Editor-in-Chief
Jayde Cheung
Art Director
Grace Koo
Deputy Editors
Clarice Wu Kylie Wong Nicolaus Shu
Editors
Clarice Wu
Gigi Chong Jayde Cheung Karmen Li
Tiffany Ma
Reporters
Clarice Wu Kelly Pang
Gigi Chong Jayde Cheung Malick Gai Tracy Leung
Advisers
Lam Robin Ewing
Last year was tough for the journalist community in Hong Kong. Independent outlets Apple Daily and Stand News were forced to shut down and Citizen News moved to Singapore because of the hostile working environment in the city. Many journalists were detained or are embroiled in lawsuits. With police saying they will no longer recognize student reporters as journalists, it felt like the foundation of student journalism has been shaken, making reporting way more difficult than it used to be. A student-run newspaper like The Young Reporter, which is registered with the government as a newspaper and has been publishing since 1969, making it the oldest existing student newspaper in the city, is ineligible for the type of registration needed to operate officially. This makes student reporters even more vulnerable to detention or prosecution by the authorities. Despite the obstacles, The Young Reporter continues to report on injustice and give voice to the voiceless. That is the reason why we decided that the theme for this issue will be inequality. Journalism is all the more important in challenging times. Change doesn’t happen overnight. We expect the journey to truth and righteousness to be a challenging one.
Sincerely, Jayde Cheung Editor-in-chief
Carrying a blue cart of buckets and brooms, Luke Ching Chin-wai, 50, was supposed to clean the leftwing of Tai Wai MTR station.
It is a two-storey building that includes four railways of the Tuen Ma and East Rail Lines, with stores on the ground floor.
In addition to 11 rubbish bins, Ching is also responsible for cleaning the advertising lightboxes, handrails and gates, as well as the train area, all within two hours.
Ching is drenched in sweat already before he’s even finished half of his duty, and he has yet to take a break.
“What a nuisance to be sweaty, ” he said while cleaning the entrance gate.
Cleaning workers like Ching have to maintain the hygiene in areas such as public toilets and refuse collection rooms. However, frontline cleaners are not always well equipped, especially during
the pandemic. They risk their health to earn meagre salaries, and their rights and welfare are often barely protected.
But Ching is also a conceptual artist and a labour activist. He discovered the hidden welfare problems of cleaning workers working for the Mass Transit Railway after going undercover since November last year.
Cleaners work under the MTR Corporation are outsourced to ISS Facilities Service Limited
and Winson Cleaning Service Company Limited through tendering, according to the company’s website. Suppliers listed the business details on the tendering documents for MTRC to choose from, including the salary for the cleaners.
The number of face masks dispensed is equivalent to the number of working days, but it is far from enough. “One is needed before the break, a new one is needed after that, and should be changed after work,” explained Ching. A minimum of three face masks are needed for an eight-hour shift.
Hygiene work in an MTR station is not limited to wiping handrails and entrance gates, but also toilet disinfection and rubbish collection. Yet there is a shortage of basic personal protective equipment, let alone face shields and thick gloves that prevent janitors from being exposed to contaminated water and chemicals.
Each worker only gets two pairs of gloves a month. Face shields are only available if they have to clean up vomit.
The lack of guidelines or standards in cleaning practice exposes workers to high-risk conditions. They have nothing more than a bucket of diluted chlorine and a towel to clean most of the MTR facilities. “I don’t know how to clean them, how often to clean them, and to what extent,” said Ching in confusion. He and his colleagues were never taught about the chemicals, and the proper procedure to clean up puke.
Since 2019, MTRC cleaners have been getting HK$37.5 an hour. Cleaners employed by the Housing Department and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department get HK$44.5 and HK$48.4 an hour respectively, after the cleaning service outsourcing reform in 2019, according to the research by the Cleaning Workers Union.
expecting a raise to HK$50 an hour, equivalent to the average monthly salary of a general cleaning worker of HK$50.7, according to the Quarterly Report of Wage and Payroll Statistics (Sept. 2021).
“We are so stressed every day, worrying about whether we will be infected,” said Ching. There is neither arrangement nor compensation if they catch Covid in the workplace or if they are under mandatory quarantine that can last for weeks. There is no paid leave for vaccination either.
Cleaning workers do not feel safe using harmful chemicals at work, without any training.
