#1. What gave you the idea to start Cherry Bobbins?

Cherry Bobbins came from working at CASETiFY, being involved in many different campaigns, and listening to the founder talk about what makes a good brand. When I was on photo shoots and dressing plus-size models and when I was shopping for myself and struggling to find clothes, it dawned on me that I’ve been in the industry for 15 years, and nothing is changing. We’re pushing out the same sizes without thought and care about how that relates to the customer.

Clothing right now is mainly designed for about 50% of women, with one body shape — a straight-up-and-down-sized body with no curves. And the alarming fact is that most people don’t realise this. They’ll walk into a store, try on clothes, and when they don’t fit, they walk away thinking there’s something wrong with them — without realising that there isn’t. They’re not in the right store or they’re not shopping the right brand. And that’s really what I want people to take from Cherry Bobbins — this is the brand for the other 50% of people who have been forgotten about for the last three decades.

#2. How difficult is it to find inclusive clothing in Hong Kong? Is there a demand for that category of clothing here?

Definitely. I’ve asked so many women who are sizes 12, 16, 20, where they shop. None of the answers are Hong Kong. It’s all online or they might have to buy something and alter it, or make it bigger, or add elastic to it. Lots of women told me they have to go to ASOS. But they’re shopping online, so they’re not quite sure if it’s going to fit. In Hong Kong, there are very few places on a plus-size scale where you can go. I think there’s one or two stores that I know of, and that is very limited. Even in Australia, a lot of the heritage brands only go up to a size 14 or 16. And we’ve got brands there that offered a size 20, but are now only offering up to a size 18. So it’s definitely not a Hong Kong-specific problem.

#3. How do you design size-inclusive clothing and cater for different body shapes?

I’ve had to actually go back to basics and redesign the way that clothes are made so that anyone from a size 6 curvy to a size 24 curvy of all different shapes can fit these styles. It’s taken a good year just to get it up and running to do the product testing. And I asked people a lot of questions like, “When you buy clothes, what do you often find? How do you resolve this? Or what do you love about clothes?”

I’ve tried to include a whole different range of styles. You’ve got styles that have longer sleeves, cap sleeves, sleeveless, styles that are midi, shorter. You’ve got styles that are not baring your midriff and some that do. But a lot of those pieces only bare the midriff if you have a long waist. So if you have a shorter waist, they end up looking like a dress. If you wanted to wear it up higher, depending on your waist size, you could buy a size smaller. There are styles with elastic in the back, so for women who are bustier, the elastic allows them to get a great shape and be comfortable. And there are styles without elastic for women with smaller busts.

#4. How do you decide your pricing?

We’re a slow fashion brand, so we manufacture in smaller quantities — maybe once or twice a year. It’s more about quality over quantity. And we pay the workers and for the sustainable fabrics we use. We’re not putting pressure on the manufacturers to work at speed and volume. All of those factors are considered in our pricing, but we also want to be mid-fashion. It’s not super cheap, but it’s not unattainable. And it’s something that you want to invest in, wear a lot, and really get a good price per wear, as opposed to wearing something that falls apart within a couple of wears, and then you’re throwing it away and replacing it.

#5. How important is sustainability to your brand?

Sustainability is a part of our story, but it’s not the main focus. What I like about sustainable fabrics is the quality — how they look and feel. It’s a higher quality and you can get a really nice touch and feel on the body and it’s comfortable. But as a small business, it’s really difficult to be fully sustainable in the beginning, unfortunately. We do as much as we can. We use recycled bags made from ocean-bound plastic. We still use some fabrics that are not 100% sustainable or 100% natural. But we do want to deliver a really quality garment and that often means using those sustainable fabrics that have that really lovely luxurious feel.

#6. How daunting was it to actually make that leap to becoming an entrepreneur?

The scariest part is not the leap, it’s not having income regularly. You have to plan in advance, which means saving for a long time and having the foresight to always put money away. But I found the whole process exciting — that I had purpose and this is what I was meant to be doing. It was hard in the beginning because I loved the team I was working in and that was hard to give away. But when you’re growing something with purpose and feel like you’re in a good place, you can’t look back. You’ve got to keep looking forward and seeing how you’re going to be able to do something positive for people.

#7. How much of the Cherry Bobbins philosophy is about accommodating the wearer’s shape vis-à-vis their size?

Size inclusivity is not just about offering the size range, but about designing for different body types. There are people who are size 6 with curves and who struggle to find clothing. I don’t put a clear definition on what is plus size and what are considered straight sizes. It’s more about the inclusivity of the whole size range, so we go from sizes 6 to 24 and offer clothing for people with curves.

And there are so many preconceptions about clothing because it’s usually designed for one shape. People will see something gorgeous and think they’re not going to be able to fit into it. So, for instance, if you’re on our website and you’re not sure what size you are, send an email with your bust and waist measurements, and I will help you match the exact pieces that will fit you. I’ll look at other people who are your size or similar to your size and find something based on the styles that fit them. So I hope that helps dispel the myth that buying online is not possible. It definitely is possible, but it might just require a little more help or you might just need to reach out to somebody for advice.

#8. Apart from the website, do plan to open a physical store or do pop-ups?

We’re talking to different people about pop-ups, but I’m not sure when that’s going to happen. A store would need a longer investment, but we definitely would love to work with Women of Hong Kong — they do some fantastic events within their space — and any other opportunities that come up. We have a stockist in Australia as well. They’re doing some pop-up events and they have a store. I think that’s also a great way for people to go and try clothes on just to make sure they get the right size.

Visit the Cherry Bobbins website to check out their designs and sizes. Email them to send in your measurements to get the best fit for your body shape.

Cherisse Kofod founded Cherry Bobbins, a Hong Kong-based plus-size and size-inclusive clothing made for curves, in 2023. Before that, Cherisse was the CASETiFY Country Manager for the Australia and New Zealand markets. She also worked with London-based Net-a-Porter and Australian company Cue Clothing Co. Cherisse has experience working in digital marketing, e-commerce management, high-volume retail, production, and wholesale distribution.

(This interview has been edited and condensed.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Image credits: Cherry Bobbins

*This interview was done under a paid partnership policy. Reach out if you’d like to be featured!

The dragon dance, originating from ancient practices, serves as a symbolic dance of power, honour, and aspirations for prosperity. But it isn’t all about the visual spectacle; it’s a dance of communal spirit and well-being. Throughout his illustrious career, Master Kwok — who began training in lion dance at the age of five and who leads the award-winning Kwok’s Kung Fu & Dragon Lion Dance Team — has witnessed transformative changes that marry the reverence for age-old traditions with the bold embrace of contemporary innovations, all while ensuring the dance remains relevant and captivating for new generations.

The HK HUB spoke with Master Kwok ahead of this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, and got his take on how technology has changed the more than 2,000-year-old dragon dance, how the practice gives team members a sense of purpose and helps them create bonds that last a lifetime, and what he and his team have got planned for the festivities at Lee Tung Avenue, which will see the return of its iconic LED Fire Dragon Dance on September 29.

The Traditional Roots of Dragon Dances

The 1970s and 1980s were a period steeped in tradition. During these decades, martial arts and dragon dance were profoundly connected, creating a vivid tapestry of cultural display in Hong Kong. The streets buzzed with life, especially during festivals where two main forms of dragon dance were predominant, recalls Master Kwok.

The first, the “Fire Dragon 火龍”, was the centrepiece of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Tai Hang, its flames lighting up the night sky as it moved in swirling, undulating motions.

The second, the “Big Golden Dragon 大金龍”, was a massive and awe-inspiring spectacle, demanding coordination and strength from a large ensemble of dancers, and as Master Kwok remarks, “Due to its size, it can’t perform many fancy moves. Typically, it moves either in circles or figures of eight.”

The limited agility of these dragons meant that performances were often restricted to these patterns, but they were no less captivating.

Embracing Technology: The Glow and Radiance of Modern Dragons

By the mid-1990s, the world of dragon dance was on the cusp of transformation. The introduction of the “Night Illumination Dragon 夜光龍” from Singapore, with its origins in Fujian, China, heralded a significant shift in the practice. The dragon skin’s patterns, painted with fluorescent ink, glow when under UV or night illumination lights in dark environments, necessitating specific venues and lighting conditions during a performance.

This new dragon variant was not just a visual marvel, but also a representation of the fusion of cultures and designs. While Hong Kong dragons were known for their robust appearance and hanging cover, this new dragon, as Master Kwok points out, showcased the differences between northern and southern Chinese dragons, emphasising the smaller body and encased design of the northern variants that allowed for a wider range of “fancy moves, such as figures of eight, spiral jumps, and interweaving”.

This was a period of exploration, blending traditions, and evolving designs to create a more dynamic and versatile performance. The turn of the century brought with it technological advancements, and the realm of dragon dance was no exception.

The introduction of the “Night Illumination Dragon”, was just the beginning as the true revolution came with LED technology. As Master Kwok observes, “With the advancement of technology, LED lights can now be programmed, allowing for more dynamic transformations.” This innovation required performers to have enhanced physical fitness and technical skills. The coordination of the entire dragon became more challenging, leading to the emergence of more large-scale competitions.

The Evolution of Performance: From Simplicity to Sophistication

Master Kwok fondly recalls the simpler times of the 1980s, where passion and community spirit drove dragon dance performances. He reflects, “In the 1980s, people were happy to participate even without large dragons. They enjoyed the atmosphere, and the participants felt a sense of satisfaction.” But as the years rolled on, the world of dragon dance witnessed an evolution in both performance techniques and props.

The introduction of newer dragons, like the “Daylight Dragon 日光龍”, a type of dragon dance that focuses more on technique and skill, brought with it challenges and demands. Performers needed to be more agile, and the choreography grew in complexity. The dance was no longer just about tradition; it was about pushing boundaries and exploring new horizons.

Explaining the intricacy involved, Master Kwok says, “The dragon dance is both easy to learn and difficult to master,” pointing out that while the basic movements of dragon dance can be quickly grasped, mastering the art to a level where one can participate in competitions requires at least one to two years of dedicated training.

The challenge intensifies as performers, despite their physical differences, must synchronise their movements, breathing, and forms to present the dragon as a single, fluid entity. “Some individuals may have longer arms, longer legs, or move faster than others. However, when the entire dragon is performing as a unit, it should appear as a cohesive entity, resembling a living creature,” explains Master Kwok.

The Integral Role of Teamwork Resulting in Lifelong Bonds

Master Kwok emphasises the paramount importance of teamwork in dragon dance, a discipline that demands not only individual skill, but also seamless collaboration. According to him, achieving mastery and fluidity in performance requires intense practice, unity and synchronisation. “Blaming others solely is not an option. We need to be inclusive, encourage each other, and work together,” he states.

The process of achieving this level of cohesion is challenging, especially considering the diverse physical attributes of performers. Nonetheless, it is this challenge of moving in unison, of making the dragon dance, that makes the art form so compelling and rewarding for both performers and audiences alike. As Master Kwok vividly describes, “When the dragon spits out smoke, [the public] scream with excitement. For a performer, these are the greatest rewards and encouragement.”

Master Kwok’s team of around 40 members builds trust through a shared sense of purpose and mutual challenges. “Our team is passionate about participating in events and performances because we believe it helps our members grow by overcoming challenges and setbacks. The most important thing is that through performances and competitions, they gain a sense of fulfilment and confidence,” he says.

Master Kwok’s team members, who initially join through school programmes, evolve from individuals into a united group, developing trust, purpose, and multi-faceted skills over years of practice and performance. Through challenges, solutions-oriented approaches, and experienced coaching, members not only master the dragon dance, but also build lasting friendships and a sense of brotherhood. “After a couple of years and several competitions, they become more than just a dragon dance group — they become great friends and brothers,” says Master Kwok.

Meet Master Kwok at Lee Tung Avenue

In a testament to his relentless pursuit of excellence, Master Kwok’s recent LED dragon dance creation will take centrestage at Lee Tung Avenue this Friday, September 29, accompanied by workshops designed to introduce the captivating world of dragon dance.

One of the things that Kwok looks forward to most about the Lee Tung Avenue Mid-Autumn celebrations are the workshops he and his team conduct to teach the public about the various aspects of dragon dance. Kwok has picked movements from five major categories — Baat-zi “八字” (eight-character), Jau-lung “遊龍” (swimming dragon), Cyun-tang “穿籐” (interweaving), Zyu-tou “組圖” (in the form of a character), and Faan-gwan “翻滾” (rolling) — to introduce to participants.

“We chose several basic movements that can be easily picked up in just 30 minutes. We do it six times over the course of a day, and everyone is able to learn it and even do a simple performance in the end,” says Kwok, adding, “We are very grateful for this workshop because we hope to promote dragon dance, and introduce it to children and parents. When they come to watch the performance, they will have a greater sense of involvement and when they see the movements, they can proudly say, ‘I’ve learned that, I understand it.’”

The Dragon Dance performance will be held at Lee Tung Avenue on 29 September, 2023, from 8.30pm-9.30pm, and the workshops will be at 4pm, 4.45pm & 5.30pm (30 minutes per session).

Header image credits: Lee Tung Avenue

#1. How can parents best choose the right curriculum for their children studying in Hong Kong?

The most important thing is to consider how well the particular curriculum will prepare your son or daughter for life beyond school and how well it prepares them for university and life beyond university as well.

The International Baccalaureate, for example, with six different subjects, which includes two different languages, maths, at least one science, and a social science — it provides a really broad education, but it’s got academic rigour as well. It prepares the pupils so well for university. 

I’ve lost count of the number of times ex-pupils have come back to me and said, “Mr Wickes, it’s true what you said. The first year of university was so easy because I did the IB,” because they’ve already done a 4,000-word extended research paper. They’ve built up those critical thinking skills, they’ve learnt to juggle various different deadlines and internal assessments.

#2. Do pupils fare better when they’re given more choice in their academic pursuits?

It makes sense to offer choices as long as they’re not closing down options in the future. So clearly, a pupil will be ill-advised to do physics and to drop biology and chemistry if they want to go into medicine. But I always find that pupils excel when they do subjects that they’re passionate about and that they really enjoy.

The world is so rapidly changing that it is quite interesting to think that for the pupils who are joining us now in preschool, 80% will do jobs that haven’t even been invented yet by the time they leave university.

I think more important than the choice of subject is those soft skills, which are so much in demand by employers. Obviously we want to absolutely maximise our academic scores and ensure that our pupils fulfil their academic potential. Our average IB score last year, which is our first cohort, was 39.4, over nine points higher than the world average. 

That said, I firmly believe that acquiring those soft skills that are in demand in the workplace is more important than an extra one or two points of IB. So, inculcating those values and those qualities such as risk-taking and collaboration, open-mindedness, self-awareness, and resilience are actually what will enable our pupils to thrive in the future.

#3. How do you help pupils adjust to a new school or curriculum?

One of the challenges of international schools, particularly those that are linked to mother schools in the UK, is how to transfer and how to interpret that culture in a different context. One of the five Centres of Excellence at Malvern College is its British-style pastoral care. I think that really helps our international pupils to adapt and to settle in.

We’ve got a very strong tutor system and our staff have undergone lots of training in how to support and integrate new pupils. We’ve had a session of safeguarding training designed to ensure that our staff are aware of signs of stress, signs of distress, what they should be looking for, and how they can deal with them.

#4. How does Malvern promote inclusivity and cultural diversity among the pupils, staff, and parents?

We’ve got 33 different nationalities amongst our pupils. We’ve got teachers from a whole range of countries, including not just the UK — South Africa, Canada, teachers have just arrived from Spain, and other teachers just arrived from India. 

But it’s not enough just to have pupils and teachers from different cultures. You need a culture yourself of deliberately promoting integration and international-mindedness.

The IB curriculum explicitly promotes inclusion, diversity, and international-mindedness. They’re also implicit, and they underpin the curriculum that we follow. And one of the responsibilities of our pupils is to recognise their responsibility as individuals, to their local community, and to the wider world.

#5. How do you encourage and maintain open communication with parents to support their child’s learning journey?

You need a variety of different ways of reaching out to parents because they’re extremely busy. And as a parent myself, I don’t always read emails that come from the school because I don’t always have time. So we need to be realistic.

We need to use a variety of different media [and] ways of reaching out. I wrote to all of the parents to invite them to a series of coffee mornings in the very first weeks of this academic year, where I want to introduce myself and the senior management team to each year group individually, to invite them to ask any questions, to let me know what it is that they love about Malvern College, and to give them an opportunity to let me know what they would like me to focus on.

But we need other forms as well because some parents are working, and they just don’t have time to do that. I know Dr Lister (the Founding Headmaster of Malvern College Hong Kong) wrote a newsletter every Friday afternoon, and I’m going to continue that tradition.

Also, there’s the parent portal that allows the parents to see what’s happening in their children’s lives, to see what materials they’re focusing on. And also it gives them tips on how they can support their own children with what they’re doing at the moment.

#6. How do you implement student well-being initiatives to support their mental health?

We should look at the pupils that we have in our care in the same way we do for our own children. So what do we want for our children? We want them to be successful academically and in other ways — in the music hall, on the stage, on the sports pitch, as well as in the exam hall. 

However, we also want them to be happy. We want to protect them from excessive pressure. We want to protect and nurture their mental health. And we all know that pupils have been suffering, particularly as a result of the pandemic. And in Hong Kong it’s been particularly difficult and particularly long. Even as we come out of that and return to normal, there are, I think, some pupils that have got long-term damage to their mental health as a result of that. So we need to be aware of that and support it.

 Our senior house counsellor has an MA in counselling, and we’ve expanded our counselling team this year. We certainly prioritise the mental health of our pupils. We can’t wrap them up in cotton wool, but at the same time, they won’t perform better if we just increase the pressure on them, and they have a mental breakdown.

#7. How does Malvern support pupils’ academic ambitions and their creative aspirations?

