Meet three women who are making a difference
On International Women’s Day, we celebrate their contributions to improving Hong Kong
Today being International Women’s Day, it is a good time to celebrate the achievements – social, economic, cultural and political – of women worldwide.
The Post spoke to three women in Hong Kong making changes for the better.
Mashiat Lamisa
Almost five years after she arrived in Hong Kong from Bangladesh, Mashiat Lamisa still recalls how children in her home country would rummage through toxic rubbish, some of it imported electronic waste.
“Electronic goods … are designed to break, and a lot of these devices are discarded as electronic waste and end up in landfills in Hong Kong – or [developing] places like my home country, causing heavy pollution and toxicity,” the 23-year-old says.
In 2021, the World Health Organization released a report on the impact of e-waste on human health and found that those working to recover valuable materials such as copper and gold from the growing tide of e-waste were at risk of exposure to more than 1,000 harmful substances, including lead, mercury and nickel.
Passionate about global health and sustainability, Lamisa got busy with Projekt, a social enterprise that teaches people how to fix their devices instead of throwing them out. Driven by its “universal right to repair” philosophy, Projekt wants people to rethink consumerism and e-waste to help the environment.
“There’s a lot of stress, money and regulations around repairing devices, so we set up workshops to show people how easy it is to fix them,” says Lamisa, a graduate of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s systems and design course.
There’s also a creative side to the workshops. “We take dead devices, dismantle them, and upcycle them into jewellery – it’s also a good way for people to see the inner workings of their electronics,” she says.
“One woman brought her mum’s old phone to a workshop and made a locket for herself. Now she can keep it forever.”
Marites Palma
Born in the Philippines, Marites Palma left her home and her 11-month-old daughter to join millions of her compatriots who work as overseas foreign workers (OFW), many – like Palma – as domestic helpers.
“I started in Singapore, then moved to Macau and have been in Hong Kong for about 13 years,” the single mother says. Her daughter is now 22 and at college.
Free time is a luxury for Palma: she is vice-president of Lakbay Dangal, a group of domestic workers who promote Filipino heritage in Hong Kong. She also contributes to The Sun, a newspaper about and for OFWs in the city.
“While researching stories I met many domestic workers who faced sexual violence and injustice from their employer, so I wanted to empower myself and help my fellow workers … I didn’t want them to suffer in silence.”
In 2019, Palma founded Social Justice for Migrant Workers to give a voice to marginalised workers. It’s needed now more than ever as Hong Kong struggles to contain the fifth wave of the pandemic.
“I’ve seen many cases of Covidpositive domestic helpers being thrown out of their employer’s house,” she says. “It’s illegal to terminate contracts on these grounds but employers are still doing it.”
In February, the Labour Department reminded employers they faced a fine of up to HK$100,000 and a ban on hiring domestic helpers if found to have sacked a Covid-positive helper.
Palma is often frustrated – and it’s easy to see why. Domestic helpers in Hong Kong are not eligible for permanent residency or government consumption vouchers, while some have been hit with crippling HK$5,000 fines for breaching social-distancing rules – fines which exceed the legal minimum monthly salary for a helper, HK$4,630.
“I’ve grown to accept that we’re domestic workers and we’re different from other expats,” she says. “But I’m disappointed because Philippines Labour Secretary [Silvestre Bello III] recently said the conditions for domestic workers in Hong Kong are good and reports that some have been thrown out of their homes when they tested positive for Covid is fake news … I was furious.”
Cecilia Chan
A professor emeritus of the University of Hong Kong and former chair professor in health and social work at the university, Cecilia Chan’s research has centred on holistic and psychosocial care.
Blending Chinese philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practices into holistic behavioural health intervention has been the foundation of her work.
Her legacy includes the establishment of pioneering healing spaces, including patients’ resource centres, in all Hong Kong public hospitals; a community rehabilitation network to empower patients to self-manage chronic diseases; and community support services for cancer patients.
Empowering women has been at the centre of her work, particularly supporting widows and divorcees who suffer from poor emotional and financial health.
“Rewind 20 to 30 years and there was a lot of stigma attached to women of divorce,” Chan says. “Some landlords would not rent flats to single women.”
While there have been baby steps towards equality, there’s an unconscious bias in today’s society, she says. “I’ve had female students tell me their parents would allow their sons to pursue higher education, but they may not get the same support. Many women are expected to take on the role of carers for the elderly.”
Through connections with The Women’s Foundation, she has a pushed for equality in the corporate world.
“One third of listed companies in Hong Kong don’t have a woman on their board,” she says.
I’ve seen many cases of Covid-positive domestic helpers being thrown out of their employer’s house
MARITES PALMA