“We have been talking about the unfairness brought by the outsourcing system since day one,” said Ching. He is
Although the government has authorise compulsory quarantine order as a reasonable document for sick days since Feb. 8, some parttime workers like the MTRC cleaners are not included, as not all of them fit the 418 provision, in which employers enjoy the paid leave only if they work at least 18 hours a week, and at least four weeks a month.
Ching exposed the poor treatment of cleaning workers in a press conference on Dec. 15 last year. He called for better pay and safer working conditions. The MTRC suspended his job for a week right after the conference, a few hours prior to the night shift Ching was supposed to work on.
The MTRC’s management would not agree to an inperson meeting with the cleaning workers, nor did they address the employees directly. In fact, nothing much changed after the submission of a public letter to the MTRC on Dec. 23. The only change was that cleaning workers no longer needed to deliver meals to the station monitors.
Cleaning workers still need to ask for extra face masks because the company does not prepare any spares. “That is baffling,” said Ching. The company’s policies do not include any occupational safety and health standards.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, employers are obligated to guarantee a safe and healthy workplace, plus training and supervision should also be provided.
“But who would dare to ask for more resources under this top down management system?” Ching asked.
After Ching revealed his identity, he was assigned to fewer and less unpleasant duties, such as switching from toilet cleaning to lobby cleaning. Winson also started handing out face shields after Ching told his foreman about his interview with The Young Reporter
“I don’t know whether my colleagues receive the same things as me,” said Ching. Some of his old friends were asked by MTRC staff to keep their distance from him.
Ching has since tailored himself a protective gown out of black rubbish bags when he cleans toilets, so that he doesn’t get splashed with toilet water. It is also useful while changing rubbish bags because unwrapped face masks and unfinished drinks are potential sources of viruses.
“See the slogan on my back?” Ching said. “‘We serve you’, but it is clear now who we are really serving.” They are
keeping the place clean for the people, not the company.
On Jan. 28, the MTRC sent a mass email to the news media about HK$20 million to be given to cleaning workers, based on the cleanliness of terminals as determined by passengers and regulators. That enraged Ching.
“The rating system is not supporting the cleaning work, but adding to the stress of my colleagues,” said Ching. “You are effectively shifting all the blame for keeping the station clean onto us! Intensifying our job strain!” Ching wrote on his social media out of rage following the announcement of the new policy.
The rating system is scheduled to be effective from February. Ching and Joe Wong Nai-yuen, chairperson of the Cleaning Service Industry Workers Union, organised a silent protest on Feb. 3 where Ching works, aspiring to bring the frontline workers to the fore.
The MTR management can’t even see the importance of being healthy.
Luke Ching Chin-wai Cleaning worker
“ “
Holding a towel with the words “Good Health”, Ching held a silent protest at Tai Wai Station, hoping to raise awareness on the health of cleaning workers. “The MTR has been emphasising on disinfecting stations, thus multiplying our workload, but they never mention any protection for us,” he said.
The government holds 74.8% of shares in the MTR Corporation, and therefore has a say in the MTR’s decisions, according to investor’s information on the rail giant’s website. “The government is in charge of the company, and they know we are underpaid,” said Ching.
“What we truly want is improvement in wages, rather than a system of reward and punishment,” said Wong.
The anti-epidemic fund does
not subject cleaning workers to any ratings or examination, it is unacceptable that the MTR Corporation responded to the salary reform with a rating system.
“They are simply not focusing on the problem,” Wong said.
A monthly allowance of HK$5000 will be available to the frontline cleansing staff from the sixth round of anti-epidemic funds, according to the government’s announcement. However, cleaners working for public transportation premises like MTR stations and bus stops, and also cleaners working at public hospitals managed by the Hospital Authority, are excluded from the program, who are neither regarded as engaged in government service nor private buildings.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Ching and Wong held a silent protest at Tai Wai station to highlight the plight of the cleaning workers. Worshippers heading to Che Kung Temple near the station stopped and stared.
Winson, the name of the cleaning service company on the uniform is covered by masking tape. “The workers tried to uphold the company’s reputation amid the dispute, but it is not known if the firm would protect the employees in return,” said Wong.
“Striking at the MTR is useless. It is the problem of the outsourced company,” murmured a passenger walking past Ching.
“I thought he is promoting the idea of keeping the station clean and hygienic,” said another passenger.
“Commodities are expensive these days, even raising the salary a bit is better than nothing,” she added.
