Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focusing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
Good morning! Hong Kong can no longer treat women’s health as a niche issue. Women make up more than half of our population and live longer than men, yet they face worse health outcomes, heavier caregiving burdens, and a system designed largely around male bodies and data.
In 2022, Hong Kong had about 4.06 million women and 3.41 million men. When we talk about public health, we are largely talking about women’s health. Yet women’s labour participation remains below 50%, compared with more than 65% for men. Many cite family, health, or caregiving duties as the reason for not working.
Women live longer but not necessarily healthier lives. Globally, women spend about nine years in poor health—roughly 25% longer than men—and Hong Kong follows that trend. More women are living with chronic illness and unpaid caregiving roles. This is not just a personal burden; it’s a structural problem for our city.
The “gender health gap” means women often get sicker, suffer longer, and are taken less seriously when seeking care. Under‑research and under‑funding lead to misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and therapies tested mostly on male bodies. Many women will recognise this: period pain dismissed as “normal,” endometriosis diagnosed after years of suffering, or menopause symptoms brushed off as stress.
Surveys show men and women in Hong Kong see gender equality very differently. Men tend to overestimate women’s access to opportunity and safety, while women report persistent barriers. In healthcare, this gap shows up as “medical gaslighting,” when women’s pain is downplayed or blamed on stress. As a result, serious conditions like heart disease, autoimmune disorders, or depression can go untreated for years.
One promising answer is **femtech**—innovation focused on women’s health. It includes cycle‑tracking apps, fertility and menopause platforms, pelvic‑floor devices, and AI tools personalised for conditions like PCOS or endometriosis. Demand is soaring, but these conditions have long received only a fraction of research funding.
Hong Kong is well‑placed to become a hub for women’s health innovation. Government bodies such as InvestHK and Science Park are incubating femtech start‑ups and hosting women’s health events. This momentum should continue, because the economic case is clear. A McKinsey study found that every dollar invested in women’s health can yield up to three dollars in GDP through higher productivity and participation. Advancing women’s health is both moral and economical.
The data reinforce the urgency. Breast cancer remains the leading cause of female cancer deaths in Hong Kong, yet screening rates lag, especially among lower‑income or older women. Only about 39% of eligible women receive Pap smears for HPV and cervical cancer—diseases that are preventable with early detection.
These gaps spill into the workplace too. Many women cut hours or leave jobs due to reproductive or chronic health issues. If we want more women in the workforce, we must normalise discussions of menstrual, fertility, and menopausal health, address mental strain, and ensure workplaces are designed with women’s needs in mind.
What can individuals do?
1. Talk openly about women’s health—periods, fertility, miscarriage, menopause, and mental wellbeing. Normalising these topics reduces shame and delays in care.
2. Use available tools. Attend community talks, use evidence‑based femtech apps, and try home screening kits where appropriate.
3. Keep up with screenings. Schedule mammograms, Pap smears, and other checks—and encourage friends and family to do the same. Early detection saves lives.
4. Challenge dismissive attitudes. When someone calls something “just women’s problems,” remind them women’s health is public health. Seek second opinions if something feels wrong.
5. Join clinical trials. Local research depends on participation to generate better, locally relevant data.
What more should government and institutions do?
1. Fund research and data. Back studies on women‑specific conditions, require sex‑disaggregated data, and update clinical guidelines accordingly.
2. Integrate women’s health in primary care. Expand subsidised screening and outreach, especially in under‑served districts, and make reproductive and menopause services standard in public clinics.
3. Support femtech responsibly. Offer grants and incubator space for women‑led start‑ups and ensure digital tools are evidence‑based and inclusive.
4. Create healthier workplaces. Encourage flexible work, period and menopause‑friendly policies, and benefits recognising fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, and caregiving.
5. Invite investors to step up. Women’s health is one of the fastest‑growing innovation markets—this is the time to invest.
Closing the gender health gap and investing in women’s health innovation isn’t only about helping women feel better—it’s about building a healthier, fairer, and more prosperous city for everyone.
Good morning everyone. Recently, I was referred to a case involving an 8-year-old girl whose father had tragically passed away in an industrial accident. Her mother was concerned about her daughter’s excessive internet use, spending over five hours per night watching Chinese dramas. Her exam result was poor and stopped talking to her mother.
When I first met her, she kept silent, avoiding eye contact and mumbling as if she felt guilty. Gradually as we built mutual trust, she began sharing dramas she watched with me, which mostly focused on family topics. These dramas were actually helping her to cope with the loss of her father and the absence of the father and daughter relationship.
Expressive art therapy was applied to her case. By drawing and painting, she found ways to express her emotions and dealt with the memories she wished she could have shared with her father. She even drew herself holding hands with her father at a park, a memory she cherished deeply. As she released her repressed grief, she became less rely on the internet and began developing healthier coping mechanisms.
While tools like time limits and internet restrictions help manage screen time, they are addressing behaviours but not the root cause. The root causes, such as unresolved grief or emotional struggles, must be identified and addressed. For this girl, her internet use was a way to cope with shattering loss.
This case indeed reflects a broader issue in Hong Kong. A recent study on Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) revealed that 11.8% of around 4,300 students surveyed showed signs of IGD, with 27.7% spending four or more hours daily on online games. Excessive internet use can lead to negative consequences such as poor eyesight, abnormal bone development, obesity, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating. However, one of the most alarming effects is the strain it placed on family relationships, which often leads to conflicts and communication breakdowns.
Parents often worry about their children’s gaming habits, citing deterioration in academic performance, loss of interest in hobbies, and an inability to disconnect from their devices, even during meals. While "time-limiting" tools and device monitoring help regulate behaviour, these solutions cannot address the deeper needs driving excessive gaming. According to Glasser’s theory, all humans have five basic needs which are survival, power, love and belonging, freedom, and fun. For Hong Kong students, academic success or sports performance often fulfills the need for power and satisfaction. However, the city's competitive and high-pressure studying environment make it difficult for students to meet these needs. As a result, they would rather turn to video games, where effort is rewarded with rankings, badges, and achievements, providing a sense of power and satisfaction.
Furthermore, gaming offers a sense of belonging. Many students team up with classmates or online friends to play games, forming communities where they feel accepted and included. These emotional needs—such as love, belonging, and accomplishment—are often missing in the real life, thus they turn to gaming in order to escape from the real life.
Before addressing gaming addiction, it is crucial to understand the underlying needs and tackle the root causes. Family plays a key role in the intervening process. Establishing clear rules and boundaries early on, negotiating screen time, and ensuring children balance their time between studying, resting, and family interactions are essential steps. Encouraging diverse interests like sports, arts, and social activities can also help students build a support system and reduce their reliance on gaming. Fostering open communication in the family, where children feel that their feeling is being heard and understood, is of equal importance.
Schools can also contribute by boosting awareness and understanding of online gaming addiction. Educational programs on internet safety and gaming risks can equip students with knowledge and self-management skills to prevent addiction.
While the challenges of managing excessive internet use and gaming addiction may seem daunting, they are not unconquerable. By addressing the emotional and developmental needs behind these behaviours, families, schools, and the community can work together to help children build a healthier habit. These efforts take time, patience, and understanding, but they pave ways to a brighter future where children feel supported, balanced, and emotionally fulfilled.
Our service, “Net” Education and Counselling Service of Hong Kong Family Welfare Society provides a WhatsApp messaging and hotline for enquiring any concerns like Internet addiction, online dating and so on, feel free to contact us at 5592 7474.