We need to recognise that it’s right for parents to be ambitious. It’s right for pupils themselves to be ambitious and to put themselves under pressure. But at the same time, we need to balance that with genuine care of their mental health.

One of the ways to find that balance, of course, is what we do outside the classroom. At Malvern, we’ve got three different curricula. There’s the academic curricula, the pastoral curricula, and our life skills programme. Our tutor system and our assemblies are all designed to support pupils in their emotional and mental health. 

And then there’s a wide range of co-curricular opportunities where pupils can pursue performing arts, sports, outdoor activities, or any kind of passion or interest. It might be coding, it might be any number of different activities that are really good for pupils’ mental health that enables them to switch off and to enjoy something that they’re passionate about and to get the blood flowing, to get the creative juices flowing.

#8. How do you ensure that the school stays up-to-date with the latest educational trends, such as the use of generative AI?

I can understand that parents and educators are concerned that pupils can just go into ChatGPT, for example, and use AI to write their essays, which means that they’re not in any way engaged with the production of that knowledge. And there’s a real danger there.

The first danger is a lack of academic honesty, which means that if they’re discovered doing that, they will fail their exams; more importantly perhaps is the danger that they start to stop thinking. But I’m old enough to remember these same discussions happen with the introduction of calculators. So, I think we need to embrace change, but we need to do it responsibly. We need to have principles and guidelines. The IB’s position is that AI is a resource which pupils should be encouraged to use, provided they cite where they’ve used it, and they use it to complement their work and their research and not to substitute it.

#9. What are the other new learning and instructional techniques that will change the way pupils acquire knowledge?

I’m particularly keen on cognitive science because it’s based upon a scientific understanding of how the brain works. So for example, [Barak] Rosenshine has been developing his principles and sharing those in terms of how memory works and how we convert short-term memory into long-term memory. And how, as a result, we need to change our instructional design to make sure that we’ve built in sequencing and modelling and retrieval practice.

We need to scale down what we’re presenting and break it down into stages. For instance, pupils don’t get better at writing essays by writing lots of essays. They get better at writing essays by practising the following aspects: What does a really good introduction look like? How do we move from an introduction to that first paragraph? What are the elements of that first paragraph? Let’s look at seven or eight different examples of first paragraphs. Which ones do you prefer? Why? Can you improve this one? And that’s all based upon cognitive science.

We need academic leaders, not just academic managers. And academic leaders need to lead their staff by sharing their understanding of education and inspiring them to produce lessons and create opportunities that enable pupils to learn as effectively as possible.

If you’re interested in learning more about Malvern College Hong Kong, the upcoming information session is scheduled on September 19, 2023. This event provides a unique opportunity for you to visit the school, meet the academic team, and gain insights into the curriculum. For more details about the event and registration, please visit: https://fs23.formsite.com/mchk/eventform/index.

Paul Wickes is an education professional and an expert in EAL (English Additional Learning). He has a B.Sc. (Econ) from the London School of Economics and a post-graduate Diploma in EAL (English Additional Learning) from RSA/University of Cambridge, as well as a Master of Arts in Education from University College London (UCL). Wickes spent over 12 years at Malvern College UK, after which he served as Head of Site at The British School in Rio de Janeiro, where he oversaw 2,200 pupils aged from 2–18 years old.

(This interview has been edited and condensed.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Image credits: Courtesy Malvern College Hong Kong

#1 – Who is Ashley Dudarenok?

There are probably three things that describe me best. First of all, even though I’m blonde, I’m a Chinese entrepreneur. About 13 years ago, I started my first business which has grown into a couple of brands that all have links to mainland China. One such business is Alarice, a digital marketing agency focused on China. The other one is ChoZan, a consulting company that essentially helps tech companies and big firms learn to be more successful in China. So it’s to China and from China, building bridges between China and the rest of the world.

Secondly, I wear the author hat. My team and I have produced 10 books in the past five years or so. I believe that as a B2B business in a niche industry, it is very, very important to create this kind of knowledge base and share it. We are trying to raise the industry standards to educate our customers.

And the last big hat I wear is as a thought leader in our very particular industry. I do daily LinkedIn digests about happenings in mainland China in the digital space. There’s been a lot of buzz about China, digitalization, and marketing, and especially how the future of retail is built in China.

I was born in Soviet Russia, very close to mainland China. My hometown literally borders on Japan, China, and Korea. In the Soviet Union, women were rather equal to men, so we didn’t have a lot of prejudices. As a girl growing up, I always thought that girls could do anything and everything. Later on, when I was 17 years old, I moved to a city in mainland China called Chongqing and studied university there.

Back then, about 70% of small enterprises in mainland China were run by women. Factories and bigger enterprises were mostly organized by men, but when it came to the whole grassroot economy, it was all women. I basically learned that not only do women not have limitations on what they could become, but also saw how entrepreneurship is done in China – and women were driving the whole force.

In 2010, I relocated to Hong Kong. After working in a corporate job for a while, I went out in the unknown and started my own company. The first few years were very difficult. But right now we are where we are, with tons of China watchers in the industry, a few businesses, and teams not only in Hong Kong, but also in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

#2 – The IWD theme this year is #EmbraceEquity. How do you understand the difference between ‘equality’ and ‘equity’?

Equality is essentially that everybody needs to have the same access to school, the same apple, the same ice cream. I’m sure you’ve seen that illustration of three kids with different heights looking over a fence. They all have the same box, but one kid cannot see, while another kid doesn’t need a box to see over the fence. So this is equality, right? Giving everybody the same opportunities, the same access.

But equity is really about understanding that everybody has a different starting point, unique circumstances. Some women have kids, some women bear expectations that they’re going to be the primary caretaker of their parents. Let’s say there are three kids in a family, but one of the kids is a girl, who is often expected to look after her parents when they’re older; it doesn’t matter that she’s got a career and her own family. And we see that again and again, not only in Hong Kong and mainland China, but across Asia.

Everybody has those different starting points, and we need to be mindful of that and provide real opportunities for women to shine given the circumstances. That is extremely complex, because a lot of people don’t want to think so far or do not have the capacity to think so far. Organizations, big or small, have their systems.

It’s very difficult to implement, but it is not impossible. We are trying to take the first step of giving everybody the same access. But step number two on top of that foundation is building a system that recognizes everybody’s individual case and catering to them to support them. It’s a little bit like tailor-making a product for each consumer. And that’s not only for women, it’s for the LGBT community, it’s for men, it’s for elderly. There’s a lot of ageism as well.

But of course, running such an organization, running such an economy, running such a company requires a lot of complexity. And with tools like AI, with the fact that we are working more and more in a blended virtual-slash-offline world, we’ll arrive there. Today is just a starting point.

#3 – You’ve spent nearly two decades in mainland China and Hong Kong. How do you view the state of gender equity in Hong Kong/Chinese society?

I think mainland China and Hong Kong are two very different markets when it comes to gender equality. In my subjective experience, when I came to Hong Kong 13 years ago, mainland China was ahead. In mainland, probably because of communism as the general backdrop, these gender roles were less important or imposed in the professional world. If a woman decided to enter the professional world, in my experience, there was just more general acceptance.

In Hong Kong, there were still a lot of women going into the professional world, but it was for different reasons. Very often, it was for economic reasons. They could hire a nanny to look after their family, and if two people were working in the household, then they were going to make more money.

So it wasn’t the empowerment angle, it was more about the Hong Kong economy doing really well in the 70s to 2000s. If parents could make more money, they could hire more help, provide better education for their kids, et cetera.

Mainland China is such a big country, so it’s very difficult to generalize. But in my very subjective experience in cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, a lot of women didn’t just want to make money. Even if they came from families that could support them until marriage, they wanted to work because they wanted to contribute beyond just the family. Some of these communism ideas empowered women to be more active in the professional world.

But even today there’s a difference, so we cannot generalize. In mainland China, there are a lot of problems with both equity and equality. Basically, there are two big views on women from the male perspective: one is that when you become a professional woman, then you are sort of equal to men. It’s not equity, but equality, right? You’re given generally similar opportunities. If you’re a woman in the professional world, you have a little bit of a shield. But if you are not in the professional world, there are still a lot of challenges.

In some of mainland China’s biggest gaming companies, they have women cheerleaders that come dressed in shorts and they basically dance to keep [the employee’s] spirits up, so women are also used with this entertainment angle.

And of course, if you are not married by the age of 30, you are called ‘leftover’. In general, there’s a lot more pressure on women when it comes to family planning in mainland China.

But this being said, mainland China is also progressing. For example, role models are becoming more diverse: women are featured in TV as more than just mothers or professionals. There’s a list of self-made female billionaires, two-thirds of whom are from China.

There’s a spotlight on women tech developers right now. There are a lot of support groups, like the women taxi drivers’ association in mainland China where women stand together and say, there are a hundred thousand other women like me and we have the power to help each other. And it’s not just women helping women, but there are also some male allies.

Secondly, especially since the start of the Me Too movement (which was not actively supported and very often even blocked and downplayed on major social platforms), Chinese netizens are also speaking out more and more for female empowerment. For instance, Chinese brands like the underwear brand Neiwai, for example, are featuring women of different shapes and skin shades, not just pale and skinny and whatever else. Whatever the brand or the company, it is quite common in mainland China that whenever somebody messes up with unfair treatment or biased campaigns, netizens give it volume and it becomes a big deal.

Female voices are also driving a lot of change in business. We are all talking about the sheconomy. Women around the world spend more than men. In mainland China, even on male-dominated social media platforms, gaming, or in literally every single aspect of life, women are driving consumption. So right now, it doesn’t matter what business I’m in – B2B, B2C, tech, non-tech – there’s more and more focus on this: if my consumers are women, how do I really understand them? How do I create with them, for them?

The Chinese market is a fast market. It’s all about China speed because it’s very reactive. That drives a lot of change with women essentially being the driving force. But as mentioned, there are still conflicting expectations. The expectations that women place upon themselves, the expectations that society and family place on them, are conflicting. It’s far from perfect.

And very often, the focus is on equality. Nothing else beyond just, “Here is an opportunity,” and nothing else is taken into account. But I would honestly say that’s also true for a majority of the world, not just China. It’s primarily about equality and not yet enough equity.

#4 – Women entrepreneurs face challenges that men don’t (for example, accessing funding, microaggressions). Have you experienced challenges as a female entrepreneur?

In my particular case, I don’t feel I ever faced them because I probably wasn’t looking for them. It’s selective blindness, I’m quite sure. I’m also the product of my culture. There are a lot of difficult things that the Soviet Union obviously stood for, but one thing that was good about communism and the Soviet Union execution of it was that there was this true sense of equality.

I never questioned whether or not I could do something just because I’m a girl. My mom and her sisters always worked. Since childhood, I was never taught at home or in the school or work systems that I shall feel inferior, or that if there are some barriers, it’s because I’m a woman. In my world growing up, that was not the case.

Were there challenges that I faced in the professional world and in my entrepreneurship journey? Absolutely. But were they gender-biased? Back then, I didn’t think so, and I still choose not to think so. A couple of professional friends have told me that when we don’t know that we are supposed to have a challenge, and we just act as if we don’t have it, we are also attracting a certain behavior around us. It might be a combination of selective blindness and the fact that just with the way I acted in the world, I left very few opportunities to discriminate or give me unequal access. I have a couple of friends from the Eastern Bloc coming from former Soviet republics and some friends from mainland China who are also in the entrepreneurship space, who have echoed this.

Now if I really need to recount, were there some incidents that I could interpret like this? Yes. But at the same time, when I speak with women entrepreneurs that come from more western backgrounds like the US and Europe, they definitely are a lot more aware. They can recall, they can recount, they can see, they can feel it. And they can recall how as children they were conditioned to think that way.

Working with western companies who have primarily male founders and male boards, I would say that right now it’s quite okay. I’ve also heard stories about accessing funding where people just don’t want to get mashed up with a female founder. A good friend of mine is married to a wealthy fellow entrepreneur. And some say, why does she even work? Like, what is it in for you? It still happens, but compared to probably five or 10 years ago, it’s getting better because people are becoming more aware.

#5 – From your perspective, what are the things that can be done in Hong Kong to work towards gender equity?

This is a huge question. Ultimately, there are a few agents of change. In the mainland China model, the first agent of change is the government, not consumers. The people think and talk about it, the government takes notice, and then it introduces the big picture. Through this big picture, large organizations start moving, then smaller organizations, and then it goes back to consumers.

In the Hong Kong model, my impression is that things are more distributed, less centralized. A lot of change is driven by the corporates. Hong Kong is a very corporate place, so they guide the standard. And there are a lot of standards! There’s a salary standard, there’s standard operating procedure standard. It’s usually the case that the corporate world sets it, and then everybody else tries to either plus one or minus two.

Making sure that there is a corporate standard on how they want to operate within their organization is a good starting point. The challenge is that often, these solutions are not really tailored to Hong Kong. They’re very big, very bulky, and kind of global. They’re often driven from the US which faces very different challenges as a different culture. I would say only 30% of the solutions ever find meaningful implementation in the actual workforce in Hong Kong. But nonetheless, it all starts with corporates.

Then from corporates, there is a broader kind of government guideline, typically. The Hong Kong government, in the past couple of years, was less effective in implementing change. But right now with new leadership, there’s a renewed sense of excitement and opportunities. What government initiatives can do is create the right incentives for big and small companies to implement more of those programs.

Incentives are typically very short-lived. So if you give money, it works, but it’s not very sustainable. I think many Hong Kong enterprises are stuck in this very traditional 80s, 90s working culture. It’s not very helpful or agile or forward-looking.

[Working towards gender equity] will happen through educating kids, educating adults, educating parents, educating entrepreneurs.

And talking about it, showing positive examples, because we very rarely showcase successful implementation. Somehow it’s a very Asian thing, to shy away from putting a spotlight on ourselves and instead put it on our organization. But we should actively look for those role models, by finding programs that work and putting a spotlight on them. Singapore does this really well: learning from the model of companies who have succeeded and multiplying it in the whole industry or region. So as you can see, it’s a complex question. There are different kinds of power plays in place here.

It’s not going to happen within a year. But you know what they say… step number one is to set the direction and make sure everybody knows what that direction is. After that, some will be able to run toward that direction; others will be able to walk; others will be able to crawl. Some will not even be able to crawl, they will just lie in the direction of the dream and look there. That’s also okay, that’s also progress.

But first we need to have that direction set. Then, all these different agents of change – government, business, individuals, education – they will be able to do what they can in order to attain that direction at their own pace.

#6 – Are you working on a particular goal in 2023 related to gender equity?

Specifically for embracing equity, we do have a corporate culture which is based on four values. One of them is the fact that we need to be passionate about the topic or business that we are in, about marketing, social media, or China.

The second value is about creating impact. So to actually focus on the result, not just doing things to do them – thinking like owners.

Our third value is to be outstanding. Basically, having very high standards of what we produce, innovating, transforming, wanting better all the time.

Our fourth value is that we are one. Meaning our team is one, but also we are one with the client.

Actually, when I look at these values, there’s no specific value on equality or inclusion. When I was preparing for this interview, I was actually thinking, why don’t we have it? Then I realized that just like my selective blindness back in the days, if you don’t see women as weaker, you just build a culture that creates flexibility for all.

For example, we have a lady colleague relocating from mainland China who’s got a young child, so how do we create a working environment for her so she could be successful in that sense? Or, if we have a male colleague that wants to work from Bali for the next two months?

It’s not about just having [gender equity] as a goal in your organization and then ticking the boxes. It is really about how you operate your business and whether you’re taking into consideration the fact that everybody has different circumstances, and how you are truly supporting your team as a leader. Be it women, men, or whatever other minority or majority it is, how are you helping them to reach their highest potential? That starts with the very fit mindset of a leader.

That is why I don’t think we’re going to be changing our values. We’re just going to be continuously leading through vision of how to make people most successful within the organization. That is the goal of any leader and leadership team. Again, we’re not a company of 500 people. Maybe if we were, and we had a lot more challenges on that front with more layers of management, we would’ve operated differently. But at our current size and state, that’s what feels right and works.

Ashley Dudarenok is a renowned digital China expert, entrepreneur and bestselling author. She’s the founder of China digital consultancy ChoZan and China-focused marketing agency Alarice. Her expertise has been sought after and endorsed by China’s tech giants, such as Alibaba, Jingdong, Pinduoduo, and others. Ashley is serving the world’s most loved Fortune 500 brands, tech giants, and unicorns to gain competitive advantage by applying tactics and strategies learned from the fast moving, innovative China market.

(This interview has been edited and condensed.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Image credits: Courtesy Ashley Dudarenok

Juliette Eav — Physical well-being

Juliette is a 36-year-old French born Chinese who has been working in Hong Kong for nearly 10 years in digital marketing. She is a health and fitness enthusiast who loves cooking. She started her fitness journey two years ago. From learning how to build healthier dietary habits and being completely new to weight training, she is now certified as a nutritional coach (PN1) and lifting weights became an integral part of her lifestyle. She shares healthy recipes of world cuisines on her Instagram account @fit_chef_ju, aiming to inspire people in their physical health journey and proving that eating clean is not boring.

What is physical well-being?

Physical well-being is about taking caring of your body in a way that it is functional for your daily activities by improving your endurance, strength, flexibility, and mobility through movements and exercises. It is also about preventing undue fatigue, chronic pains, and illness by getting proper nutrition, adequate quality sleep, and hydration to help keep a balanced hormonal system, strong immunity, and a healthy gut.

How can women attain physical well-being?