After the protest in Tai Wai station, Ching and Wong headed to the MTRC Headquarters Building at Kowloon Bay for the second meeting with a spokesperson.
Ching was hoping for direct conversations between the company and the union, but the MTRC disappointed them.
“They never respond to our demands directly, even after the media received their letters about the rating system, we got nothing,” said Ching. “This is too over, this is so wrong.”
The MTRC told The Young Reporter that the company has been asking for a stable supply of cleaning materials from the Winson. “The company absolutely values the health of cleaners and commissioners,” the company said in an email to The Young Reporter.
According to HK01, at least two cleaners from Kwai Chung Estate were infected with Covid as of Jan. 25. At least three cleaners from the MTRC have been infected, according to Hong Kong Economic Times. Ching said the public rarely questions the reason why they are infected. “The public doesn’t value the work of cleansing workers, and do whatever they want once they have paid for the service,” he said.
There is still a long way to go to improve the treatment of cleaning workers, as there is still a shortage of protective equipment. Leung Tsz-yan, the organiser of the Cleaning Workers Union, has come across cleaning workers who say three masks a day is simply not enough.
“They give you new masks while blaming you for getting more,” said Leung. “It is like begging for what we are supposed to have.”
Workload piles up while the
pandemic goes viral, the frontline workers are subjected to stricter rules of cleaning, according to the cleaners approached by Leung. The cleaners also reported that the ban of indoor dining after six o’clock created unprecedented massive amounts of disposable utensils. More often, the workers enter the refuse collection chambers where viruses are adhered, they have to endure higher risk, they said.
Currently, Covid is not listed as an occupational disease under the Employee’s Compensation Ordinance, therefore there is no compensation for infected workers.
Asked if Covid would be regarded as an occupational disease, the Labour Department told The Young Reporter through email that infection is possible in any places, making Covid difficult to be listed as a common disease specific to certain occupations. “It is difficult to assert that someone is infected in the workplace only
by considering what they work for,” said the department in the email. They promised a follow up on any tendency for workplace-related infection.
However, since quarantine requirements may result in workers losing half of their monthly salaries, Leung believes that the government should compensate them for such loss.
“You can’t imagine how much pressure they tolerate financially and mentally,” she said.
Leung also accused the government of not doing it’s part in finding out the brutal conditions the workers face.
“The foreman knew who was being surveyed by the governmental officers, so they stopped the cleaners from speaking the truth,” said Leung.
She believes that the welfare of cleaners will not improve unless the outsourcing system is changed so that the outsourced companies don’t try to increase their profits while abusing workers. “The government should take the responsibility of improving the working conditions,” said Leung.
Weeks have passed since the second public letter was handed to the MTRC, but so far, it has not responded to the union’s enquiries. Wong, though, believes the MTRC is eager to solve the problem. “We will not stop fighting for the rights of cleaning workers,” he said.
Nancy Chan is a qualified kindergarten teacher, but had trouble finding a job.
An estimated one in seven people in Hong Kong experience some form of mental disorder at any given time, according to Mind HK, a local mental health charity.
“There was not much public education on mental illnesses 10 to 20 years ago. Patients have often faced discrimination and were excluded from mainstream society,” said Chris Wong, Head of Professional Services from the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.
Her organisation provides services such as vocational rehabilitation and employment services for patients in the autism spectrum and for those rehabilitated from mental illness.
They didn’t hire me when I confessed to my potential employers that I had a history of psychosis. When I stopped revealing my mental health history, job opportunities started to come.
Nancy Chan Kindergarten teacher
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In 1977, the government published the first Rehabilitation Policy White Paper to help mental health patients. But in 1989, the government abandoned the rehabilitation service, which further delayed the comprehensive review and reduced the government’s commitment to the service.
Chris Wong said rehabilitated psychiatric patients often face unfair treatment during recovery. “People may use ‘crazy man’ to describe psychiatric patients. When a person feels mentally ill, people will think that they are crazy during the recovery process,” she added.
Philip
as refractions, uncontrollable body movements and facial expressions during recovery.
In recent years, some local celebrities have raised awareness on mental illness by sharing their experiences with the public. “The community gradually understands what really happens to mental illness patients,” Chris Wong said.
In March 1992, the government launched a public consultation on Rehabilitation Policies and Services. In 2010, NGO community support services were enhanced and the Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness service was started.
