With continued social distancing restrictions, it’s harder than ever to host advocacy events, workshops and panels. But TEDxTinHau Countdown has managed to overcome the unprecedented obstacles posed by Covid-19.  Taking place on Saturday, 17 October, the Hong Kong extension of TED’s global Countdown event, will shine a spotlight on climate change.  With a goal to […]

Fair Employment Foundation (FEF), an NGO that was founded in Hong Kong in 2014, is working to build an ethical model for migrant recruitment with hopes to end forced labour of migrant workers across Asia.  Currently, Hong Kong is home to some 380,000 migrant domestic workers and 1,400 employment agencies. Overcharging of workers for their […]

When her plane touched down in Hong Kong last December, Chamila was full of hope. She had an employment contract as a domestic worker and an expectation of a better life not only for herself, but also for her sick daughter back home in Sri Lanka. Ten days later, Chamila lay unconscious on the floor […]

When Sally* looked down at the two bars on her pregnancy test, she was devastated. Her period was a month late, but she never expected to be pregnant. Sally immediately sought help from Teen’s Key, an NGO supporting young women and their reproductive health. While a social worker talked her through the options, Sally’s mind […]

An estimated 35 per cent of women experience physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, according to the World Health Organization. But only a fraction actually report the abuse through official channels for fear of retaliation or backlash from their perpetrator, employers, family or community. Those who do come forward are often […]

We take a look at global statistics related to sexual harassment and violence to better understand what’s happening around the world. From cat-calling to groping on public transport, inappropriate comments in workplaces, sexual harassment is a daily reality for many women. In countries like the UK, India, Brazil and Kenya, 65 per cent of women […]

In June 2017, Karissa Chen flew from the United States to Taiwan with one purpose: to freeze her eggs. Chen first learned about mature oocyte cryopreservation (as the procedure is officially known) from a friend when she was 28 years old, but six years passed before she considered doing it herself. Now 37, Chen regrets […]

We take a look at some of the major issues populations around the world face in regards to reproductive rights and family planning. Around the world in 2017, 63 per cent of women used some form of contraception. Among all the regions, North and South America saw the highest usage at 75 per cent. Meanwhile […]

It’s a Sunday morning near the Mid-Levels escalators. Groups of women are sitting on cardboard mats – chatting, sharing meals, knitting, playing cards, or listening to music. They are foreign domestic workers, and this is their one day off in the week. In Hong Kong, domestic workers are legally required to live at their employers’ […]

Growing up in Mumbai in a family of seafarers, Sanjam Gupta felt drawn to the maritime industry. She earned an MBA in Family Business at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, in 2001, then joined Sitara Shipping, which her father founded in 1981. That was nearly two decades ago. Then 23 years old, Gupta […]