There are several aspects to look at. The key is to build sustainable healthy habits and to be consistent. As women, we experience more hormone imbalances throughout our life (pregnancy, menstrual cycle, and menopause), and in that matter, we should pay more attention and listen to our bodies to address the related symptoms. To prevent them and to attain physical well-being:

• Get enough sleep. Sleep is the most important dimension of physical health yet so underrated. It is not only about quantity but also about the quality.
• Move often. Regular exercises and movements (ideally, at least 30 minutes a day) can powerfully affect how your body functions. It can be as simple as walking but I strongly recommend resistance training. Women usually think that lifting weights is going to make them bulky but it’s a huge misconception. In fact, it is the most efficient way to tone our body and stay healthy.
• Fuel your body with a well-balanced and minimally processed diet (at least 80% whole foods) with a source of protein in every meal.
• Drink plenty of water (at least 1.5 L daily).

How to contact Juliette Eav: Instagram.

Stephanie Ng — Emotional well-being

Steph is the founder of Body Banter (@bodybanter), a Hong Kong-based registered charity that works with young people to start conversations about body image and mental health. She is currently pursuing her PhD in a joint program between The University of Hong Kong and Mind HK (@mindhongkong), a local mental health charity. Integrating her knowledge of psychology and linguistics, she aims to encourage people in Hong Kong to start challenging but necessary conversations about mental health and mental illness. Her work is internationally recognized and has been featured on media platforms such as BBC, Channel NewsAsia, Tatler Asia, NowTV, and Deutsche-Welle.

What is emotional well-being?

Hong Kong women are faced with a conundrum regarding how their bodies are ‘supposed’ to look and how they can present themselves as ‘good’ and ‘successful’ women – I learned this in a study¹ I conducted with Chinese young adult women about navigating food and body concerns. A lot of us are accustomed to being told we should eat more to show respect to our elders, while simultaneously being told that we should micro-manage our eating habits to achieve a thin body which, in our society, is viewed as a representation of discipline and success. I think finding emotional well-being for women is understanding that we can sit in the driver’s seat and decide how to interpret and act on conflicting messages about who we can and ‘should’ be. For example, say we receive a well-intentioned but hurtful comment about our bodies from a family member. Instead of dwelling on emotions of guilt that may arise, we can decide to acknowledge their good intentions while reminding ourselves that our worth does not depend on one person’s one-off perception of us.

How can women attain emotional well-being?

I’m going to speak to this question from the perspective of improving our relationship with our bodies. Learning about alternative ways to approach our bodies – aside from the critical approach pervasive in diet culture messaging – can be helpful.

• Body positivity refers to the idea of celebrating how your body looks, regardless of perceived flaws.
• Body acceptance invites us to acknowledge that we can’t realistically feel positively about our bodies all the time, but that we can nonetheless accept them.
• Finally, body neutrality encourages us to focus on what our bodies can do, like swimming and taking walks with our friends, instead of what they look like.

Importantly, there is no ‘correct’ approach here – these approaches are more like ingredients that you can mix into the batter of your own unique body image approach. Changing the ways we approach our bodies won’t happen overnight, but we can take brave first steps in building awareness and re-evaluating the harsh ways that many of us interact with our bodies (just think about how we often talk about ‘burning’ calories or getting ‘shredded’!).

How to contact Stephanie Ng: Website – Instagram – Linkedin – Facebook.

Avril Rodrigues — Social well-being

Avril leads Communications and Development at HELP For Domestic Workers, a nonprofit organization in Hong Kong (read more about HELP). Over a decade, she has worked with organizations in Hong Kong and internationally, focusing on developing organizational strategy, communications, and building partnerships. Avril has a Masters’s degree in Finance. She was born and raised in India and moved to Hong Kong five years ago.

What is social well-being?

For me, social well-being is not only about individual well-being and connecting with others, but also about having the ability to contribute meaningfully to the communities we serve. Maintaining nurturing relationships with family, friends, and colleagues also helps us feel more connected and fulfilled.

Working in the not-for-profit sector, I interact with vulnerable communities, especially women, who face hardships and struggles on a daily basis. At times, this affects me, and I experience mixed emotions like sorrow and grief and exasperation for what these women are going through. Building and investing in a support system to lean on makes me more resilient. Also, by giving back to our communities, we improve our own social well-being and contribute to the well-being of those around us.

How can women attain social well-being?

Women play different roles at different junctures in their lives and communities. Their social well-being is a complex concept encompassing various aspects of a woman’s life. In many societies, women have been conditioned to care for the family and the extended community.

Taking time out for oneself while building a positive support system can be helpful. Community involvement can be an excellent way for women to meet new people and make a difference. This can include volunteering, joining a club or organisation, or attending community events. Women can also seek personal and professional support like therapy, counselling, or coaching. We also need to create a culture of respect for women’s contributions and experiences and empower them to make decisions that affect their lives.

How to contact Avril Rodrigues: Website – Instagram – Linkedin – Facebook.

Dhwani Desai — Intellectual well-being

I am a 38-year-old woman who lives in Bangalore, India. I work as a journalist, and have over 15 years of experience in the field. I am a mother to a toddler, so in recent years, although I haven’t taken a break from my profession that has lasted over a couple of months, the way I work has changed drastically, since now I work full-time from home.

What is intellectual well-being?

Encouraging the use of one’s creativity, knowledge, and experiences, and to be able to positively put them in action. Intellectual well-being is anything that helps a person enrich their intellectual sphere, be it through having a space where one can explore their interests, learn new activities, acquire new skills, be exposed to cultural activities, meet other people with whom you can have enriching conversations and get some takeaways, and be involved at the community level. It also means having a space where one can find means to grow in their profession.

How can women attain intellectual well-being?

I believe women can strive for intellectual wellness by actively finding clubs or other venues that foster an exchange of ideas and talent. A big role in this is having a safe space for women to be able to express themselves and their desires. What would also help is having one place where women can seek out mentors that they can trust and look up to to guide them in their professional journeys. Many times, due to the changing roles of women – from a professional, to a married professional, and then a married professional with kids – it becomes hard to get the relevant information you need to move ahead in your career. This can work as a huge deterrent in moving ahead in your profession, or even finding a creative outlet where you can apply your talent and skill.

How to contact Dhwani Desai: Linkedin.

Benita Chick — Environmental well-being

Benita founded Encompass HK, a social enterprise in Hong Kong that focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals, in 2018. She is passionate about the environment and is a scuba diving instructor. Benita teaches part-time on sustainability at The University of Hong Kong, and is a Board Director at the KELY Support Group and Youth Arch Foundation.

What is environmental well-being?

Environmental wellness is a sense of safety, comfort, and positive connection/feelings with one’s surrounding environment. Our personal space directly affects our physical, mental, emotional wellbeing and in turn, impacts productivity. Broadly speaking, environmental wellness also extends to our community, country, and planet.

How can women attain environmental well-being?

Women, especially, experience many hormonal changes which can affect their wellbeing in several ways. Hence, it is important for them to attain environmental wellness by keeping their home devoid of toxins and ensure its safety and comfort. They may also participate in cleanliness drives, tree planting, ecotours, or other communal activities to elevate the environment they live in.

How to contact Benita Chick: Website – Instagram – Linkedin – Facebook.

Corie Chu — Spiritual well-being

Corie is a Reiki Master Teacher, Numerologist, and Intuitive Energy Healer who specializes in emotional healing and emotional release via energy work. She supports many amazing women (and men) to help them connect better with themselves, manage stress, or wish to heal and release overwhelming emotions such as anger, anxiousness, frustration, sadness, and grief.

She also works with individuals of all ages and conditions such as acute and chronic pains/inflammation, illnesses, and diseases such as cancers, PCOS, endometriosis, gut issues, fertility issues, thyroid disorders, sleep disorders, chronic anxiety, and depression. Her studio, Corie Chu Healing is located in Central and she also provides remote distant healing sessions.

What is spiritual well-being?

Spiritual well-being is a form of personal connection to consciousness. The deeper and more easily we’re able to connect to our true self, our heart, is a way to measure how healthy our spiritual well-being is. How we live, breathe, think, behave, react, face our fears, our ability to accept ourselves, and our desire to do better in a heart-centered way so that we can evolve as an individual. It may include learning and practicing mindfulness, self-compassion, self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-love, with the goal to awaken and live meaningfully so we can achieve our life purpose.

How can women attain spiritual well-being?

Self-reflection practices are a great way to develop/connect with our spiritual well-being better. What went well and what didn’t go so well today? Notice what the inner voice is saying. How does it make you feel? Check if that voice is coming from you, or is it from someone who has a heavy influence on you. Notice your emotions, your breathing, your thoughts (any spirals?), your bigger reactions to someone’s comments, and how your body feels (any pains, discomforts, blockages?) Be honest. Accept them. What kind of changes do you wish to make? Develop from there and don’t be afraid to look for tools and external support to help you along too.

How to contact Corie Chu: Website – Instagram – Linkedin – Facebook.

Noorulain Yousaf — Occupational well-being

Noorulain is a facilitator and coach with certification credentials from International Coaching Federation (PCC – ICF). Her areas of specialty are career, transitions, and teams. Prior to embarking on a coaching journey, she worked in the corporate sector in Pakistan and Hong Kong with roles covering equity investment research, financial product development, talent development, HR Recruitment, and learning & development. Her core values are learning, curiosity, balance, excellence, and equality. Noorulain calls herself a global citizen and is currently based in Hong Kong with her husband and two children. She likes to volunteer at a local food charity and is a student of neuroscience, human behaviour, ESG, nutrition, and financial planning.

What is occupational well-being?

Occupational wellness is the state of equilibrium between our professional and personal lives that we all so desperately seek. It leads to self-actualization which in turn helps us to be more authentic, manage stress better, and build fulfilling relationships.

COVID-19 has brought about a much-needed change in attitudes around human resource practices. Organizations are creating well-being frameworks, flexible work arrangements, and helping employees manage stress now more than ever. We should make the most of these opportunities and not be afraid to ask for help. On an individual level, using tools such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Wheel of Life model can help us manage priorities and maintain effective weekly calendars.

How can women attain occupational well-being?

My work with women professionals has shown that most of the times, it’s one of the following issues that can lead to feeling overwhelmed:

1. Not saying “No”;
2. Struggling to delegate effectively;
3. Not asking for help.

Do a self-assessment and start observing your behaviour in both personal and professional areas. For example, if you are struggling with delegation at work, it is most likely that you are also not able to delegate simple tasks at home. Find role models at work and have a conversation with them about balance and what it means for you. Best of luck!

How to contact Noorulain Yousaf: Website – Linkedin – Facebook.

Cristina Jaeger — Financial well-being

With over 10 years in Wealth Management across Europe and Asia, Cristina Jaeger is an expert in helping clients reach their financial goals. When confronted not just with the frustratingly bleak statistics of women’s (financial) independence, but also the lack of financial confidence and knowledge in her female networks, Cristina applied her finance experience to create herFinancialFreedom. Her programme, 90 days to Financial Freedom, is a 3 months-course that helps you define your financial goals, understand your current situation, explain financial principles, and equip you with the knowledge and confidence needed to be truly financially free!

What is financial well-being?

For me, financial wellness goes beyond just being a state where individuals have control over their current and future financial situations; it is about financial freedom. Especially for women, who have historically been kept out of financial spaces – be it on the trading floor or making personal or family financial decisions – having the knowledge and ability to shape their finances is essential. It starts with having financial goals, from paying off debt to saving for retirement, and then effectively arranging your finances, through saving, budgeting, and investing, to achieve them. Financial wellness and financial freedom allow a woman to live life without the stress, anxiety, and tension of not having enough money when needed. 

How can women attain financial well-being?

The steps to financial wellness and freedom can be quite daunting at first. Having worked with women for over 10 years in wealth management in may countries, the number one thing that needs to change is the mindset. Only 28% of women globally feel confident about investing! Mindset can be shifted only when there is knowledge, so I believe increasing financial literacy is key. If you’re ready to take your financial well-being to the next level, start reading and learning about financial basics. This is why I created a community of women interested in learning how to improve their financial situation. In addition to learning together, a community or buddy system is great for accountability.

How to contact Cristina Jaeger: Website – Instagram – Linkedin – Facebook.

1. Ng, S., Liu, Y., Gaither, S., Marsan, S., & Zucker, N. (2021). The clash of culture and cuisine: A qualitative exploration of cultural tensions and attitudes toward food and body in Chinese young adult women. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(2), 174-183.

Header image credits: The HK HUB

#1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I’m a fashion designer, personal shopper, and stylist. I’m from Venezuela with parents who both work with handcraftsmanship. I’ve been in this creative world since I was little, playing with painting and doing things with my hands. I came from New York, Miami, Rio de Janeiro, seeing all the fashion around the world and I’m here now in Hong Kong.

#2. Can you introduce Vipop to people who don’t know the brand?

Vipop brings together a community of international designers making hot bags, jewelry, and clothing in unique designs like the ones I’m wearing. At the same time, designers take care of the ethical or eco-friendly values behind the pieces and we also take care of the value of each piece. So it’s this community we’re building in the new fashion industry. We’re offering new ways to be sustainable. It’s not just “sustainable”, it can be very fun too.

#3. How would you define sustainable fashion and why did you choose this focus for Vipop?

I feel it’s very important to put attention to how the pieces we buy are actually made, who is making them and how it affects our environment, the community around us, and the planet. This subject is very important today because we can see so much damage in the world from the fashion industry. This is something very special for me and all the team, and this is why we selected this subject to build a fashion brand and e-commerce platform.

#4. What are the strengths of having an all-female team?

I love it because women feel everything. We’re very creative and detailed. You can notice when you enter our shop, you can see all the details, colours, pieces made by hand in our collection. This is something amazing about females.

#5. How do you see the sustainable fashion market in Asia?

I think it’s something more and more people are feeling interested in building. In the last two years, it’s grown faster than before. The new generation is very interested in ethical and environmentally-conscious fashion, and I think it’s obvious why. I’m excited to see it continue to grow in the Asian market.

#6. What makes Latin American fashion a good medium for conscious fashion?

Latin America has many small communities with artisans and indigenous people, and we’re still very close to this culture. We put the Latin American culture into the designs because we don’t want to let it go away. This culture has been around for many, many years and now we are bringing it to 2022. Latin American designers bring all these [eco-friendly] techniques to this generation, which we balance with sustainability by helping these small communities while incorporating the culture and learning what our people used to do in the past.

I get the sense that these Latin American brands are not always trying to be sustainable necessarily, that they naturally do it because they’re learning from their ancestors.

Exactly, yes. Our ancestors already worked in sustainable ways. Some of the brands we work with help small communities of women that don’t have jobs and are too old to study. It’s difficult – it’s a circle. The designers help these people to continue using sustainable artisanal techniques that are rarely being used now.

Another aspect of ancestral methods is the materials. For example, some designers use palm tree [for packaging], we don’t use plastic, and so on. These techniques are naturally sustainable. [With us as a brand,] the important thing is to be conscious about how you make yourself proud of what you are doing. There are many aspects around ethical fashion.

#7. Can you tell us about the sourcing process? How do you make sure the designers you work with are sustainable?

We visit popular fashion expos in Latin America, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Miami. When we see designers we love, we start to check materials they use, who they work with, the process. Then, sometimes we visit them to learn how they work. But of course, we had a period in Hong Kong that we couldn’t travel so the designers sent videos to prove [their sustainability process]. But we already know the signs of when something affects the environment or not. For example, which kind of materials are good to use.

We try to look for the fashion brands that are the best for the environment, but each designer does their best in the way they can. Some waste water, but they work with recycled materials. They try to find another way to improve their production. For example, we have one swimwear brand that paints everything by hand and recycle all the water, which is amazing. Others use materials that cannot be recycled, so they make art from all the leftover fabric.  

We have one designer that only employs single moms in their factory. So maybe some brands cannot change many things in the materials they use, but they try to help minority communities.

Another [eco fashion brand] makes bags from pineapple and cactus leather, and also does anti-animal cruelty campaigns. Each brand we collaborate with is different and while it’s difficult to be 100% sustainable, they try to have a balance. There are some things we have to accept, but then we do other things to help. This is the point.

#8. How do you help the designers have that sustainability balance in their process?

We work with designers to understand what [environmental or human rights aspect] they want to contribute to. Some have a connection with helping vulnerable women, some to clean beaches. How we help them is we give them marketing information so they don’t waste [time and materials] to make clothes that people don’t like, which creates more waste like fast fashion. Of course, we give some tips about environmental initiatives in Hong Kong, but they select the way they want to help because it’s very personal to each designer.

#9. Can you tell us about VIPOP’s concept store, ARTEZANO?

We want people to sit down in the café and slowly learn more about sustainable fashion. We try to make the whole experience with clothing, jewelry, and food from small farmers [Editor’s note: Half of ARTEZANO is Nominal, a Middle Eastern gourmet grocery]. From the moment you pause to eat something, you can also see the apparel.

We’re bringing this to Hong Kong to understand, through the food we eat and the money we spend: What is going on around us? What is this new life that is more conscious?

Sustainability doesn’t have to mean boring or bad style – we can dress great, but with more attention. What we say is, “Sustainable is the new black”. We want people to sit down here, enjoy, and feel all this to see if they want to be a part of the ‘new black’ movement.

You’re creating a space for people to sit down and talk about sustainability in general, not just in terms of clothing.

Maybe you don’t buy anything, but you have a nice coffee and learn a little bit about our slow fashion designers’ work. We want to provide this information so that Hong Kong people can see the value of the things they spend money on, whether it’s fashion or food. We [have the potential] to affect the environment or animals just by buying something, so it’s nice when we can be a little bit conscious.

Find Vipop online or in-person at ARTEZANO, 52-54 Graham Street, Soho, Hong Kong (+852 3489 2770).

Lenia Pérez is the Founder and Director of Hong Kong-based sustainable fashion boutique Vipop. She and Co-Founder Fabiana Gonzalez started the brand in 2018, which works with international artisans especially in South and Central America creating ethical clothing. The daughter of two artisans who instilled a love for craftsmanship and design in her, Lenia is the designer of her namesake fashion label, Lenia.