The support group has fought with the government over the concessionary fare of HK$2 for
Former patient and chairman of the Alliance of Ex-mentally Ill of Hong Kong
every transport trip for nine years. Now they are striving for follow-up medical consultations to be provided to patients at night.
The Hospital Authority introduced the first mental health night service in 2001, but it was closed five years later
because of low utilisation rates. Now, the public psychiatric specialist out-patient clinics close at 4:30 p.m. every day.
Recovered mental health patients have to revisit their doctors regularly. Patients have to request personal leave and the employers will be aware of their illnesses.
“If nighttime clinics are provided, they don’t need to ask for leave and let their employers know about it,” Philip Wong Man-lip said.
“In the past, some employers who discover that a worker has a history of mental illness would try to find other reasons to fire the person because they knew it would violate the disability discrimination statute,” he added.
It is unlawful for employers to discriminate against persons with disability, according to
the Cap. 487 of Disability Discrimination Ordinance
More than half of about 70 employed recovered mental health patients have not disclosed their mental states to their employers because they want to be treated like normal people, according to Philip Wong Man-lip.
“The media is also shaping the stereotypes of mental health patients. We reported to the Equal Opportunity Commission that the Hong Kong Daily News tried to vilify psychiatric patients. It’s not fair for us to be slandered like that,” he said.
In 2012, the Equal Opportunity Commission condemned the report of Hong Kong Daily News for publishing discriminatory words such as “crazy lunatics”. The commission denounced the words and images used in the article because they might incite the public’s disgust towards mentally ill patients.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association also criticised the article because it stigmatised patients and exaggerated the facts. The newspaper then published a half-page interview about the feelings of recovered mental health patients, and Philip Wong Man-lip was one of the interviewees.
“The public did show acceptance to the former mental health patients but it’s not comprehensive enough.
We are just ordinary people, who have contributed to society and have the right to fight for our rights and interests.
Once there is a serious violent mental health-related incident in the community, it will take much longer for the public to accept,” Chris Wong said.
“I understand that people will avoid talking about their mental health issues because of the social stigma. So whenever someone confides in me now, I give them my full attention,” Chan said.
According to an online survey conducted by the Hong Kong Society of Biological Psychiatry and Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, 95% of 4340 respondents believe that society often or sometimes discriminates against people with mental disorders.
“Job opportunities are important in the process of recovery. Patients can reach out to other people and build their self-esteem by knowing they are capable of working ,” Chris Wong said.
There are 54 social enterprises in Hong Kong that recruit rehabilitated mental illness patients, according to the Hong Kong Social Enterprise Organisation.
“Educating the public is most important in order to minimise inequality, treat them as ordinary people, respect them and pay attention to what they have to say,” Chris Wong said.
According to a survey conducted by Mind HK in
Aug. 2021, 81.5% of 1010 respondents expressed that they had never received any information related to mental health.
“Try to take care of the exmentally ill people and listen to them if they are your neighbour, your colleagues or your friends,” she added.
Reported by Malick Gai
Edited by Tiffany Ma
Jeffrey Andrews is Hong Kong’s first ethnic minority candidate to run for the city’s Legislative Council. When he and his wife tried to rent an apartment in To Kwa Wan last month, he ran into an upsetting situation.
“Many agents don’t want to rent to me because they say we cook curry and we smell,” said Andrews.
Hong Kong, “Asia’s world city,” has always been home to ethnic minorities from South Asia. However, many renters of Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan heritage reportedly feel stigmatised and often rejected by housing agents and landlords.
Andrews, 36, of Indian descent, is a manager at Christian Action
Centre for Refugees. He was born and raised in Hong Kong.
Andrews said as soon as the prospective agent saw him in person, his face dropped. After consulting the landlord, Andrews was asked to pay 12 months’ rent and two months’ deposit up front.
“I made a phone call to another agent, and I spoke in fluent
Cantonese. He said ‘Okay, come to the agency,’ but the moment he saw me, he said the apartment was no longer available,” Andrews said.
According to the Estate Agents Authority’s guide to tenancy, a landlord should require tenants to pay one to three months’ deposit upfront upon signing a rental contract for an apartment.
Sum Hui is the owner of United Company, a property agency in To Kwa Wan which has been operating for 40 years. Hui works with over 70 landlords, providing rental services to ethnic minorities and asylum seekers.
