Hui Kam-to, who went by Kimmy Koh for much of her professional life, set a new precedent in December 1949 when she became the first female police officer – then called a sub-inspector – on the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF). Since its formation in 1844, the force had staffed women as ‘female searchers’ but […]

We’ve come a long way when it comes to gender equality, but we may never see true parity in our lifetime. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020, the world is still 99.5 years away from attaining gender equality. Women account for just 25 per cent of parliamentary positions and 20.6 […]

For the past 12 years, 35-year-old Jenny Rose Valdez has been working as a domestic worker in Hong Kong. Every winter, she usually flies back to the Philippines to celebrate Christmas with her husband, son and the rest of her family. In early 2020, Valdez came back to Hong Kong with an unexpected gift. A […]

Emmie* has struggled with harassment, sexual assault and lasting trauma since February 2019. Born in Canada, the transgender woman spent the formative years of her life in Hong Kong, where she was enrolled at an all-boys primary school. “I was pretty sure [I didn’t identify as a boy] from a young age, in primary school,” […]

Sunni Anwar* arrived in Macao with a heavy heart. It was January 2017, and the 27-year-old from the Indonesian port-city of Cirebon had recently relocated to Macao from Hong Kong, where her first employer threw a bowl at her over a perceived mistake. Anwar’s two young children and elderly father, who suffered from heart disease, […]

Inspired by the creativity and determination of youth, Michele Lai founded Kids4Kids in 2010 with a vision to empower children in Hong Kong to help make the city a better place. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the NGO has evolved from a bootstrapped charity to a force of change, having worked with more than […]

Life has never been comfortable in Kashmir. A long-contested Himalayan region between India and Pakistan, the territory has suffered through many wars, uprisings and violent crackdowns over the past several decades. Unrest swelled again last year when India revoked the semi-autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, the India-controlled area of Kashmir, in August 2019. In […]

Every person’s story is different. No two paths are the same. But at times, we see parallels: Whether lesbian, bi, trans or gay, many LGBT+ Hongkongers have overcome some form of stigma or discrimination when expressing their true selves in Hong Kong. We hear from three people – all with unique experiences – about their […]

All things considered, Baoli Ma has led an unconventional life. Over the past two decades, Ma transformed himself from a closeted gay policeman into one of China’s foremost LGBT+ activists and tech entrepreneurs. And as far as Ma is concerned, he’s just getting started. Born in 1977 in China’s Hebei province, Ma (also known by […]

“Food is a universal language. It’s how we express our feelings and love, and care for those around us.” This is how LK*, an asylum seeker from Indonesia who has lived in Hong Kong for two decades, described the guiding principle behind the community storytelling project, Table of Two Cities. The grassroots initiative organises events […]