Disclaimer: This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.

Header image credits: Vipop

#1 – Can you tell us about Lunar and its goal?

Lunar started as an initiative from SCMP to empower and celebrate voices of women in the region in Asia because they’re usually either marginalized or forgotten or ignored. SCMP is one of the oldest newspapers in the region and was actually the first to hire female correspondents back in the thirties. (Editor’s note: SCMP was the first Asian news organization to have a female correspondent, Helen Duncan in 1932.), so it made sense that we wanted to play a meaningful role in this.

Lunar is known today mostly through two projects. The most public one is the weekly newsletter, which gathers seven articles on women’s news and issues from all around the newsroom. Business, tech, China desk, culture, the City desk, really everywhere that will elevate the debate at least a tiny bit.

The second project is something within SCMP. We really want to push the newsroom to use more female sources as experts, especially because it’s traditionally a role that we give to men. This initiative has actually worked. Since we started, the readership has also changed from 35% women and 65% men, to 45% women and 55% men. It’s almost 50/50.

More recently, Lunar also decided to widen the spectrum of stories that we share because there are a lot of other marginalized voices that usually do not have a platform. We started to follow more of a diversity and inclusion path, including stories about LGBTQ+ identity, religious minorities, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities.

There’s a saying that women make up 50% of the world’s population but are treated as a minority, which is true to an extent. But then there are also some women that are discriminatory against other minorities. So the goal is not to uplift just women, but to go deeper. It’s an exciting time because the public is getting more aware of the concept of intersectionality. Society is evolving, so the content we’ve been producing has been evolving.

#2 – Only 37% of lesbian and bisexual women are out at work in Hong Kong. Do you see this number increasing?

The short answer is I truly hope so. There are two major spectrums to look at. The first one is societal and second one is professional.

This number could increase because society is definitely becoming more aware and accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, thanks to things like pop culture representation, media coverage, and the amazing work of organizations and associations here. In the past year there were some very high profile court cases, which I think really touched the public.

If we just look at visibility and representation, it’s definitely getting better. But the problem here is that it’s not because you’re more visible that you necessarily have a safe space to express yourself. This is where companies have a responsibility to create a space where women and LGBTQ+ people should feel free and safe to express their gender identity or sexual orientation while knowing it will not impact their professional opportunities or socialization within the company. Discrimination within companies still happens a lot for the LGBTQ+ community, even in companies where you have some forms of guidelines.

If we want this number to increase, a first step for companies is to create workshops and conferences about inclusivity. And allyship, which is also very important. But then the second step is to actually apply these guidelines because it’s very beautiful to say, yeah, we support LGBTQ+ people, but if the behavior is not following, it’s ‘rainbow-washing’ or rainbow capitalism.

You know, it’s Pride Month. Rainbow capitalism is when companies try to win money out of LGBTQ+ people while they don’t follow their company policies at all. Marks & Spencer, for example, had a sandwich a few years ago called the LGBT sandwich that was quite divisive.

#3 – One in seven directors at larger listed companies are female. Why do you think that is?

That’s a huge question. The short answer is stereotypes and discrimination. The long answer is it can be traced back to childhood. Girls’ and boys’ upbringing to social life is very different. Girls are expected to be clean and proper and pretend to cook and be a future good mom, and boys will be boys, getting into fights and destroying your jeans. It’s really two different ways of thinking.

But then what’s interesting is there was a study from a few months ago that found that Hong Kong girls actually have better grades than Hong Kong boys. It is very interesting, especially knowing that later on, we do not necessarily have the same options because we are not given the same ambitions. For example, when it comes to picking the subject you want to study, you’ll have some fields that are men-dominated. Or if you look at nurses and doctors, you have more nurses that are female and more doctors that are male. That’s because we’re not influenced to have the same ambitions in life.

Women are just not seen as good leaders in general because we’re supposed to be ‘emotional’ as future or existing moms, so we’re not a good value for the company. Then older women also face discrimination when it comes to things like menopause. In work life, women are subject to more subjective criteria, that are actually not proven, like fatphobia, beauty, and femininity, than men.

Kellogg School produced a study that proved that people have a tendency to hire candidates that remind them of themselves. If a man is hiring someone else, statistically speaking, he will be more likely to hire another man. And same with promotion. So this is potentially why in Hong Kong, less women are promoted to such high positions.

#4 – How has Hong Kong’s LGBTQ+ situation evolved in the last 10 years?

It has definitely evolved. But I think we have two different trains with two different speeds. In terms of law and government, some laws have been passed which are definitely helping LGBTQ+ empowerment. Same sex marriage is now recognized in Hong Kong if it was done somewhere else. Transgender people can now change their gender on their ID card, but only if they went through a full transition which includes sex affirmation surgery. Those are very small steps, but they’re still a first step, which is always good to take.

But then civil society always moves faster than governments on this kind of issue. The way Hong Kong perceives and supports LGBTQ+ people has definitely involved evolved way more in a positive way. There’s more representation in pop culture, media have increased their coverage, and associations/organizations are doing a pretty amazing work on promoting and especially educating people. That’s maybe one of the biggest markers, that cisgender and straight people are willing to get educated on this subject. That’s really the proof that things are evolving.

Today, surveys have shown that Hong Kong is actually ready to support same sex marriage and support LGBTQ+ people in general. It’s just that now governments and laws have to move forward too. And maybe with the new chapter in Hong Kong with John Lee, we can still hope that it’s gonna happen.

#5 – Do you see gay marriage being legally recognized in Hong Kong anytime soon?

There are dual identities in Hong Kong that will just make this issue complicated to predict. One is the international hub inside of Hong Kong where diversity can be a strength. The city wants to attract a lot of young dynamic people from different places and backgrounds, and obviously I think this side would definitely support gay marriage. But on the other side we have a more conservative force that supports that Chinese values in general are not compatible with LGBTQ+ people.

What else? Obviously what happened with civil society through and after the protests makes it also more complicated to know what we can ask or not. Adding to that, I think it depends to what extent the Chinese government will influence the Hong Kong one, because the government hasn’t exactly been supportive of the LGBTQ+ community over there.

I really hope we get over that at some point, because it’s not about us versus them all the time and it’s not always about traditional versus modern. It’s also about the actual wellbeing of individuals and especially, sometimes, their survival.

But also when we talk about gay marriage, there are so many other laws that need to be passed in Hong Kong. There are still no real laws about discrimination when it comes to gender and sexual minorities. Conversion therapies are also still legal. There’s a lot to be done when it comes to laws. The past government has been a bit more progressive than some other governments in the region, so I think we just need to see what the next government is going to do because it will definitely influence the public opinion.

#6 – China has a complicated history with acceptance of gay people. Where do you see attitudes in China heading in the next 10 years?

History all around the world has kind of erased LGBTQ+ people from history, but we’ve always been there. Where it’s going in the next 10 years is a bit complicated because it’s still a very taboo subject in China. Some people are still going to prison for it in some places, which is extremely worrying. Recently, there has been a crackdown on tech, video games, and a lot of education; a lot of different sectors that involve how the youth is gonna grow up in China. And the LGBTQ+ people have been really targeted into that.

The Shanghai Pride, which used to be a huge event, has been canceled since a few years ago. (Editor’s note: Cancelled in 2020, Shanghai Pride was the longest-running and main Pride event in China.) Male idols that are considered too feminine are asked not to appear on TV anymore. You have a few LGBTQ+ groups on social media, including Weibo, that have been shut down because the new way of seeing it is it’s not compatible with traditional Chinese values. And so LGBTQ-ness is really portrayed as something from the West by the government. But on the other side, there’s still a huge LGBTQ+ community in China. Around 70 million, which is five percent of the population, identify themself as part of the LGBTQ+ community. I mean, that’s huge.

And we are talking about generations that have been living with censorship from either social media or the government for their whole life. It’s a very resourceful and clever community and I think we should not underestimate them.

One of my colleagues wrote an interesting article about how LGBTQ+ people in mainland China are trying to, not reject, but get more far away from the Western model of getting visibility. Since restrictions are so important in China when it comes to queerness, then we can’t use what they describe as the flamboyant Western way of celebrating queerness, for example.

Being part of the LGBTQ+ community is a huge spectrum, so the way to make it visible and claim this identity is also really diverse. I hope it’s going somewhere. They’re trying to find solutions and it’s very complicated to figure out one way that works. It’s gonna be a few thousand different ways that will eventually work for the common good.

(Editor’s note: SCMP’s Hong Kong at 25 gives an overview of key events in Hong Kong over the past 25 years.)

Salomé Grouard is a Digital Production Editor at South China Morning Post. She is newly at the helm of Lunar, a weekly newsletter gathering stories about gender and marginalized communities, and podcast Lunar Voices. Originally from France, Salomé came to Hong Kong in 2019 to study her Master of Journalism. She freelanced for French newspapers, naturally presenting articles in a gender-oriented way, finally arriving at SCMP after university as a Production Executive.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Image credits: The HK HUB and Salomé Grouard

#1 – Africa Center’s motto is Rebranding Blackness. What does ‘blackness’ mean to you?

Associations with Africanness is largely what people mean when they talk about blackness. That is, people of African descent and also people in African diaspora, like Jamaicans, African Americans, Afro-Brazilians.

But when you are in Asia, blackness goes beyond people from the African diaspora or African descent. There are black people who are indigenous to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Papua region of Indonesia, who are blacker than Africans, sometimes.

It’s not just skin color, to be more accurate. It’s more about the historical aspect, a shared history of some form of oppression. Struggling due to forces like colonialism, slavery, a lot of people have encountered that. So there’s that sharedness with anybody we’d consider black, in a sense.

#2 – What sparked you to start Africa Center?

I can answer that in three ways. One, I felt the urgency that it’s time to have something like the Africa Center in Asia. At this particular time, there is a hegemonic shift. For the past 400 or 500 years, the world was dominated by Western perspectives. Now, different voices from different parts of the world matter more. We do see East Asia as a leading region in terms of this influence.

During this transition when there is a change in the dynamics, what matters, who is the master of the world; this is the time, when it’s a bit more chaotic with changes like COVID. It may be very, very hard to do it at a later point because the world tends to establish itself, it tends to create a new status quo.

We’re saying, “Guys, we’ve got to have an African perspective on the table.” If we don’t advocate for it, the world is going to rewrite the DNA of ideologies and Africa is going to be left out again. We have to fight.

Then, there was a need within the community. People would ask, can you come and teach us how to cook African food? When there was a conversation on gender, they’d ask, what do the Africans actually think? I could see people are actually interested in the African perspective.

With all the uncertainties that have been happening, people realize that the way they’ve been understanding the world is very limited.

When you read the news, you hear thousands of businesses have closed down. That’s the question of resilience, right? Yes, we can blame it on COVID. But what human beings forget is that for the past 200,000 years, uncertainties have actually been the norm. It’s only recently we’ve been able to predict things and now we think we have everything on our hand.

Africans are very resilient people. So I thought, why don’t we bring the people who have developed this perspective of resilience? We have an important voice which was missing and needed in this particular time.

The last way to answer that is I felt inspired by a Nigerian author named Chinua Acebe, one of my favorite ones. He says that until the lion knows how to write, we’ll always praise the hunter. It’s time we take ownership of the African story. If we don’t do it, the story of the Africans will only be told as a single narrative. It’s time to bring that multiplicity of the African voice.

I’m going to have kids in the future. Is this the world I want my kids to grow up in? I said, no, this is not the world I want my kids to grow up in. I’m going to fix those schools so that when I put my kid in there, it’ll be a better school than it was when I got here.

#3 – What impacts have you seen Africa Center have?

We don’t want a world where one culture dominates through propaganda and lies. We can’t be hypocrites. We want to have dialogues with other cultures. It may be an African and Korean kind of dialogue, or an African and Hong Kong kind of dialogue. Dialogue can happen through food, where you have the cuisines mixing together.

It’s really a better world where people can actually bring in different voices and see things differently. I can see local schools are also opening up more to our programs. Initially it was international schools who really wanted to learn. People send me messages saying, “My son was in your African literature program and now he’s reading an African literature book.” I’m seeing hunger to fill the gaps that that have been left open.

These young people realize they don’t know much about a big part of the world, which is not ideal in any sense.

We just did a program with 100 kids at an international school. On a normal Saturday at the center, you see around 200 people coming in for dinner meetups and arts-related programs, which is great to see.

Sometimes people send me screenshots of them having debates on the internet on race. It may be a newspaper article with an African it, and then people start saying racist stuff in the comments. I don’t have to be the one speaking, I’m seeing Chinese people correcting Chinese people on those platforms. I can identify these people, like, oh, this person comes to our workshops. When I see people calling other people out, I think, my job is done here.

#4 – Do you see positive changes in young people about how they perceive blackness?

The initial perception of blackness in the local Chinese community is that of fear. Blackness is something that’s dangerous. People are a bit more cautious, but they’re still curious. They are scared based on all the misinformation that they’ve picked up from the media, from other people. Those things manifest in different ways, for example getting on the bus and nobody wanting to sit next to you.

At CUHK, those who were closer to me because they heard me talk in class, or even who had a chance to be closer to me, they all wanted to be with me. They signed up for a course because I was in that class, or went to activities because I was there. The more I was in courses, the more they wanted to do papers on African studies. But those who may not have any close proximity, they wanted to avoid me. The curiosity and awareness was more there with people that were slightly closer to me.

#5 – Can you talk about how you went from homelessness to being the first refugee to graduate from a Hong Kong university?

A good starting characteristic of mine was basically being stubborn. When somebody tells me something cannot happen, my goodness, that’s when I get excited. You said it’s impossible, then that’s a challenge. I like a challenge.

There were certain people in authoritative positions who told me, you’re a refugee, you can’t go to school. That gave me a purpose: prove them wrong.

And then just being determined, because once I was in it, there were a lot of obstacles. Some of those were largely due to a knowledge gap in the gatekeepers, people who were supposed to be making decisions.

I had to educate people, not just on their own systems, but also on who I am and what I’m trying to do. And also uneducating them on what they imagine I am. ‘Oh, you are a refugee, are you sure you can write?’ Being a refugee, being homeless, being from Africa doesn’t automatically translate to being illiterate. There were all kind of misperceptions and misconceptions.

So I took that upon myself. I know who I am. But then I had to figure out, how do I stay true to myself and own my story?

I’m aware of how I adjust how I talk to someone based on how they perceive me. It was basically a perception wall at the end of the day. Those were some of the things that I could put in place, and in the end, I was able to get somewhere.

#6 – How do people treat you differently now that you have a different social status?

Well, people do very much. The beautiful thing is that I can take any identity I want. Even today, I could go to a certain place as a refugee and people would treat me totally different, not as an equal, and this is largely based on how much money they think I have.

There was a significant change when I started doing university internships in investment banks. I had female friends in school whose parents said, “He just wants to get an HKID, he’s going to take your money,” this and that. But once they heard that this guy is in I-banking, all of a sudden, they all wanted me to come for family dinners. For me as an anthropologist, it was fascinating to see the shift. [Editor’s note: Innocent studied Anthropology at CUHK.]

#7 – What can non-black individuals do in the work of rebranding blackness?

Repackaging the education content for their own communities. No one is better positioned to understand their own community than the person from that community. I can spend hours and hours understanding the anatomy of Hong Kong culture, but there is no way I can understand it to the extent of somebody who was born in it and socialized in it.

What I hope from people is the confidence to take African-related content and actually bring it out to the people that they know. That’s going to mean working with people like the Africa Center or others who are doing similar work.

I’m hoping 10, 15 years later, there won’t be a link between the Africa Center and the kids educating their own friends on blackness. That they don’t need my education, they actually can do it by themselves. Even through food! I’m hoping it’d get to a point where somebody can start their own African snack shop somewhere without offending people. Because at this particular point, I know there’s a huge gap in a lot of people understanding us.

#8 – What are the main difficulties that refugees in Hong Kong face?

It depends who you ask. If you ask some refugees, they will tell you the root issue is the lack of right to work. If you can work, then you don’t need other handouts. I’m not going to say, “Oh, we don’t have enough tissue because the government only gives us one per month.” Some people think like that, that their biggest problem is that they don’t have enough tissue, but the main issue is the right to work.

Access to education was an issue before, but especially once I started going to university, it started opening up.

But if you ask me what I think is the biggest problem, it’s the knowledge gap. There is misinformation within the community on who they are as refugees. What is the legal status according to the laws? What are the opportunities, what are the potentials, what cannot be done, what can be done? If that misinformation can be cleaned up, I think we’ll have less complaining.

#9 – Can you talk about the work you do to support refugees?

I am absolutely anti-charity or anti-handouts to the refugee community. That’s the worst evil thing anyone could do because it creates dependency.

In a Hong Kong context, the basic things like housing and food are covered by the government, but what’s more important are the things that are more long-term. It’s the same old saying, “Give a person a fish, they’ll keep wanting you to give them fish. But teach them how to fish and they will do their fishing.” I’m more into that, how do we teach people how to fish?

Helping someone who doesn’t take initiative has zero impact. I am very close to the community, so I was there before where you try to help people and realize you are just wasting your resources and emotions. I‘m helping people to go to universities in Hong Kong or study on online universities, and people are getting their degrees. Once they have a degree, we connect with companies outside of Hong Kong because they don’t have a chance to work here legally, and they’re going there to work.

The mistake people make is they say they don’t have rights to work. I’m like, nonsense. This is the reality that’s here. How do we teach people how to survive? How to make sure they are getting a sense of meaning?