“Asking for more money than usual and requesting unnecessary proof of documentation is indirectly rejecting ethnic minorities and there are no consequences,” said Hui.
Hui said in his experience, around 70% of landlords refuse to rent to ethnic minorities. “Some landlords think because of the language barrier, cultural differences and not wanting defaults in rent, they don’t want to rent to ethnic minorities,” said Hui.
According to Hong Kong’s Race Discrimination Ordinance, it is unlawful to discriminate, harass or vilify a person because of his or her race, nationality or ethnic origin.
In 2016, there were around 584,000 ethnic minority individuals in Hong Kong, according to government
figures. That’s about 8% of the population. More than 60% of them have lived in Hong Kong for more than seven years, which means they would qualify for permanent residency.
“Many ethnic minorities face discrimination in Hong Kong on a daily basis and this might affect their mental health. For many, renting an apartment is where they face a lot of discrimination,” said Shalini Mahtani, founder and CEO of the Zubin Foundation, a Hong Kong thinktank and charity aiming to improve the lives of ethnic minorities.
The Equal Opportunities Commission, a statutory body tasked to implement the anti-discrimination ordinance, reported 335 complaints lodged in 2020 under the Race Discrimination Ordinance, up from 98 case in 2019.
The law requires an aggrieved person to lodge a complaint and give evidence to support their claim before the EOC can conduct an investigation and take legal proceedings against an alleged discriminatory act.
The EOC said it does not have the power to initiate legal proceedings against alleged discriminatory act on its own. Since 2015, the Ethnic Minorities Unit of the EOC, in cooperation with the Estate Agents Authority, has been providing training to agents, to enhance their awareness and racial sensitivity.
“We need to tackle deeprooted stereotypes and discrimination against ethnic minorities to achieve racial harmony,” said Pete Cheng, Communications Officer of Hong Kong Unison, an NGO committed to advancing racial equality and equal opportunities for ethnic minorities.
“Ethnic minorities are often unmotivated to follow up on complaints because the Equal Opportunities Commission complaint system is unnecessarily complex and needs to be reformed,” said Cheng.
Founder and CEO of the Zubin FoundationSam Ho is the senior corporate communications manager of
If it was just a cultural difference or language barrier, other non-Chinese races should be facing the same, like maybe those from Western countries. But the racism is targeted solely at those who are darkerskinned.
Shalini Mahtani
“
“
the EOC.
“I can’t comment on individual cases, without specific details,” said Ho, in response to questions about how inefficient and ineffective the EOC can be at dealing with complaints from ethnic minorities.
“It is common for ethnic minorities to encounter discrimination, especially when they are looking for accommodation,” a report by the EOC in 2016 concluded.
The report also shows that the EOC conducted a study in which ethnic minorities, Caucasian and Chinese participants posed as potential customers to compare the service they received. The results showed ethnic minorities tend to get poorer services than Caucasian and Chinese customers. Nearly half of the ethnic minority participants reported discrimination, but only a quarter of the Caucasian participants reported the same thing.
“The study found that many providers of goods and services hold stereotypical and biased views of ethnic minorities, with cultural differences and language barrier cited as some possible causes of discrimination,” the EOC report continued.
A 2018 report published by Hong Kong Unison, shows that over 90% of 140 ethnic minorities and asylum seekers surveyed reported experiencing
difficulties when trying to rent private accommodation, with 61% facing an unwelcoming attitude and 53% experiencing outright refusal because the landlord was unwilling to rent to them.
Anilesh Kumar, 33, is a PhD student at Hong Kong Baptist University and recipient of a full Hong Kong government scholarship. He arrived in the city in March 2021, to pursue his doctorate degree.
While completing a 21-day quarantine at the Best Western Plus Hotel on Hong Kong Island, Kumar desperately looked for an apartment for himself, his wife and toddler.
He began chatting with 102 property agents, using the 28Hse app, after his classmate introduced it to him. “The conversation went well with nearly half of them until I told them I was Indian. Then the chat suddenly stopped. I would follow up and they would simply reply, ‘Sorry no Indian’,” Kumar said.
Kumar said all of the agents asked what his nationality was, even though he had already sent them a profile, which included his nationality.
After completing quarantine, Kumar visited an apartment in Tseung Kwan O. Upon learning his nationality, the agent asked him to pay eight months’ rent and two months’ deposit upfront as “security.” Unaware of Hong Kong’s renting
guidelines, Kumar agreed.
