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 everyone!
Hong Kong is home to over 340,000 migrant domestic workers. They are the backbone of our households, caring for our children, supporting our elderly, and keeping our homes running smoothly. Yet, many face financial pressures, recruitment debt, and even fraud.
Enrich exists to change that story. I think of Eka, a migrant domestic worker from Indonesia who has lived in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. When she first arrived, she faced enormous financial pressures and struggled to manage her income. Like many women, she carried the weight of supporting her family back home while navigating life in a new city.
Eka joined Enrich’s financial and empowerment workshops, and she describes the experience as life changing. She learned how to budget, save, and plan for the future. Over time, she built the confidence to take control of her finances and even began to dream of starting her own business.
What inspires me most is her determination. Eka told me that before Enrich, she didn’t know how to manage money. Now she feels confident and knows that she can build a better future for herself and her family.
Her journey reminds us that true empowerment goes beyond statistics—it's rooted in dignity, hope, and rekindling the capacity to dream. Eka’s story reflects the resilience of so many migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, and why Enrich’s mission matters.
Through financial and empowerment education, we help women learn to budget, save, and plan for their futures. We also provide workshops on communication, well being, and entrepreneurship. Since 2007, tens of thousands of women have joined our programmes, and many have told us how these tools gave them hope, confidence, and control over their lives.
People often ask me why I chose to lead Enrich. The answer is simple: because empowerment is transformative. When a woman learns to take charge of her finances, she doesn’t just change her own life; she changes the lives of her children, her family, and her community back home. Education is the most sustainable form of support we can offer, and I am proud to be part of an organisation that invests in women who, in turn, invest in the world.
At Enrich, we were deeply saddened by the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court. Our hearts go out to all those affected, especially the migrant domestic workers who lost their homes and belongings, and the families that lost their sisters, daughters, and mothers. In the days that followed, we witnessed the generosity of the Hong Kong community, but we also saw opportunists trying to exploit the tragedy. That is why we dedicated our Giving Tuesday donations directly to those impacted, with a special focus on migrant domestic workers.
This March, we will celebrate International Women’s Day with one of our biggest events of the year: “Empowering MDWs: Resilience, Wellbeing & Pathways Forward.”
Today, we celebrate the resilience of migrant domestic workers and support those affected by the tragic Tai Po fire. Together with our co host, the Social Innovation Team at the Knowledge Transfer Office of the Chinese University, we will welcome migrant domestic workers and the wider community to InnoPort in Sha Tin. We chose this venue to reach more workers living and working in and around Tai Po.
The event will feature:
- Booths offering practical support, from mental health counselling and women’s health resources to financial consultation, legal aid, and upskilling opportunities.
- Interactive sessions covering financial literacy, fraud prevention, safety awareness, women’s wellbeing, and entrepreneurship.
- Wellness and art activities, such as Piloxing, artwork creation, and breathing exercises, to refresh and inspire participants.
- Booths showcasing migrant domestic worker groups and NGOs with business ideas and skill demonstrations.
This event is about more than services. It is about community, empowerment, solidarity, and pathways forward for migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong.
Reflecting on my journey with Enrich, I realize that empowerment starts with listening—listening to voices that are often overlooked and recognising their strength, resilience, and dreams. Hong Kong is a city of opportunity. Let us ensure that opportunity is shared. Let us invest in the women who invest in us every day.
I invite you to join us on International Women’s Day to stand with migrant domestic workers, celebrate their resilience, and help build a future where every woman has the tools to reach her goals.
Thank you for listening, and I hope you can support Enrich HK in some ways. Together, we are making a meaningful difference.
In Hong Kong, the issue of sexual violence is frequently overlooked and inadequately discussed. A 2021 local survey revealed that 1-in-3 women has experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. This indifference to the alarming prevalence of sexual violence fosters an environment where victim-survivors struggle to find the support they desperately need. Many encounter a culture of disbelief, stigma, and victim-blaming, which causes further trauma. As a result, individuals often hesitate to report incidents, fearing they will not be taken seriously or doubting that justice can be achieved through the legal system. It often took immense courage for sexual violence victim-survivors to come forward and disclose their experiences. Many stood up not only for themselves, but also to ensure that others do not have to suffer the same fate. Yet, time and again, our criminal justice system fails these courageous women, leaving them feeling betrayed and unheard in their quest for justice.
Many of Hong Kong’s sexual offences are based on legislation from the 1970s, which in turn was based on even earlier English laws. The definition of rape, for example, remains narrowly defined as non-consensual penile-vaginal penetration, reflecting outdated understandings of sexual violence. Even the English sexual offences have seen a major overhaul in the early 2000s. Hong Kong’s ancient legal framework fails to adequately protect victim-survivors and creates significant barriers to justice. The latest 5-year review of service data from RainLily, reveals a staggering statistic: in the sexual violence crisis centre’s known result, for every 100 cases reported to the police, only 6 have seen the accused convicted in the first trial. These numbers starkly illustrate the inadequacy of our legal system in delivering justice for victim-survivors and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
A particularly outdated and problematic aspect of Hong Kong’s sexual offenses is the defence of “genuine but mistaken belief,” which absurdly permits the perpetrator's subjective belief to override the victim's consent, even when that belief is clearly unreasonable. This led to victim-blaming and abusive questioning in the courtroom which reinforces harmful stereotypes about sexual violence. The lack of resistance, victim’s clothing and behaviour, relationship context etc are often intentionally misinterpreted by the defence counsel as sending a “mixed signal” to the accused which led to so-called “misunderstanding”. The persistence of the use of rape myths as grounds for acquittal is both frustrating and profoundly unjust.
The experiences of victim-survivors highlight the urgent need for a clearer understanding of consent within the legal framework, as recommended by the Law Reform Commission in 2019. In the past and within the current context of Hong Kong’s courts, the concept of consent has often been seen as a door that is always open. It was the victim’s responsibility to demonstrated they had said ‘no’ vigorously to prevent sexual assault from happening. This outdated and harmful perspective places the burden on the victim and perpetuates a culture where sexual violence can thrive. Far too often, victims are asked to explain why they were victimized, while the perpetrators escape accountability for their actions, as if it were a matter of course. This must change. Instead of placing the burden on victims to justify their experiences, we must hold perpetrators accountable for their actions. Shame must change side.
In today’s evolving cultural context, there is a growing recognition that consent is not a passive state but an active and ongoing process. We are shifting to an understanding of consent as a door that is always closed. It is the responsibility of the person initiating sexual activity to “knock” and obtain clear and affirmative consent before proceeding. This means actively seeking a clear and enthusiastic “yes” and ensuring that consent is freely and voluntarily given.
Since the Law Reform Commission conducted its consultation on ‘rape and other non-consensual sexual offences’ 13 years ago, many places have moved further to advance protection for victims in the goal of encouraging reporting and reducing the traumatisation and rape myths that swim through the criminal justice system. In Australia, multiple jurisdictions have implemented that any belief in consent will not be reasonable if the accused did not say or do anything to ascertain consent. This shift in focus from the victim’s actions or inactions to the defendant’s behaviour is crucial in ensuring that consent cannot be assumed.