Innocent Mutanga launched the Africa Center Hong Kong at the turn of 2019, which runs cultural programs in Tsim Sha Tsui and DEI programs in schools and companies. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Innocent fled to Hong Kong in 2013 as a refugee with only HK$200. He eventually went on to study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong where he became the first refugee to get into an official undergraduate program in a local university and further went on to work as an analyst for a major investment bank.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Image credits: Africa Center Hong Kong

Under Hong Kong law, transgender people must fully medically transition before they can legally change their gender status. However, many don’t or can’t prioritize these gender-affirming surgeries for financial, health, or psychological reasons, or just because they don’t want to. This kind of non-affirming legislation, which makes it seem as if self-assigned identities aren’t valid unless the body matches the identity, is part of the systemic discrimination of transgender people. Brian Eagen Lau, an educator, dancer, and advocate for transgender issues, spoke with The HK HUB about his/her experiences as a transgender person in Hong Kong and how the perception of transgenderism differs in his/her mom’s native Thailand, where gender fluidity is more widely accepted.

#1 – How do you identify yourself, gender-wise and pronoun-wise?

Biologically, I’m intersex. I was born with this condition with XXY chromosome. Normally, males are born with XY chromosome and females are born with XX chromosome. But I have one more X chromosome, meaning that my body developed in a more feminine way during puberty. I was born a baby boy, but then my body changed in a really different way. I have less bodily hair, my chest developed. The regular genders are just male and female, and anything that is not in those two categories is defined as transgender. I don’t really desire to be a full woman. I would define my gender as transfeminine.

For pronouns, I am cool with ‘he’ or ‘she’. I don’t really like the word ‘they’ for myself. I’m an English teacher, so to me using the word ‘they’ is a bit hard for me to teach my students. Should I use “they is” then, when I’m singular?

Actually, in Thai language, we only have one third person pronoun, which is เขา (khao). Other than the first person pronoun, which is gendered, we don’t really identify other people’s gender with a pronoun.

It’s my understanding of my gender. It’s not your understanding. As long as I think I am a certain gender, then others should not have the right to gender me. But if someone genders me as a male, that’s totally fine because it’s their upbringing that affects how they conceive a male. Maybe they see that I have a male name and broad shoulders, so in their eyes I am a male. But in other people’s eyes I’m a straight up woman.

That’s why I use ‘he’ or ‘she’, but in any official documents I always use ‘s/he’. If it’s something that’s official or public, people should have the choice to choose what gender pronoun they want to use for me. Some friends that have known me since I was young, they still use ‘he’. Most of the people that I know these days use ‘she’.

#2 – When did you start to realize that you were different from the other kids?

I only knew about XXY chromosome when I was in Year 5, which was not long ago, four years now. I always noticed my chest is developed, my Adam’s apple is not there, I have less bodily hair, and my genitalia is smaller. So I always felt that I was a bit different, but I never really looked into it. I thought oh, I’m just weird.

There was one evening that I was chatting with a student of mine and he told me that he also has this XXY chromosome, and I’m like what is that? He thought I knew already. We realized we both have similar stuff going on. I went to a clinic to check my blood, my hormones, my chest area, and found that it’s actually breast tissue there instead of fat. And my female hormones are indeed higher than a lot of other people.

I don’t intend to change [my legal name] even though it sounds quite masculine, because it’s part of my history.

However, I haven’t done a DNA test to confirm I have XXY chromosome. I don’t really care whether I have that proof or not. I know my body. I don’t think it’s something I need to prove, because my body is already in the middle.

Brian is my legal name, but I have many names. I chose my name with my mom because of its meaning: strong. I don’t intend to change it even though it sounds quite masculine, because it’s part of my history. I have a Thai name, which is คริส (Chaakrit). The name is quite masculine in Thai, but I don’t really mind that. Sometimes my Thai friends will drop the “Chaa” and it becomes “krit” or “Chris”. I also have a stage name, which is Briar Armani, so some people call me Armani or Briar. Especially when I belly dance, I am way more feminine and it’s a bit hard for them to call me Brian.

My Chinese name is 劉伊浚 (Lau Yi Jun). Yi means beautiful for female, and jun means handsome for male.

I don’t even know why I have this name. My parents went to those Chinese fortunetellers to name me, and they gave my parents three names. My mom chose this out of the three just because it sounded good to her. She didn’t really know the meaning behind it. I didn’t really realize until a tutor once said to me, “Your name is so weird. People don’t really put these two words together because they’re in two different spectrums of beauty.”

#3 – How do you express your masculinity and femininity in your daily life?

I don’t think about it, to be frank. The idea of masculinity and femininity is quite man-made. I don’t really think like, oh, this is masculine so I’m going masculine today. This is feminine, so I’m very feminine today. When I do dancing, I put makeup on and dress in a rather feminine way. I don’t feel like I need to showcase my femininity or masculinity in any way. I just move the way I feel like it. I also do Thai dancing, which is really elegant. You have to look smooth, slow, and effortless. But in order to look effortless, you need very strong muscles to control your body.

So although dancing may sound and look very feminine, in fact, the behind-the-scenes training is actually quite masculine. In my daily life, I do feel very proud that I am able to do home repair by myself. I can do a lot of seemingly male things that people may not think a girl can do. I was literally wearing a dress while drilling a hole in the wall. I just loved that. People may think that a female can’t do a lot of things. But I can do anything when I need to.

#4 – You’re part Thai, born and raised in Hong Kong. How did your multicultural upbringing shape you?

I’m one-quarter Thai. The first time I was in Thailand, I spent two months in an HKU program teaching students in a rural area. It was the first time I felt like I could be free about my gender. I hadn’t worn a dress yet, but the principle of that rural school was very open-minded. She literally let me teach anything even if it wasn’t in the textbook. I could do drama and sing with them, I taught dancing to them. And I was a bit more feminine, I was wearing makeup, I was wearing more flowy clothes.

There was this breakfast place opposite to my hotel. The lady [who worked there] was just so nice, bringing me everywhere in that little town after she closed shop. She brought me to buy clothes so I could get more interesting, flowy, Thai-style clothing. I tried them on, although I hadn’t dared to wear a dress yet. I think that was quite a breakthrough for me.

That experience of being so accepted […] when I’m not ‘male male’ just meant so much to me.

Before that, I always thought, “I’m going to be a teacher, I have to be a male because it’s what’s written on my ID card.” I didn’t think it was appropriate to wear anything remotely feminine. That experience really allowed me to feel like I can be free.

Thai people are very open-minded in terms of gender. They’re not very educated about gender, they think that you’re either a boy, girl, or lady boy. Lady boy is a really derogative term, but in Thailand they don’t really have that idea. Anyone that’s transgender, they will just use the word กะเทย (kathoey) [Editor’s note: Kathoey is a gender identity some people in Thailand use that usually refers to a transgender woman]. Translated into English this word isn’t that nice, and in Thailand it does have a bit of a negative connotation, but it’s not that bad. That experience of being so accepted by the school administration and students when I’m not ‘male male’ just meant so much to me. That really gave me courage to be more myself when I came back to Hong Kong.

I actually learned Thai at HKU as a minor. In my third year of learning Thai, I went to Thailand to my university where I had to wear a uniform. I can’t wear male uniforms anymore, but when I used to wear one, I had to bind my chest. The shirt would either fit my chest and not my waist, or fit my waist and feel so tight around my chest. I hated pants when I was young.

When I wore my female uniform, I felt like it was very coherent and felt me in the mirror.

So my Thai buddies and female friends suggested that I try on a female uniform. I tried it on and really liked it. I just felt so dumb, like why didn’t I try it way before? I didn’t feel any incoherence. The only reason I was restricting myself to try anything feminine outside the stage was that I might feel really disoriented or incoherent in terms of how I look. I’m not against any crossdresser that may look male, but wanna wear female clothes. I’m not opposed to it, but I just don’t want to see myself in that light. When I wore my female uniform, I felt like it was very coherent and felt me in the mirror.

On the last day of school, my Thai lecturer, who is almost like my second mom, also flew to Chiang Mai for Thai teacher’s day. She was very proud that I finally chose to do what I want. I think a lot of my experiences in Thailand helped me shape my gender. I wish I was there earlier.

#5 – How would you compare attitudes towards transgender people in Thailand and Hong Kong?

In Hong Kong, I get stared at a lot. Some people literally look from head to bottom and from my chest to my face, that kind of look. I was quite conscious in the beginning, but I stopped noticing because I’m so used to it already. In Thailand, I don’t experience that. I think people just don’t even care. It’s so normal there that I don’t even look like an alien.

I had this experience of teaching a group of students who were from very prestigious international schools in Hong Kong. I was teaching drama, and the students reacted well to me being myself and dressing up how I want. But then the parents wanted to have a drama class and requested me to be a male when I taught it, which I felt very uncomfortable about. I was asked to wear a shirt and pants and I was addressed as Mr. Brian.

But in the second year I stopped caring. I let my hair down. Sometimes I would wear pants and a shirt, but I would still wear a bra underneath. And I wore some shirts and pants that were more feminine, and no one really talked about it. The vice principal just said “This is school policy, I have to tell you to wear a shirt and pants. But if you really don’t want to do it, it’s up to you.” So in that way, it’s better.

There have also been situations in Hong Kong when I try to buy bras and female clothes and haven’t been allowed to go into the changing room. But in Thailand, I can do whatever. The lady in the bra shop even helped me to check my bra size. I am really, truly treated like a woman in Thailand.

I have also noticed a difference when I go for facial treatments in different places. In Thailand, I was always treated as a woman. When spas do face treatments for guys, they only touch up to the collar bones. But for girls, they would do some massage on the upper chest and back. In Thailand, they don’t really understand me as a male, so they do whatever they would do to a female.

While in Hong Kong, the place I’ve gone to since I was 19, they still don’t do any massage on my upper body, which still annoys me sometimes. But I kind of understand, they also have to protect themselves. They don’t know how to draw the line there. Although they may know that I’m quite feminine, maybe a man can lie and say he feels more feminine because he wants someone to touch their body to feel good. I understand, but I just don’t like it. That’s the difference between Thailand and Hong Kong.

#6 – Have you experienced discrimination?

I was in this drama company which is pretty renowned in Hong Kong. I was their assistant leader, which means teacher assistant. I was pursuing my teaching degree at HKU, while all the teachers had drama degrees. It’s hard to have a drama background in Hong Kong unless you attend APA [Editor’s note: Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts], which is in Cantonese. I have extensive theatre experience so I consider myself qualified, but I just don’t have it on paper.

I had to take the role of main teacher that day […] the parents actually complained, saying “Why was my child taught by this person?”

In the second year, I was working with a main teacher who was white and male. The main teacher told the students they could ask us any questions and we would honestly answer them. One student asked me if I was a boy or girl, and I told them that I’m not a boy and I’m not a girl. I’m in the middle and I choose to be in the middle. A week later, my manager called me and said, why are you talking about sex in the class? I was like, I wasn’t even teaching about sex, I was just talking about gender. I felt like, you’re a manager in a drama company and you can’t distinguish that. I was super disappointed.

There was another time where that male white teacher was sick, so I had to take the role of main teacher that day. The parents actually complained, saying “Why was my child taught by this person? That’s not right.” The manager called me and told me to tone down my makeup. And I was like, so you think your customers are more important than the teachers?

Then, although the hiring manager said I could be a leader after two years, I didn’t get a reply to a letter explaining why I deserved a promotion for five months. When I did hear from them, they sent a short email saying, sorry, we don’t have any position for you at all. I’m not sure if that was a gender thing, a race thing, or anything, but I believe it was a sort of discrimination.

#7 – How do you try to bring awareness to transgender issues?

I did a series of talks with Africa Center last year. On International Day of Transgender Visibility, I did the first talk sharing about what being transgender is actually like, and what transgenderism means in broad terms and narrow terms. It was well received and the director of Africa Center then asked if I wanted to do a series with them. The center really wants to bring up the ideas that sexuality and gender can be very diverse, like skin color. Even though he faced a boycott from his partners about my workshop, he still went for it. I really respect him.

In regular schooling, there isn’t much material that is actually gender- or sex- positive.

After doing this workshop for a few months, things became quite unstable because of Covid. People came less because they were scared. We may restart when things get better.

The talks were not only about transgender and intersex, they were really more about sexuality and gender and sex. In regular schooling, there isn’t much material that is actually gender- or sex-positive, or even sexuality-positive. There are a lot of workshops still going on online, but I feel like this kind of topic is way better discussed in person.

I do have this one problem that I don’t know how to solve, which is that people who come to the Africa Center talks are already quite open-minded already. I’m still working on how I can reach a wider audience where I can gradually introduce my ideas to them. It’s really hard for me as a one man band to do anything that’s really great. But I’m always up for different collaborations. That’s why I was honoured to have this experience, to share my story and my beliefs about gender.

Brian’s TedX HKU talk

Assigned as male at birth, Brian Eagen Lau was once lost in the myriad complexities of their intersex body, transfeminine gender and Thai-Hongkonger cultural identity. S/he found him/herself through the performing arts. Having experienced the transformative power of devised theatre alongside voice and speech training firsthand, s/he now guides his/her students on similar journeys of self-discovery through the various art forms and developing one’s voice as an educator.

Follow Brian on Instagram at @brianeagenlau.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Header image credits:

To dig deeper, we spoke to Judy Kan, Executive Director of HER Fund, an organization that collaborates with and mobilizes women-focused organizations, about Hong Kong’s awareness of gender equality issues and the behaviours we’ve accepted as ‘normal’ that actually sprout from gender stereotypes about women.

What is helpful in the conversation about gender equality?

When thinking about what I could possibly say about gender equality, it felt very difficult not to say something that isn’t uselessly idealistic or obvious. I landed on highlighting the normalized behaviours we see in workplaces and social circles that have their roots in internalized gender biases.

I don’t know why I automatically thought about gender inequalities in the workplace. Maybe it’s because in traditional Chinese culture, it’s uncommon for women to spend time alone with men who aren’t their relatives or spouse, so these behaviours only show up at work. And maybe because social gender structures mirror themselves in office culture. Ask what oppression or microaggressions a woman has encountered at work, and you get an understanding of what she’s experienced in other parts of her life. And maybe I asked about the workplace because it’s easier to begin arguing for reform in the workplace as a starting point.

Of course, not just from men – gender biases such as the ones that women are predisposed to be mothers, gentle, nurturing, better at being mediators than leaders, are still widely accepted by women, too.

What inequalities do you see women experience in the workplace?

Kan answers, “When a breastfeeding mom needs to breastfeed their kid during a Zoom meeting, although people may say ‘That’s fine,’ when you see their facial expression, you would see they don’t feel happy about it. But sometimes you need to feed babies and that’s the right time.”

“During the pandemic, grassroots families have had to select someone to quit their job to take care of the kids, and usually it’s the mother.” According to a Hong Kong Women in Figures study from 2021, 615,600 women were full-time homemakers compared to 38,700 men in 2020. And if both parents work full-time, the mother is often expected to take on caretaking as well, leading to burnout.

“‘Caretaker’ is assumed to be women’s identity, not something they do. This normalization shows up in our language about other minorities, too. “We always call domestic workers ‘domestic helpers’, making it seem like they’re not a worker, they don’t have worker’s rights. Similarly, a housewife’s work isn’t seen as work. They aren’t treated like they should have some return or have their well-beings taken care of,” Kan explains.

An HKU study found that talented women leave corporations partly because of a lack of promotion opportunities. Winky Law, Development Officer of the organization, chimes in: “In a workplace setting, how do you reinforce or encourage the employer to have policies that are inclusive? How do you create a culture [where it’s normal] to treat individuals with different identities equally?”

Gender disparity shows up not just in the well-documented pay gap, but in business investment too. A study of start-up businesses showed that women business owners receive an average of 1 million USD less than men in early stage funding. Despite this, the same study found that start-ups founded or co-founded by women generated more revenue in a five-year period.

Often, gender stereotypes that suppress minority voices are normalized, so that even the individual is blind to them: “Many people face this kind of discrimination, but don’t recognize it because we think, ‘It’s been like that for a long time. It’s my fault to think or react like this.’”

What does a society with gender equality look like?

“We always hope that all people can live with dignity and enjoy basic rights without discrimination and violence. But what does that mean?” Kan laughs. “I would hope first that all people, even minorities, would have their rights taken care of.”

Using domestic workers experiencing violence as an example, she says: “Nepalese workers often don’t speak either English or Cantonese. So when they come into a violent situation, they have difficulty finding someone to help outside of their community. That’s why I say no matter how small the minority, their rights are still super important. Minority issues should be seen heard, and dealt with.”

With an understanding of intersectionality, a lens to center the voices of those who experience overlapping forms of oppression, there can be a deeper understanding of the root causes of inequality in society.

Kan uses the example of an Asian queer woman experiencing domestic violence. “If you see the victim only as a queer woman, you’re missing part of the root problem.” Rather, the woman’s race is one factor behind the violence that intersects upon the factor of her sexuality. “If we know her Asian background, then we also need to understand culture and understand the biases of that in the social context.” Seeing the victim in a more holistic way subsequently requires more analysis to extract the root cause behind the discrimination. This results in a better understanding of why the vulnerable person is vulnerable.

How to work towards gender equality on a personal level

“Start with listening to marginalized people’s stories and giving your encouragement.” Kan emphasizes the importance of being an empathetic companion instead of a saviour: “Instead of saying, ‘I have more knowledge and resources and you should do this and do that,’ listen to understand their challenges. Then you can know what can be done together. Sometimes when you say ‘help’, that causes a divide which makes the marginalized community feel not equal.“

“Although Hong Kong is an international financial center, it’s still very behind” in policies that ensure the protection of rights and equal access to the ladder, especially in places like the US and Europe. The emphasis is on how the city looks as a financial hub on the surface, with gender-related issues under the surface.

Yumi Wong, HER Fund’s programme assistant, talks about the relationship between perception of women’s emotionality and how it affects their workplace experience. “Unconscious microaggressions create a non-friendly environment that hinder a woman or LGBTQ person’s access to social or cultural resources. The biases are also internalized and hinder us from talking about our thoughts or expressing our emotions in the workplace. Women think they need to perform their professionality in order to get a promotion.”