Anilesh KumarPhD student at Hong Kong Baptist University and recipient of a full Hong Kong government scholarship
“A dozen agents told me, ‘You seem really nice but sorry the landlord doesn’t want to rent to an Indian,’” Kumar said.
Talha Muhammad Qureshi, 26, is a Chinese national of Pakistani descent and is the project officer at the Zubin Foundation. In early December last year, Qureshi also experienced being overcharged on rent deposits, and openly xenophobic treatment.
Once he disclosed his nationality, he received no further communication from 20 out of 30 agents he was
After almost finalising the property, the landlord very mockingly asked the agent whether I was going to invite my Indian friends to cook curry. He refused to rent the apartment to me.
“ “
chatting with. “Around eight of them replied, saying ‘Sorry the landlord doesn’t want to rent to foreigners,’” Qureshi said.
Josh, 20, who only wanted to give his first name, is an Indian university student. Last month, Josh and his family of four were looking for an apartment. They began talking to 30 agents, some he found from 28Hse.
Josh was also asked to pay several months’ worth of deposits. After he told the agent his nationality, he was ignored.
Burak Mehr, 24, is a Chinese national of Pakistani descent and speaks fluent Cantonese. Mehr, a first-time business owner, has been renting a small shop in Cheung Sha Wan since October last year.
“The landlord asked me to pay six months’ deposit, instead of two months. He said that was because I was Pakistani,” Mehr said. After Mehr argued he was being discriminated against, the landlord eventually agreed to a more standard two months’ deposit.
“I don’t feel at home, even though I was born and raised here. I don’t consider myself a Hongkonger, because Hong Kong people don’t see me as one of them,” Mehr said.
A screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation between Talha Muhammad Qureshi and an estate agent, in early December last year. The agent asked him to pay for a year’s rent upfront. Photo credit: Talha Muhammad Qureshi.
It’s ridiculous. I was affected by these experiences. I have a decent pay and I pay tax, why am I not treated equally?
Talha Muhammad Qureshi
Chinese national of Pakistani descent and project officer at the Zubin Foundation
A screenshot of the Whatsapp conversation between Josh and an estate agent last month, one of the 30 agents he was talking to, some he found from 28Hse. The agent wrote ‘sorry no,’ after knowing he’s Indian. Photo credit: Josh.
A lot of agents stereotype us because of their previous experience with an ethnic minority tenant. It’s absurd.
Josh Indian university student
“ “
Sho Leung Lai-kwok, 41, a transgender rights activist and participant on the 2020 Viu TV reality show “Be a Better Man”, is unable to change the female gender on his Hong Kong identity card, despite indentifying as a man.
In order to legally change his gender, he would need to undergo sex reassignment surgery, a risky and invasive procedure, according to the Transgender Resource Center, which Leung said he has chosen not to do.
Leung said he faced discrimination because of the gender on his HKID, including being refused a bank account by a branch manager, who said he did not think Leung was a trustworthy person after reviewing his documents.
“I was angry, arguably the most angry I’ve ever had in my life.
I slapped the table and left the bank after a long time of disturbance,” Leung said.
Transgender activists are calling for Hong Kong to implement
gender recognition laws as well as prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, something more than 100 countries have done in varying ways, according to the International Lesbian and Gay Association.
More than half of transgender people in Hong Kong said they have faced some sort of discrimination, according to a survey by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The majority of respondents said they had been rejected by
peers and family, and 75% said they had considered suicide.
In 2013, in a landmark case for LGBTQ rights, the Court of Final Appeal ruled in favor of marriage based on affirmed, rather than legal, gender. In the ruling it also said there should be legislation for gender recognition in Hong Kong.
And in a 2016 report, the UN advised Hong Kong to “remove abusive preconditions for the legal recognition of the gender identity of transgender persons, such as sterilization.”
But the Hong Kong government’s Interdepartmental Working Group on Gender Recognition said it invited the public to share its views on a gender recognition scheme, no gender recognition legislation has been enacted.
In January, the Hong Kong Court of Appeal ruled against a request by Henry Edward Tse and another transgender to change the gender on their KID cards without completing sex reassignment surgery.
Tse, the 31-year-old founder of Transgender Equality Hong Kong, has fought for gender recognition, with or without surgery, for half a decade both in Hong Kong and internationally.
