived for the establishment of a victim oriented one-stop sexual violence service at Hospital Authority facilities to provide a safe, private and supportive environment for emergency medical service, reporting to police, forensic examination, counseling and other services.

This year, HER Fund made grants for “The early research on the establishment of sexual violence crisis center from the perspective of emergency medical service”, the project of Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women. Through data collection, study on overseas practices in sexual violence services in Australia, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, etc., basic principles of supporting services were documented to promote protection of sexual violence victims at the legal level, and to develop feasible solutions for Hong Kong.

Freedom from Discrimination

No individual should receive differential treatment or even discrimination on the basis of one’s gender, race, age, sexual orientation, economic status, etc., rather than according to actual merit. However, in fact, some women in Hong Kong still live under discrimination and are marginalized by the mainstream society, making them economically disadvantaged, socially excluded and susceptible to violence. Their basic human rights denied, these women encounters more barriers to fully develop their potential and participate in the society.

This year, HER Fund continued to make grants for numerous communications and community education projects, bringing out the voices of breastfeeding mothers, sexual minority, migrant domestic workers, and other marginalized women to the attention of public via various channels. At the same time, through trainings and talks, the projects helped the marginalized women to better understand their own situations and human rights, and also encouraged them to participate in anti-discrimination work to promote social changes.

Project Highlights

GdotTV – regaining voice through new media

There are different types of discrimination towards sexual minorities in the society. Public have insufficient understanding on multiple genders and some hold biased views. In Hong Kong, fighting for equality for sexual minorities encountered many challenges in recent years. GdotTV engages the LGBT+ movement and regain the right to speak for sexual minorities through new media. At the same time, the sexual minorities were empowered through training in media work, transforming them from passive audience to active actors.

This year, HER Fund made grants for “Plan G – Video Production Training for Sexual Minority”, a 3-months-project of GdotTV, to train 15 members through 3 theoretical lectures, proposal writing, one-week video-shooting and two-day video-editing workshops. The project produced three videos which discuss stereotype of Tomboy, discrimination on bisexual individuals, and the Third Gender (Cantonese and Chinese subtitle only). This project enhanced members’ skills, knowledge and psychological readiness to encourage their further participation in media work, in order to raise understanding of public and sexual minority on the issue, as well as regain voices in media.

【街頭實驗】捉GAY敢死隊 Tomboy 【歧視中的歧視】對雙性戀最難聽的說話 Discrimination on bisexual individuals 【非男也非女】性別承認法 – 第三性別人士怎麼看 The Third GenderClick here to view other projects.

Freedom from Poverty

Though being one of the richest cities in the world, poverty still exists in Hong Kong. According to the Census and Statistics Department, the gender pay gap rate of poor households in 2015 was nearly 40%, the participation rate of women under poverty in the labour force was 20%. Women bear heavy responsibilities to take care of their families and engage in unpaid domestic work. As a result, women have difficulties to find a paid job, or have to take up causal work with minimum wage level without any welfare benefits and indemnification.

Besides, many ethnic minorities and migrant domestic workers are marginalized by the mainstream society and deprived of their basic human right due to language barriers, social isolation and lack of social service support. As a result, they face difficulties in finding jobs and earning a reasonable income which eventually result in poverty.

Project Highlights

Union of Nepalese Domestic workers in Hong Kong – get rid of double exploitations

It is common that migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong are exploited by employment agencies. Before coming to Hong Kong, the migrant workers have to pay an expensive employment referral fee to the agency in their own country, which are often unaffordable to them and the agency would force them to borrow money; after coming to Hong Kong, the local employment agency would take away their passports. As a result, most migrant domestic workers work in forced labour. Moreover, some employers underpay them with different excuses, and ask them to sign receipt of statutory wages which they did not received. Most workers do not have proper holidays, enough rest hours or reasonable living space – they live in kitchens, storage rooms, or even worse places. Due to language barriers, they do not have sufficient knowledge about their rights, and are afraid to speak up for fear of being fired. They could only bear the situation alone.

This year, HER Fund made grants for “Educate Nepalese Domestic workers’ basic rights through numerous activities”, a project of Union of Nepalese Domestic Workers (UNDW) in Hong Kong. Through a series of activities, e.g. Cantonese class, festival celebration, etc., union members come together and exchanged knowledge and skills, learn about their basic rights – such as proper working hours, monthly wages and holiday provisions. They were encouraged to lobby the government and Nepalese consulate to improve their current situation, so that they can get away from exploitation and poverty.Click here to view other projects.

Promote Women’s Civil Participation

Civil participation has direct and indirect impacts on our livelihood and wellbeing. As citizens and stakeholders of the society, women are not merely passive beneficiaries or recipients of social services, they play an important role in the sustainable development of society. Through active civil participation, women’s voices, needs and rights are promoted, so that they can be more visible to promote positive social changes.

Therefore, HER Fund continued to make grants for numerous projects to support marginalized women such as young mothers, ethnic minority women. Through trainings and talks, the projects empowered marginalized women and enhance their analytical skills in policies and the current situation, so that they are more aware of the need of lobbying and resources allocation from the government for the elimination of gender-based violence, discrimination and poverty.

Project Highlights

Teen’s Key – Young Mother’s Club – support young mothers

Accidental pregnancy causes sudden changes in identity and family situation of young mothers. They often face heavy economic pressures and different forms of discrimination. Inadequate social supports, such as child care services, make it difficult for them to either continue their studies or start working. Financial and employment difficulties became vicious cycle which creates huge pressure to the young mothers, making them an ignored and marginalized group in the society. Teen’s Key – Young Mother’s Club are dedicated to alleviate the difficulties of young women and girls, to empower them and to speak for them.

This year, HER Fund made grants for “Research in the situation of Young Mothers in Hong Kong”, a project of Teen’s Key – Young Mother’s Club. The project trained young mothers who then engaged more young girls to conduct questionnaire survey to investigate their struggles with study, work and social discrimination, etc. The project change to "aims to fight for more resources and supports to change their conditions in the long run. Click here to view other projects.