“These are the kind of difficulties that women face in every day life that may also cause mental distress. It is our effort to recognize the different difficulties faced by vulnerable communities so we can know how to provide support and treat the people around us with respect and dignity.”

#BreakTheBias: Lived experiences of gender bias

To help HER Fund continue supporting small women- and girl-centred organizations in Hong Kong, consider donating to them below.

Judy Kan joined HER Fund as a Programme Officer since 2007, and has led as Executive Director since 2018. As a registered Social Worker, she has committed herself to work for people facing injustice, working previously as a community organizer for women and young people.

HER Fund is part of Prospera, an international network of women’s funds that provides financial and educational resources to grassroots organizations related to women, girls, and other marginalized populations.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Header image credits: beaveraphotos via Canva

We spoke to Fiona Nott, CEO of The Women’s Foundation Hong Kong, which works to equip young girls and underprivileged women with the tools to become leaders, about the gender biases that affect women in the workplace and what a gender equal society looks like.

#1 – What are the main gender biases surrounding women in Hong Kong?

Surprisingly, for a global city, Hong Kong is lagging behind on gender equality. Our female workforce participation rate at 53.6% is lower than regional neighbours such as Singapore and Australia, which have over 60% participation; women earn 15% less than men on average, and women comprise a mere 14.3% of Hang Seng Index-listed company directors. Biases are a significant factor contributing to these issues.

From a young age, stereotypes contribute to body image and self-esteem issues among girls as well as deter girls from studying certain subjects, which is why boys are 4 times more likely to enter into critical STEM-related degrees.

#2 – How do these biases inhibit women in the workplace?

Stereotypes still hold women back at work including negatively affecting performance reviews, salary negotiations, networking and appointments to boards. Particularly of concern, working mothers experience negative bias from employers, with an Equal Opportunities Commission study revealing more than 50% of employers would not hire women with children.

Older women face stigma at work for going through natural phases of life such as menopause. While we don’t know what impact that has in Hong Kong, results from a UK survey suggest one in four women consider dropping out of the workforce because of menopausal symptoms. At home, women face familial pressure to take up the majority of childcare, eldercare and household duties, which contributes to one-third of women dropping out of the workforce. These biases all contribute to women and girls not being able to fully thrive in society.

#3 – Why is it important to engage men in the work of achieving gender equality? What does this look like?

Men comprise the majority representatives of boardrooms, c-suites and senior roles across the city. Without the avid support of men, who generally make up the most influential and powerful stakeholder group across sectors, significant progress toward ending gender inequality is unlikely. In the workplace, this support includes men championing the merits of gender equality and role modelling the uptake of parental and flexible leave. At home it can mean equal sharing of household and caregiving responsibilities.

This does not mean women, other genders, or those who don’t identify with any gender, do not play a critical role in closing the gender gap. Instead, working with men as champions of gender equality helps to contribute to the ecosystem of individuals who feel equipped, knowledgeable, and ready to take action to create a more inclusive workplace, home, and city.

#4 – What does a society with gender equality look like?

Gender equality benefits everyone. A gender equal society where everyone has access to the same tools, resources and opportunities looks a lot brighter. Happier families. A thriving economy. More innovative and satisfying workplaces. A society without gender-based violence or harassment in real-life and virtual spaces. Children and adults who don’t feel influenced or constrained by their gender to dress, speak, or act in a specific way or to make decisions about their present or future based on gender.

#5 – How has the pandemic affected women and girls in Hong Kong?

For all of us, COVID-19 has upended nearly every aspect of our daily lives from our basic necessities and social interactions to education, jobs and the economy. We have all had to unexpectedly adjust and adapt to new ways of working – most of us remotely, some of us for the first time – all while managing the fear and general malaise that accompanies the pandemic.

However, there are some aspects of the pandemic which have disproportionately impacted women. They have taken up the majority of primary carer responsibilities, looking after children or elderly family members, without the usual support from schools or care centres in addition to doing household chores.

Some groups of women are particularly vulnerable: migrant domestic workers, ethnic minorities and underprivileged single parents, to name a few. We have also seen a spotlight on pervasive issues disproportionately affecting women like the digital divide and sexual and domestic violence.

We all need to support our most marginalised groups at this critical time. This is why The Women’s Foundation launched an initiative to provide Rapid Antigen Tests to underprivileged women and their families to alleviate their financial burden and provide peace of mind; it’s also why we have a #TEENForGood Initiative to support the learning needs of unprivileged students at risk of falling behind academically due to the pandemic and are launching a series for underprivileged women to equip them with tools to improve their mental health and well-being.

#6 – How can gender equality be improved in Hong Kong?

Achieving gender equality depends as much on the small everyday actions of individuals as it does on the larger structural changes. We can each start with small changes: expose children to diverse role models; debunk gender stereotypes in TV shows, movies and ads to the people around you; evenly divide childcare, eldercare and household responsibilities. At work, challenge policies and initiatives that may be disadvantageous to one gender and promote an inclusive working culture. In public or on the internet, stand up against harassment and discrimination. We can all contribute to making Hong Kong a gender equal city.

Fiona Nott joined The Women’s Foundation as CEO in 2017, combining her senior leadership experience with a commitment to TWF’s mission to serve marginalised women and girls in Hong Kong. A former lawyer, Fiona has lived in Hong Kong for over two decades having cultivated a career as a legal professional and adviser to a number of leading corporations including PCCW, AIA, and Aviva. In 2021, the AmCham Women of Influence Awards 2021 recognized Fiona as Non-Profit Leader of the Year for her work advancing gender equality.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Header image credits: davidf via Canva

Learn about who these powerful women’s heroines are, what barriers they’ve encountered because of their gender, and their most important advice for other women.

Ashley Dudarenok — China marketing expert

Ashley is a renowned China digital expert, entrepreneur, bestselling author. She’s a LinkedIn Top Voice in Marketing with 80,000 followers, a Holmes Report Asia’s Top 25 Innovator, and in 2021, she received the Women Leadership Award by IPWS and was named the Young Business Leader of the Year.

Ashley is the founder of a China-focused digital marketing agency Alarice and China digital consultancy ChoZan. Her top-rated YouTube vlog covers China’s tech, the Chinese consumers, new retail ecosystems and digital marketing. Ashley is a regular media contributor and has been interviewed by the BBC, the SCMP, Forbes, Bloomberg among others.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

It’s a day to celebrate women and unity, progress and strengths. In the Soviet Union, where I was born, 8th March was one of the top holidays of the year. People would celebrate women’s achievements in science, sport, work among others. We’d give flowers, cards and gifts to our mothers, teachers and each other, but most importantly that was a day of unity, love and celebration of progress. So it remains in my heart today.

What barriers or struggles have you experienced as a woman, in life or your career?

I’m fortunate to never have experienced barriers or struggles because I’m a woman. I had many ups and downs as a person and entrepreneur, but never those I could associate to my gender. Perhaps because I was conditioned to look beyond biases and focus on getting things done, rather than on barriers to getting things done. It’s hard to say. Likely, I’m just very fortunate to be a product of time, culture and upbringing where women were as empowered as men.

What does the idea of female power mean to you?

Strength and leadership, confidence and creation. In order to lead others, one must first lead herself. If something in your life and business isn’t working, work on yourself first. Any empowerment comes with a fundamental shift towards a better psychology. I find it crucial to teach women, girls, and all humans to use the power of psychology to shape better mindset. Female power is human power. Human power is in the fitness of our mindset and strength of the heart.

Who is your woman inspiration, and why?

I’m inspired by men and women alike, by animals, nature, animals and the grandness of the universe. Today I’m particularly inspired by the bravery, strengths and compassion of civilian Ukrainian women.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Building a successful business that bridges China and the West, empowers its team and brand and consumers we serve. For an entrepreneur, business is her contribution to the world, the way to serve the world on a different scale. I’m grateful and proud to have such a vehicle in my life too.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to other women?

I don’t give advices to others, but if you ask me to share my experiences, the things that helps me most on my business journey are: being unafraid, working on my psychology, doing things faster, being genuine and transparent and having fun along the way.

Charlotte Tottenham — ImpactHK

Charlotte Tottenham is a former journalist who works for homelessness charity ImpactHK. Her work as a writer, editor and documentary producer – as well as writing a philanthropy column for the Financial Times – has given her an interest in how people’s stories are told. Something she now brings to her work in the social impact space.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

For me, it should be a day for solidarity and allyship; we have a very long way to go and the more people we can bring into this conversation – however they might identify – the more progress we can make towards equality.

What barriers or struggles have you experienced as a woman, in life or your career?

Walking around all the cities I’ve lived in, London, Edinburgh, Delhi, Hong Kong, it has been commonplace to be harassed and heckled. Studies show that people who experience sexism were three times more likely to develop poor mental health over the following years.

In Hong Kong, it is more systemic; let’s not forget that the gender pay gap in Hong Kong is around 22% and paternity leave is a staggering 5 days. There are times when I find these odds wearing – to simultaneously be held back from succeeding – and other times, when I feel privileged and grateful that my barriers are microscopic in comparison to the vast mountains we placed in front of so many women.

What does the idea of female power mean to you?

For me, female power is about using what autonomy and agency you have to advocate and make space for others. It’s also about doing what you can to redress the balance. For example I studied literature in university but the vast majority of our set texts were by male authors – so in 2020 I thought it was about time I absorbed some more female perspectives, and made it my new year’s resolution to only read books by women.

Who is your woman inspiration, and why?

One of my heroines is a UK firefighter called Sabrina Cohen-Hatton. She actually experienced homelessness in her teens, living on the streets or between hostels for two years. Now she is one of only six female fire chiefs in the UK and uses her work in behavioural neuroscience to help inform better decision-making in the fire service.

I’m a strong believer in lived experience leadership – after all you cannot be what you cannot see – and I admire that she has become a leading voice in inspiring young women to become firefighters.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I moved to Hong Kong in 2019 without a job, but with my sights set on working for a homelessness nonprofit called ImpactHK that I had admired from afar. Its ethos really resonated with me and after volunteering for a few months, I persuaded the founder to give me a job. I built my team from the ground up and I’m exceptionally proud of the work we do together to help people overcome the experience of homelessness.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to other women?

Learn about your own unconscious bias – the social stereotypes that form outside your conscious awareness. I consider myself a feminist, but I have still internalised a lot of society’s patriarchal nonsense.

Women being called bossy can be put down to the phenomenon of ‘likeability bias’, which is based on deep-rooted assumptions. We anticipate that men are going to be more assertive, so when they lead, it feels natural to us. We expect women to be community-minded and kind, so when they assert themselves we like them less. The good news is that when you start to become aware of it, you can unlearn this bias.

Jing Fang — Body confidence coach

Jing Fang is the founder of Authentic Energy personal transformation & body confidence coaching, focusing on helping women improve physical and mental well-being so they love themselves from the inside out. Born in China, raised in Australia, worked hard and played hard in Hong Kong for 10 years, Jing now lives in Vancouver, Canada.

After overcoming her own body image struggles, Jing decided to take on a body-positive and holistic coaching approach to empower women to cultivate a sustainable healthy and happy lifestyle, without stressing about diet, body comparison, fear of judgement, and an unhealthy relationship with food.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

IWD is a day to celebrate women from all backgrounds, our feminine energy, our achievements, and our power. It is a day for us to be extra loud and extra proud of who we are as women, to let more people be aware of women’s significance, that we are as powerful and capable and intelligent as men. In fact, every day is IWD to me, every day I am proud to be a woman, proud of other women in this world. Why do we only celebrate women that one day of the year?

What barriers or struggles have you experienced as a woman, in life or your career?

In my teenage years I was always told by male teachers or friends that I was too bold in expressing my opinions. As an Asian woman, people expected me to be conservative and keep my opinions to myself. When I was in a long term relationship in my 20s, I played small and never spoke of my needs and wants, afraid my boyfriend would leave me. The more insecure I became, the more disrespect I got. As a fitness coach, with the pressure of always having six pack abs, I struggled with serious body image issues which affected me emotionally, and I developed an unhealthy eating behavior.

What does the idea of female power mean to you?

Female power means being a graceful and gentle warrior. Power doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to dominate and be ready to fight all the time. It is the ability to be strong and confident, and also have that unique feminine tenderness and calmness to balance everything. It’s about having that beautiful Yin-Yang harmony. 

Who is your woman inspiration, and why?

My mother, without a doubt! She raised me by herself, and she never complained a word during hardship, always showing me how to live life to the fullest and explore the world whenever you can. She has travelled to more than 40 countries, and not even Covid can stop her!  I am so grateful that I have a mother who is also my best friend, who introduced me to personal development at a young age and taught me how to be emotionally and financially independent. Her lessons always stay with me, and she is the reason why I am never afraid of changes or moving my life to another country.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’d have to say it’s allowing myself to change my career direction because I trusted my gut feeling and I wanted to be aligned with my mission and vision, instead of following what everyone else was doing, or what people expected from me.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to other women?

#OODM! You will see this hashtag in my community and social media a lot. It stands for Other’s Opinions Don’t Matter. Learning how to not care about what other people think about you is such a crucial lesson for all women, because we tend to care too much about what others think of us! As a result of caring too much about what other people say about us, we give our power away, we stop being authentic and real, we start to people-please! The first step to reclaiming your power, and stepping up your confidence is to stop caring about what other people think of you. Next time when you catch yourself saying “I’m afraid that people are gonna think….” just close your eyes and say “OODM”.

Lilian Cruz — Domestic worker

Lilian Cruz is a foreign domestic worker from the Philippines who has lived in Hong Kong for over 30 years. During this time, she has worked for two families for 16 and 18 years respectively, raising their children and caring for their elderly members, while supporting her own family back home. Her daughter has now successfully immigrated to Canada.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

I believe that this day commemorates all the sacrifices and suffering of women throughout time while also recognizing the efforts of women today. All year round there are certain holidays for certain causes and it is nice knowing there is a day dedicated to us, to learn about and also be celebrated for our successes and achievements.

What barriers or struggles have you experienced as a woman, in life or your career?

As women, we are always underestimated and perceived by society as inferior beings. We are judged worse or put in a double standard. But the worst experience I have been put through is not being taken seriously. We are constantly being talked over as if we cannot form opinions that can be respected. When we get upset, we are told we are overreacting. But I’ve realized we don’t need the approval of men or other people to feel validated.

What does the idea of female power mean to you?

Women’s power is having the ability to give birth to a new life. Women’s power is when a woman no longer feels that ‘she is just a girl’. When her existence is not determined by how well she outperforms men. When she no longer needs to prove that she can do everything that men can do. When her existence is independently whole in herself. God has given a lot of power to women.

Who is your woman inspiration, and why?

The most inspiring woman of my life is, of course, my mother. It is my mother who never left my hand no matter how angry, depressed, or hopeless I was. She held me, cried with me, and loved me at my worst. She never got irritated even if I kept crying one whole day, one whole month, one whole year. She is the reason why I have a positive outlook in life and fight to be better every day. I know every mother is the greatest warrior for her children, and my mother is the best example of it.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am most proud that I was able to raise my two children on my own. Despite a lot of hardships I faced in life, and being far away from each other, we have built a lifelong relationship with each other that is priceless and that I will always treasure.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to other women?

To always believe that you can do better every day. Improving is an everyday struggle but we are in control of how we live. We should always think of the positive side to lessen overthinking or heartaches. After all, we are women. We adjust, build, and maintain. We should be proud of our achievements and always strive to be happy.

Sarah Anderson — Teacher

Sarah Anderson came to Hong Kong from Minnesota, USA 6 ½ years ago. A teacher at an international school who has sent a majority of the last two years teaching virtually because of the pandemic, on the weekends you’re likely to see her on a hiking trail or jumping into a waterfall, having conquered the entire MacLehose Trail in three months – and you’re unlikely to see her without an iced coffee.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

International Women’s Day to me is a special day to remember where we came from as women, and look forward to where we want to go in the future. It’s a day to celebrate as well, all the wonderful women around us, who have been there to support us.

What barriers or struggles have you experienced as a woman, in life or your career?

I think mental health has been one of my biggest struggles in life. My anxiety stems from a place of caring too much about certain things that I can’t control. However, I also see this as a place of strength that I am brave enough to feel compassion this deeply for people.

What does the idea of female power mean to you?

Female power to me means being able to express yourself and feel comfortable and proud of who you are as a woman.

Who is your woman inspiration, and why?

I look up to Malala. I read her story a couple of years ago, and really admire how she was brave enough to fight for her education, even though it got quite dangerous for her at some points along the way. As a teacher I really value education, and believe it is essential for everyone to get a good education regardless of their gender.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am most proud of the fact that I had the chance to teach all of the children I have taught in these past 6 ½ years. I am a kindergarten teacher, and I really love being able to teach children how to be kind to others, how to communicate with others, how to solve problems, and how to be a good leader. Some of the proudest moments in my life are when I see my students getting along well their classmates, helping each other out if another student is struggling, comforting or helping another student who is sad, etc.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to other women?

Don’t be afraid to just be yourself, and love yourself. I spent a lot of my early twenties trying to wear the perfect outfit, and meet a cute guy on a night out with friends. All that time and effort never really paid off. I met my husband volunteering and doing something that I love – helping people. Now we are helping people side by side, and he loves me for who I am, not what I look like on the outside.

Sarah Vee — Founder of Women of Hong Kong

Sarah Vee is a Filipino solo-parent who founded Women of Hong Kong in 2021, a community of over 3,500 women that encourages members to connect, collaborate and create a safe and supportive space where women can thrive.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

The power we hold as women when we embrace what we’re truly capable of. We’re multifaceted – there’s so much proof in the past decade of what women have accomplished! International Women’s Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on that and inspire others to reach our highest potential.

What barriers or struggles have you experienced as a woman, in life or your career?

I would never change anything about being a single mother, however I would encourage others to be more mindful and inclusive of solo parents at work and social circles. We carry a unique set of responsibilities. I don’t have the capacity to stay ‘overtime’ at work or attend Sunday brunch, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care to!

What does the idea of female power mean to you?

Women are more likely to be intuitive, creative, and integrative with a heightened emotional radar – the power comes with realizing that these traits can be our biggest advantage! Empathy is powerful, and I believe it can change the world.

Who is your woman inspiration, and why?

Sara Blakely because of her positivity, consistency and grit. (Editor’s note: Blakely is an American businesswoman who founded Spanx.) Embarrassment is the cost of entry, she paid the price in her early years and wasn’t afraid to look like a fool to get to where she is today. Also, I absolutely love how she treats the people within her business!

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Aside from my amazing 11-year-old boy and launching Women of Hong Kong, I’m proud of the level of self-awareness I’ve acquired in the last two years. I’m much more mindful about how I live my life, my shortcomings, and accepting what’s within my control. This has allowed me to reflect on my behaviors that influence my son’s growth, which is top priority. 

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to other women?

Breathe and let it go if it’s not within your control. Think of solutions and possibilities instead of spiraling into the “bad news” – it’ll save you the stress!

Shirley Johnson — Sustainable entrepreneur

Shirley Johnson is CEO and artistic director of eco-friendly lifestyle brands Resolar and A New Leaf, founder of Radiance Within professional coaching services for women and pre- and post-natal mothers, and award-winning author of titles like “Cancer I Forgive You”, a story about the mindset shift Shirley had to make to reach a point of forgiveness and healing after her son’s brain cancer diagnosis in 2020.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?  

It means that a big gap when it comes to equality between men and women remains. Hence such a day still has its raison d’être. Men and women aren’t the same, in many senses. However, both men and women ought to be given equal opportunities to allow their potential to maximise. And each individual, whether female or male, should be encouraged to shine as bright as possible.

What barriers or struggles have you experienced as a woman, in life or your career?

I majored in Japanese when I was at university. I started my working life with one of the top Japanese corporations in the world. I witnessed how a senior female manager was expected to serve tea at a meeting, while her junior male colleague fast-tracked his career and went to become her superior within one and a half years of my working there. Then when I became a mother, I realised that there was a serious inequal expectation between parents. Everything a father does for a child is a merit, while that by a mother is a given.

What does the idea of female power mean to you?

I think many people have a misconception about women empowerment. Many assume it is to put a female into a leadership role. Or help a female to build a career such that she is financially as ‘powerful’ as her male counterparts. To me, the ultimate ’empowerment’ is to gift her the belief that “she is enough” and she “deserves” just simply by being “her”.  In many cultures, still, just being born as a girl remains a ‘curse’ to her family. This is the kind of ’empowerment’ I am determined to gift my daughter, such that she will never have to seek external sources or ‘power’ to fill that void, because the power lies within her.

Who is your woman inspiration, and why?

Louise Hay, the motivational author of “Heal Your Body” and “You Can Heal Your Life” that has sold over 40 millions copies to date. I feel related to her as we both had very similar tough childhoods. I particularly find people inspiring when they rose from a place with no one to support, love, and believe in them but themselves. Her teachings about self-love have changed my life for the best. She left such a legacy, helping others to heal themselves, body, soul, and mind even long after she’s passed.  She inspired me to become a transformational coach. Like her, I want to help my clients heal the past and build a future they truly desire and deserve.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I remember very well how embarrassed and sad I felt at school whenever teachers asked us to bring baby and family photos to build a family tree. Because I had none. I did not know how I looked like as a baby, and the fact that no one loved me saddened me. To go from that to entirely embrace and love myself was the most challenging thing I’ve done to date and I am proud of it. Because of my capability to love myself, I was able to remain calm during my son’s brain cancer journey, relieved myself from the guilt that all parents in our situation would have, such that I could focus on my son’s and my own well-being during such difficult time.

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to other women?

The only opinion that matters is our own. Many women are consumed with worries about how others see them or what others would think of them. A very good example is the way they dress. I worked in the luxury industry for a decade, never managing to save a dime because I spent much on maintaining the glamourous façade I thought I had to keep up to hold my job. But in hindsight, nobody cared, because I did not care what my colleagues wore to work at all. The idea of others judging us buds from our own very mind.

Header image credits: Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash

Hong Kong-born Sidney got his first touch of the ice playing hockey as a kid. From there, he fell in love with speed skating – with the thrill of going fast and the constant urge to get better, to overtake somebody.

Ten years of hard training, six days a week, six to 10 hours a day, have led up to the 22-year-old’s Olympic qualification in December. “With Wu Dajing who’s [no. 2 in the world] in the 500 metre to my left, and Hwang Dae-heon [who’s no. 5 in the world] to my right, you start to get a feeling of self-doubt. Getting this Olympic ticket feels like a miracle.”

Triumph on the Olympic path

The short track athlete broke his ankle in 2018, months before the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic qualifiers. But Sidney credits the failure as solidifying his Olympic dream. “I learned so much about what being an athlete really means. Fighting towards going on the Olympic stage became a commitment to myself and to the people that have given me the opportunity to even have this dream.”

The coronavirus pandemic restricted the five-member Hong Kong speed skating team to dry land workouts for almost all of 2020, unable to enter the mainland where they do a bulk of their training. “We basically had less than a year to train professionally for Olympic qualification.”

On quarantining for 21 days in order to do pre-Games promotion in Hong Kong: “We start to lose our grip and sensitivity after three days off the ice, so imagine three weeks.”

Snowy dreams of Hong Kong athletes

Unlike alpine skiing, where qualification is based on the average of the athlete’s seven best events in the last two years, short track speed skaters have to rank in the top 32 in the world to qualify for the Olympics.

“It’s incredible that in a city with no ice or snow, our whole team’s at that high level. Compared to 2015 when some of us were lapped, now we’re always there with everybody at the finish line.”

For someone who has dedicated their life to a sport, aiming for the Olympics as the “most prestigious stage, the most beautiful ending or start to anyone’s athletic career,” it may be disappointing that the scale of this Olympics has to be smaller than others because of the pandemic. “I’ve always had the dream of hugging my mom and dad at the finish line,” but, he says, “it is what it is.”

Giving back to the skating sport

And Sidney may understand the restrictions of the situation more than most. The biology and public health degree holder is applying to med school, hoping to enter a program in the next few years. But his aspirations don’t end there. Having already earned the label of ‘Winter Olympian’, Sidney hopes to give other youth in Hong Kong the opportunity to excel in a sport that he says has changed his life.

The skater wants to open a club or academy, saying “There’s a lot of talent in Hong Kong. It’s sad because skating isn’t part of the culture.”

He also hopes that increased interest will finally get an international standard sized rink built in the city. “There’s a lot of factors involved in why Hong Kong is really a terrible place to train for short track speed skating… in the World Cup Circuit, it’s just us and India that don’t have an Olympic sized rink,” Sidney laughs.

Humble and well-spoken, the 22-year-old doesn’t mention the prospect of winning a medal, saying the goal is to inspire young people to “try that sport they see on TV.” In his words, “We hear other coaches be like, “Watch out for this guy from Hong Kong.”

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be streamed from February 4 to 20, 2022. Cheer on Hong Kong’s team of three on five free TVB channels:

1. Sidney Chu in men’s 500m speed skating on February 11,
2. Audrey King in the women’s slalom on February 9,
3. Adrian Yung in the men’s giant slalom on February 13 and men’s slalom on February 16.

More stories on the Olympics

Header image credits: Michael Chu

What do you do during the year to prepare for Christmas night?

Although a year might seem a long time for most on this planet, it’s only just enough time for me, my elves, and my reindeer to make sure everything is ready for the big journey (and to recover from the last one!). My main priority during the year is memorising which child lives where and what present they’re getting – if they’ve been good, that is. I’m also eternally grateful to my elves for helping me programme the GPS built into my sleigh. Now my reindeer and I hardly ever get lost – it’s especially tricky navigating all the tall buildings you have here in Hong Kong!

How did you and Mrs. Claus meet?

I actually have none other than our friend Noble Mr. Nutcracker to thank for this one. He invited me for a drink at his favorite speakeasy in his enchanted kingdom, which only turned out to be a guise for my very first blind date! Mr. Nutcracker here had seen young Mrs. Claus dancing in the Christmas ballet one evening (a ballet based off his own life, come to think of it), and knew I’d take a shine to her. So off he went backstage after the show to procure her number for me – and the rest is history.

Do you use magic to make the toys?

Of course! My elves work their magic tirelessly to make sure all the children’s wishes are granted. You’ll find that all my toys and trinkets have a little extra Christmas sparkle and joy in comparison to the ones sitting on store shelves – just wait till you see what I’ve prepared for you at the Island Shangri-La!

What is one thing no one knows about you?

Probably a lesser-known fact about me is that I am a very competitive swimmer! You may think it gets too cold in the North Pole to properly swim, what with all the water freezing over and all that, but my trusty elves gave me a brilliant Christmas present of my very own one special year – a wonderful heated swimming pool! Since then, I make sure to jump in almost every day. I hope that I can make good use of the pool here at the Shangri-La so I don’t get rusty during my stay.

What special gifts have you brought to Island Shangri-la, Santa?

I’ve got plenty of exciting delights lined up for you all at the Christmas Market at Island Shangri-La this year. My personal favourite is the magical Nutcracker Snow Globe which makes me feel right at home with every shake of its glittering snow. There’s also the Gingerbread of the Hong Kong Skyline – it’s the most remarkable gingerbread that features famous Hong Kong landmarks – it almost looks too good to eat (but only almost). Of course, I can’t forget the delightful Christmas Crackers I’ve prepared which will definitely add excitement to any holiday party, or the Enchanted Wonders Mug I’ve been sipping my hot chocolate (and mulled wine) from since I’ve arrived here!

Enter our Instagram giveaway below to win a goodie bag from Santa (with the aforementioned Christmas Crackers and Enchanted Wonders Mug)!

All images courtesy of Island Shangri-la

Besides making waves in women’s (and more recently, men’s) self-pleasure product industry, Womanizer advocates for sex positivity and destigmatizing the discourse surrounding sex. In Hong Kong, some pin this stigma on lacking sex education, religion, and traditional Chinese culture.

We talked about the importance of clearing the cobwebs of negative ideas often associated with sex, how doing so could impact local culture, and the bigger impact of prioritizing your pleasure on mental and physical wellbeing.

Viv Kan is a mindfulness and intimacy coach for couples and corporates; the latter referring to sexual intimacy as well as the self-intimacy of coming into awareness of your own body.

#1 – Viv, how have you seen attitudes towards sex positivity (and women’s sexual empowerment in particular) evolve in recent years?

I’ve seen women become more open and comfortable speaking about sex positivity, especially after the #metoo movement. We’re normalizing the conversation, rather than suppressing our sexuality, which we often forget is a natural part of being a human.

#2 – You’ve talked about taking pleasure back and exploring it yourself with a toy. What role has this self-exploration played for you when being intimate with a partner?

Self-exploration has helped me discover what gives me pleasure and what turns me on, rather than solely focusing on a partner’s pleasure. It made me prioritize what I wanted in intimacy, instead of overthinking how I looked or felt the need to get to the destination. Orgasm is really not the end goal. When I slowed things down, I felt so much more open and at ease during intimacy.

#3 – You’ve emphasized the importance of incorporating pleasure rituals into daily life. What are your most treasured rituals for staying attuned to your body and desires?

Often times my pleasure rituals start beyond the bedroom. It’s things like moving my body freely to music I love, being aware of my sensations, enjoying fresh flowers at home – these are things that help prepare my mind and body for intimacy. I also love moisturizing my body and moving in front of the mirror and just enjoying myself or have my partner watch me!

Emily Lola Tan is a movement advocate, aerial art and pole acrobat, and general badass. She’s also on an ongoing journey battling cancer.

#4 – Emily, can you tell me more about the role self-pleasure and self-exploration played in feeling more like yourself when you were in a low point during your cancer treatment?

Physical exploration had always been a pursuit of mine – through martial arts, pole dance, aerial arts, sports, dance, parkour and movement. I only learned in my early 30s how these were my way of dealing with trauma and suspected ADHD.

The cancer diagnosis in 2018 forced me to look further inwards at health, not only from a movement and nutritional aspect but from aspects of mental, emotional and sexual wellness as well. Throughout five rounds of intensive chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, I wanted to cover all bases in optimizing my chances of survival. I found help from an exercise physiologist, a functional medicine practitioner and for the first time in my life, clinical psychologists.

I had a hard time being intimate with my partner at the time and could not understand why. After talking to sexologist Sara Tang and being gifted my first ever pleasure toy (Womanizer), it sparked the pursuit for self-exploration and its direct relationship with self-pleasure. I spent years exploring myself with external influences and realized I neglected my internal care.

#5 – You’ve mentioned that you want to normalize talking about sex with your friends. Why do you think it’s important to do this?

I think if the topic of sex were normalized with friends, I would have learnt how to deal with hurtful situations better. I didn’t talk about my non-consensual sexual encounters with any friends when it happened during teenage years. (Editor’s note: If you are or have been a victim of sexual assault, Rainlily is a great resource for counselling, physical check-ups, and legal support.) There’s so much shame around that where society places more emphasis on the victims than the abusers.

#6 – How have you seen discourse about sex positivity evolve in Hong Kong? What more can be done to destigmatize talking about and seeing things related to sex and the body?

Since the massive uptake in social media usage, sex education has become way more accessible in recent years. The fact that I’ve seen trams with Womanizer’s branding and that Hong Kong hosts Sex Expos annually already puts us in a better position than most conservative, Chinese-speaking nations. However, in comparison to other nations where sex education is taught in public schools at an elementary level, we still have a lot of work to do.

Educators like Sallys Toy’s founder Vera is doing amazing work for the Cantonese speaking demographic by hosting workshops and events. If more organizations can get behind sex positive advocates and educators like Vera, Sara Tang and Viv Kan, while offering academic courses for aspiring coaches, I believe it is only a matter of time until the topic of sex is going to be just as casual as talking about headline news at the dinner table.

#7 – What would be the effect of opening the topic of sex at an earlier age, say with teenagers?

Normalizing talking about sex, quite literally from perception, education and experience, opens up the possibility of helpful sex education from a very young age. Imagine a world where every young person is taught consent and pleasure, instead of shame and manipulation.

Empower parents with the tools to talk to their young ones, empower teachers with training in emotional intelligence because sex is a sensitive topic after all; an empathic human touch is what separates us from machines.

Viv Kan is the founder of Mindful Intimacy, empowering women and couples to amplify emotional and sexual satisfaction, and Kan Elevate, a corporate holistic wellness program, on top of being a certified yoga teacher.

Emily Lola Tan is a movement Renaissance woman, having touched aerial arts, pole acrobats, personal training, Mixed Martial Arts, and dance. Diagnosed with blood cancer in 2018, she is an avid advocate for conscious living.

Disclaimer: This article is written in partnership with Womanizer, a brand under WOW Tech. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Header image credits: WOW Tech

We spoke to Manisha Wijesinghe, Executive Director of local NGO HELP for Domestic Workers, about how the practical impact of the reside-and-work policy and the Employment Ordinance, which dictates all the rights of Hong Kong employees including domestic workers, is failing domestic workers.

#1 – What are the primary difficulties that migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong face?

Migrant domestic workers, which make up around 98% of Hong Kong’s domestic worker population, are particularly vulnerable because they’re in a different country, not speaking the language or understanding the different processes and cultural perspectives. This adds a different element of vulnerability.

Migrant domestic workers usually go to any different country because they are supporting their families. A lot of the migrant families that we see depend primarily on the domestic worker. Either their family members are unable to earn sufficiently in their home countries or they don’t have any job opportunities. We’ve seen cases of one migrant domestic worker supporting 10 to 12 family members. If they’re unable to continue their job, it means others in their family are going hungry, as well.

When it comes to Hong Kong in particular, these challenges become more complicated. One of the major talking points is the live-in rule, where domestic workers are required to live and work in the employer’s residence. In and of itself, the government’s rationale for the live-in rule has sound reasoning. But the problem is when it comes to the practical impact.

What the live-in policy does is put the domestic worker at the mercy of whoever they get as their employer. If you get somebody who’s not a great employer, then you’re stuck living and working 24 hours a day with somebody who may be subjecting you to bad treatment or even abuse.

People ask, “Why can’t they just call for help?” We’ve seen cases where phones are confiscated, particularly in situations where they are subjected to assault or rape. Some have been told, “When you start working with us, your phone will be kept with us. If you do want to call your family, we will give you 10 minutes of supervised calling time.”

The other issue is that the live-in rule creates unequal bargaining for the two parties. For example, a domestic worker gets one rest day. Again, in a good situation, you get to exercise your rights, go out with your friends, go to church, recharge. But sometimes, domestic workers are told, “You can only leave the house at noon and you need to come back at 6pm,” or “You need to complete all your work before you leave, or don’t get your rest day.”

Because domestic workers’ job and accommodation are tied to their employment relationship, they think twice about refusing such requests. If they exert their rights and the employer gets angry, they can be intimidated with statements like, I’ll cancel your visa, you’ll lose your rights, you won’t be able to stay in Hong Kong, you won’t be able to provide for your family.

The domestic worker has so much more to lose than the employer. If they leave their job, there are so many others who will take that spot in a day. But they need to consider losing their accommodation and subsidized healthcare and being considered job hoppers.

If you look at online hiring forums, you often see a “finished contract only” condition because there’s a misunderstanding that those who do are troublemakers. So a lot of domestic workers who are in bad situations still want to finish their contract because if they don’t, their families will suffer.

#2 – Is there any set of rules that dictate the rights of domestic workers, beyond the Employment Ordinance?

Other than the minimum wage, domestic workers have all rights that any Hong Kong employee has. But the problem lies in the practicality of things like the live-in rule and two-week rule. (Editor’s note: The two-week rule stipulates that if a domestic worker’s contract is terminated prematurely, they only have 14 days before they must leave Hong Kong.)

Under the Employment Ordinance, a domestic worker has to get one rest day a week. This is enough for the average Hong Kong employee. But domestic workers’ evenings are not their own. They work from whenever they wake up to whenever they sleep because there’s always something to be done in the house. The hours are not regulated. Practically, the rules of the Employment Ordinance are not supposed to be applied in the same way. I think you need to look at the way a rule is being implemented, and if you look at that, one rest day is not sufficient.

Also, a lot of domestic workers, if not given that rest day, are too scared to enforce that right. If they try to fight, they’re then living and working in a place with an unhappy employer and might lose other privileges.

So a lot of the times we see domestic workers put up with problems until it is absolutely impossible to continue. One of the most egregious cases for us is seeing domestic workers go through multiple instances of rape and only coming for assistance when they find out they’re pregnant. That’s how terrified they are of the implications of terminating a contract early.

#3 – What resources do domestic workers have for reporting problematic situations?

Any resource that’s available to any Hongkonger is available to domestic workers: police, Labour Department. But practically, when domestic workers go to the police about an issue, it’s difficult to go back to that employment household. Then you need to find a shelter to stay at. You’re not going to be able to find a new job until your police case is over. So how are you going to send money to your home country? Even though assistance exists, they don’t have the extra support in order to get that assistance.

#4 – What does HELP do to support migrant domestic workers?

HELP provides access to justice for domestic workers, which can mean a few different things. From the traditional perspective, it definitely means we provide support concerning their legal questions. So labour claims, immigration issues, criminal cases, things like that.

Another way is by supporting employers. We strongly believe you can’t solve a problem sustainably without engaging both sides of the conversation. And you can’t expect domestic workers themselves to be solving all the problems surrounding domestic worker issues. There’s only so much one domestic worker can do in asserting their rights.

There are so many employers who mean well, but don’t know how to properly support their own domestic worker. We engage employers by educating them on the rights of the domestic worker, how to build a good relationship for both parties. By doing this, we are actually helping to protect the domestic worker in the longer term.

Another way that we ensure access to justice is by supporting their mental wellbeing. A domestic worker who’s been in a physical or emotional assault situation won’t be in a fit mental state to decide whether to leave or not. And a lot of times agencies play on their fears and say “If you leave your job, you’ll get arrested, you’ll be deported, you’ll never be able to work.” We help to bring the domestic worker to a position where they’re able to make a rational decision concerning their lives without having everybody else feeding into those fears.

We also provide education programs for domestic workers, employers, and school students. We do programs for students particularly because they will be the future employers of domestic workers. At the moment, there are 390,000 domestic workers in Hong Kong. In the next 30 years, it’s supposed to go up to 600,000.

We help youth to understand what the migrant experience is, not only for domestic workers, but in general. Many young people probably don’t know what it feels like to be in a foreign country where you don’t have money to take a taxi if you’re lost, or where you don’t have money to buy food, or you don’t understand the language. Helping them understand that experience really helps create empathy.

#5 – What obstacles does HELP face in helping domestic workers?

One of the biggest problems HELP faces is this idea that domestic workers are not Hong Kong’s problem. This is really strengthened by the fact that we still use the term ‘foreign domestic helper’, which creates in people’s minds the idea that this is a foreign problem that should be handled by the Philippines or Indonesian government, which really isn’t the case.

There’s a lot of misconceptions that Hong Kong shouldn’t be dedicating resources or efforts to support this work. Organizations like us don’t have access to a lot of government funding because domestic workers aren’t considered residents. Every domestic worker serves an average of three people, so the impact of helping one domestic worker is the impact on three local residents.

#6 – What can people do to support organizations like HELP?

I would urge people to explore and understand the issues surrounding domestic workers. There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding things like job hopping and the idea that domestic workers want to take advantage of employers. This is not helped by newspaper articles which highlight domestic workers that have taken employers to litigation or demand higher salaries.

What would be helpful is people just understanding the nuances of the difficulties faced by the domestic worker community, and also understanding the impact of the community on Hong Kong. It’s not a foreign problem, it’s very much a local problem. From there on, we can start a good conversation on how to support both domestic workers and Hong Kong at large.

Manisha Wijesinghe is a human rights lawyer who has worked for UNICEF, Save the Children Sri Lanka, and Christian Action. Since 2019, she has been Executive Director of HELP for Domestic Workers, an NGO which provides legal advice and employment, immigration, and human rights assistance to domestic workers in Hong Kong.

(This interview has been edited and condensed.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Header image credits: Foreign Domestic Helper Corner, Labour Department

#1 – How have you seen people’s attitudes toward sustainability evolve in the last 10 years?

Some educated people and the younger generations hear more about the problems in Hong Kong and in the world, and are starting to change their own habits to address the problem, bringing their own reusable cups, lunch boxes, and bags. They understand that if they wait for the government, it could take ages. They want to contribute, not wait for someone to lead them. But there is only a minority that think there’s an issue.

#2 – Do you think the government’s plastic tableware ban projected for 2025 is a good step in the right direction or too little, too late?

When you look at other countries, there are many that already have this ban as a mandatory approach, such as the EU. In early July this year, they banned ten single-use plastic items. (The EU banned the 10 plastic items most commonly found on European coastal areas, including cotton-bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, and stirrers.) Other countries such as Mainland China and Taiwan banned foam boxes last year.

While in HK, we started to have the consultation this year. We are not saying we will ban single-use by 2021, the proposal is around 2025. It is quite ridiculous that there is such a long timeframe to enact a ban.

Just a few days ago, I read that Macau will ban plastic stirrers and straws in 2022. Macau and HK are both SARs of China, we are neighbours. How come Macau can do it next year, and HK another few years down the line? You cannot say HK is leading. We’re not even following, we’re doing catch-up. It’s no good in really dealing with the serious risk problem from single-use plastic.

#3 – If you were consulting the government, what would be the first sustainability issue you would address?

The critical environmental problems in HK are plastic pollution, waste management, and the climate change crisis. You can see precisely the heat wave, droughts, and flooding happening in many other countries. Not in HK, but we are also suffering from this climate risk. Observatory data in the last few months show a new record high for the number of hot nights and days. We’re keeping a higher average temperature this summer than previous years.

You see Zhengzhou had the heavy downpours in July that flooded the tunnels and took some lives. It’s not just subway services being suspended, it’s very serious. We are also in the South China area, no one can say that HK is immune. Are the million passengers going through our subway daily safe if there is torrential rainfall?

The government has not come out to say, “We have investigated if we have downpour of similar magnitude to Zhengzhou, we are able to pump away all the water in a short time, and it will not escalate to suffocate passengers.” As a responsible government, they should do a formal investigation and then come out and tell us. But I haven’t heard any of this kind of assurance. So these, the climate crisis, waste problems, and plastic pollution, are the very critical issues that we cannot take lightly.

#4 – How can we increase people’s sense of urgency about the climate crisis?

I keep writing in one of the main newspapers, South China Morning Post, to remind the public, big stakeholders, the government, managers in big corporations. I give talks about the environmental crisis that the city is facing right now, and tell them our actions can reduce the impact.

We also have a program where we take corporate employees to see the plastic debris left on hiking trails or beaches. They feel and see with their own eyes how serious it is. After doing a clean-up and waste analysis, they realize the most common type of waste left lying in the countryside is plastic bottles, food wrappings, and cutlery. They start to think, why are these left in nature and not in a bin?

They realize it’s because we as human beings use a lot during the day. And not all the things we use are being disposed in the right place, so then they are left to pollute nature. This exercise inspires them that the problem was created by all of us. Not by the fish, not by the tortoises, by human beings. So we should be the solution.

With our resources as a small NGO, we cannot do massive advertising for millions of people to see. We can only go one by one. It’s the government that has the resources to do massive public education and promotion. But I don’t see they are very keen or active in doing this. It’s sad. The one who wants to do it has little resources, while the one with lots of resources doesn’t really do it. It’s not balanced.

#5 – Does it ever feel hopeless? What can small NGOs hope to accomplish?

I can’t expect that 7.5 million people will change all in one go, so we start with companies and schools. We keep engaging more groups, sharing our analysis of these environmental problems and offering practical solutions. These are very down to earth. We’re not asking them to go to the moon and find another new living space. We have only one Earth. This Mother Nature, this Earth, is for us.

It is irresponsible to say, no problem, we’ve ruined this Earth, so we can go to the moon or Mars. This is weird thinking. I’ve never accepted this. We tell people that this is the place that provides your food, air, water, all the things we need. You should be a good caretaker so that future generations can enjoy clean water, fresh air, and food which is not contaminated by any heavy metals or plastic.

In the following years, we will keep getting more partners. Like a snowball growing, getting bigger and bigger. Then they can also inspire their own peers, spreading the message further. This is the ripple effect that we need to try to make ripple faster.

#6 – What more can people who are already vigilant about recycling and waste reduction do?

I always say to people, you need to know the five-level waste hierarchy. Recycling is at the fourth level, very low. The top level, the most effective, is avoid, then reuse, recycle, [recover], and disposal.

Instead of finding reliable bins to drop your recyclables, why not try to avoid buying the single-use bottled water? Start with your water, at least. Nowadays you see water refill systems in shopping malls and MTR stations. They’ve started having this because we keep on advocating for it.

Society is getting these environmental solutions, but not fast enough. We want it to be quicker. So when you think of how to reduce waste, remember the waste hierarchy. If you cannot do the actions at the top, if you buy a plastic lunchbox, slightly wash it after finishing it, and put it in a recycling bin.

And not just any recycling bin. The media has reported a few times about cleaners mixing recyclables with garbage. Find reliable government-funded NGOS like the Recycling Stations. They are manned by staff who check whether items are clean or not before accepting them. If you bring clean recyclables to these reliable channels, then you will have done your duty.

#7 – Are Recycling Stations the most reliable recyclers in the city, or are there others?

They’re the more reliable ones. There are many public three-colour bins, but I really can’t tell whether that is really reliable. There’s no proof, no data. Even the bins in shopping malls, you never know whether at the back, the cleaners have done it properly or not. No one knows, there’s just no information.

And even in residential areas, you need to ask the management office whether they really have a recycler come regularly. If they can immediately give you the name of a recycling firm and which day they come every week, then it’s very good. Do a simple test yourself. Go down to see how they handle the recyclables that you as tenants drop into the three-colour bins. It’s first-hand information.

If they cannot, then it’s not very trustable. If they say, don’t worry, we have someone take it away, and they can’t tell you the particular name of the recycler, I would be very suspicious whether it really goes all the way to a recycling firm or it’s the end of the channel, if they’ve just done it on the surface.

As a tenant, you have the right to ask the management office of your office or residential building and they should provide you with the true information. Just ask, there’s no harm asking. This is basic information that they need to provide.

The problem is we still do not have the waste charging law effective. (The waste charging bill was passed a week prior to the interview, on August 26th.) With the law, depending on how much waste you throw away, you need to pay government fees. Then the management office would really do true recycling to reduce garbage fees. But now, the fee still hasn’t kicked in.

#8 – Thoughts on the waste charging law?

The law was approved last week, but there’s no definite effective date. So in a nutshell, it is not an executable law. If there’s a contract or bill with no date, what is this? This is nothing, in my opinion. It’s still in a vacuum. The law is still in the superficial level. In reality, the government cannot charge you a dollar.

It’s a half-baked law, not a fully cooked law. This LegCo would not tell any effective date, and then 18 months from now, they might come up with some other reasons to reconsider the effective date. So I would say this is just a delaying tactic by this term of LegCo.

They have the authority to approve or reject a law, they have the authority to say that this is the time for the law to gazette. They cut their own hand. They say, let the next LegCo exercise the power. So you can see how responsible this LegCo is.

#9 – In your opinion, what is behind the reluctance to give a solid start date for the scheme?

I think they know the voters will not like to be charged by the government. But as a lawmaker, they should do things not for their own interest, but for the common good of the entire society. This is the problem thereby this legislation has dragged on for 16 years until approval last week. And even approval is not practical approval.

So you can see, the situation is very odd. I don’t think it would happen in Europe, the US or the UK. Even in China, the effective date of a law is very clear. Starting in 2019, all Shanghainese people need to separate their waste and put it in different recycling bins. (In 2019, Shanghai enacted a citywide waste segregation policy.) There are government officials watching you do this. If you do it wrong two times, you are penalized with a fine.

So there is a definite time and day when a law becomes mandatory. How come HK doesn’t have this kind of responsibility system? Right now it’s a handicapped law, on crutches or on wheelchairs.

Mr. Edwin Lau Che-feng is the Founder and Executive Director of The Green Earth, an environmental organization advocating resource conservation and zero-waste culture. He has been actively engaged in environmental protection work since the late 80s. During the period, he placed great concern on several pressing environmental topics, e.g. waste management, air pollution, climate change and energy conservation.

(This interview has been edited and condensed.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The HK HUB.

Header image credits: Naja Bertolt Jensen via Unsplash

Eleanor grew up in Yorkshire, England but has been in Hong Kong for 20 years. After coming to the city straight from university for work experience at a youth arts festival, she quickly decided that Hong Kong was the place she wanted to put down roots.

I asked her what inspires her about Hong Kong?

All my art is created in response to my surroundings, and there’s always something visually interesting happening here. I love buildings, and Hong Kong has such a diverse range of architecture, from the glass and steel skyscrapers through to the little stilt houses in the outlying islands. Wherever I go, details will catch my eye, it’s really a never ending source of material to paint and sketch. I know it annoys my kids that we can’t walk down a street without me stopping to point out some interesting texture or unexpected colour, but I just can’t help noticing things wherever I go.

I use a lot of photographs in my work, and will sometimes have a day of just wandering the streets and taking pictures stuff that fascinates me. I love going to Sham Shui Po, there’s so much happening there visually that it’s great inspiration. I also love streets like Gough Street, where there’s such a contrast between the fancier buildings and the old style dai pai dongs. The outlying islands have a completely different feel, but I love spending time exploring them. Hong Kong is changing so fast, I really feel drawn to try and capture it as it is right now.

Do you think that being an ‘outsider’ gives you a different perspective on Hong Kong?

I do think I find random things interesting that a local might not give a second thought. But I have to be careful where signage is concerned. When I first arrived I only saw the beauty in the signs and didn’t think about the meaning. I once made a huge piece of artwork without checking the translation and it read ‘Bone Doctor’, which as you can imagine is not that appealing. It was in a show and I was mortified that I hadn’t checked the translation. It could have been worse! The character may be beautiful but the meaning may not be.

Is Hong Kong a good place to be an artist?

Hong Kong has been good to me. It’s a fantastic place to be an entrepreneur, which is how I started out, by founding and growing an art school for around 10 years. But although I love teaching and sharing my passion for art, I wasn’t finding time to create my own work, which was really frustrating.

Since I took the leap to focusing on my own art, I’ve been really fortunate to find supportive galleries here Vanrensburg, Blue Lotus and Picture This (which has now closed but was the first gallery to show my work).

Shows like the Asia Contemporary Art Show and the Affordable Art Fair are amazing opportunities for artists like me to reach a wider audience, and also to meet lots of art lovers in person.

Last year I was asked to paint a car to exhibit at Lee Gardens as part of their London-inspired Christmas decorations. Quirky opportunities like this are out there in Hong Kong, which is great fun and another creative outlet for me. My ‘Ham Hockney’ pig is another example. The Sovereign Art Foundation (a local art charity) asked artists to decorate the pigs in their own style, and they’ll all be on display at Art Central.

But the thing that’s made the biggest difference to me, is that there’s a strong audience of art lovers with a Hong Kong connection, who want pieces with Hong Kong themes for their homes.

Tell me some of the challenges you’ve faced as an artist here in HK?

I struggle with the networking side of things. I love meeting people but with 3 kids and a busy work schedule it’s hard to find time for it, and I do shy away from all this if I’m honest.

It’s unfortunately an important part of the job and I’ve realised I can’t just hide away creating in my studio and posting the odd Instagram. It can be tough to keep putting yourself out there, but I’m slowly improving this.

As I work with different media It’s taken a while for me to develop confidence to show all these works because I felt I should follow one direction only, but these days I worry less about other’s opinions.

If I could give a piece of advice to younger artists coming up, it would be to encourage them to keep producing art every week. Small steps can lead you a long way and when you look back you realise how far you’ve come, but you need to keep going. I love looking back and seeing my journey and who knows what will happen next. Years ago I was impatient for everything to happen quickly and I felt frustrated, now I allow myself to believe in what I’m doing.

What does the future hold for you?

I’ll be at the Asia Contemporary Art Show in March and then at the Affordable Art Fair in May. I create new pieces for the shows, so it’s hard work, but also very exciting. As well as sharing my work, I get the chance to talk to the show’s visitors too, which I love.

My other love at the moment is Bodinker, which is wearable art in the form of temporary tattoos all designed by artists. It’s been a fun creative outlet for me and also a chance to collaborate with other artists, which makes a nice change from working alone.

And in the years to come I’m hoping to find time to create some pieces inspired by my travels outside Hong Kong.

And with that it was time for me to leave Eleanor to get back to work, like many artists she’s under pressure at this time of year, but it’s all part of the fun of Hong Kong’s art month.

If you’d like to see more of Eleanor’s work you can check out here website here. She’ll be at the Asia Contemporary Art Show from 29 March to 1 April and at the Affordable Art Fair from 17 to 19 May.