Liam Mak Wai-hon, 20, the founder of Quarks, a support organization for transgender teens, said he dealt with ridicule and discrimination in school, including from teachers, for being transgender.
“Social acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community is better and better these few years, although some still extremely object to us,” Mak said. “The criticism will turn softer when the whole society is discussing this topic.”
The Education Bureau has not released any school guidelines for transgender students.
Sho Leung Lai-kwokTransgender rights activist and participant on the 2020 Viu TV reality show “Be a Better Man”
I just wanna be friends with the world, and hope that people in this world can be my friends.Liam Mak Wai-hon founds Quarks to help transgender youth. Photo credit: Liam Mak Wai-hon.
Hilarie Fung Hiu-lam, a year 3 university student and her friends have been managing @medussasinnocent, an Instagram page dedicated to feminism since mid-September last year.
“Do you believe in gender equality? If yes, then welcome to the family of feminism!” she said.
It started off as an assignment, but Fung has enjoyed learning about feminism and proudly calls herself a “feminist”.
“I think feminists are villainized, but all we ever wanted is for everyone to be
equal,” said Fung. The name medussasinnocent, comes from the Greek myth about Medusa, the maiden turn monster after she was raped by Poseidon in the temple of Athena.
Even though Medusa is traditionally portrayed as a villain, she was actually a victim. Fung’s teammate thought there are similarities between the villiainization of Medusa and of feminists.
“I have never understood why boys are not allowed to cry and girls should cover up to protect themselves,” Fung said bitterly. “It is quite obvious that society is morbid enough to normalise toxic masculinity
and sexualisation. We should stop asking people to do or not do things according to their genders.”
She emphasised that feminism is about providing support to all genders when they feel tied down by gender norms, rather then promoting females as the “better” gender.
The Instagram page Fung and her teammates run also includes a link to their blog “Medusa”. It covers a wide range of topics, including the objectification of South Asian women, hyper-sexualisation of male idols and women not being able to wear what they want without the fear of being
Fung and her teammates share their views on multiple topics such as motherhood and victim-blaming.
judged.
The articles have accumulated hundreds of views and sparked healthy discussions online. Fung is delighted to see her efforts in promoting gender equality pay off.
“My mother does not let me hike alone and my ex felt embarrassed because I bought him a gift on his birthday,” said Fung.
Gender inequality affects both males and females. On Feb. 4, a male Korean volleyball player Kim In-hyeok committed suicide at the age of 26 at home.
He had been cyber-bullied for years for “wearing makeup in competitions”, and was accused of being gay and appearing in homosexual adult videos. Although he had personally cleared up these rumours, the cyber-bullying never stopped.
According to a survey conducted by The Women’s Foundation in Hong Kong that interviewed 1,768 male college students in June last year, most of the respondents agreed that they tended to act tough, were less likely to show their emotions and avoided being feminine, for example by refusing to be vulnerable.
“Why can’t males put on makeup? When has makeup been defined as something that is unique to women?” asked James Chiu Wing-shu, a year 3 nursing student who refers to himself as anti-patriarchist.
“It is a pity that the Korean volleyball player was bullied for something like this. Putting on makeup doesn’t affect his performance during competitions. The netizens should be ashamed of themselves,” Chiu said. He believes that gender equality means that everyone deserves to do what they want, regardless of their genders.
When he was younger, Chiu did not like to participate in traditional “boys’ activities”. He did not get along with boys, and would rather spend his time with girls. He also has taken an interest in making crafts, which is generally more of a “girly” activity. Eventually, he was bullied.
“The fact that we only have suits to wear in a formal setting is quite concerning,” Chiu said sarcastically.
He is also frustrated by gender stereotypes often perceived by the older generation.
“Gender inequality exists in many forms. I personally know that some boys are restricted from following their dreams as a fashion designer because their parents think that it is not a career for boys,” said Chiu.
He plans to promote gender equality through organising rallies after the pandemic. He hopes to build platforms that
Kim’s last posts are two TikTok videos using filters with the comment “Goodbye… Goodnight…” while quoting the lyrics to the song “Please” by Lucia. Photo from Kim In-hyeok’s social media account.
encourage people to embrace their true selves.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2021.
feminism online, as well as the social media pages that have been emerging.
“It’s all about pushing boundaries. We are happy to help gender groups that are interested in promoting gender equality. We believe collective effort benefits everyone,” said Law.
But To believed there are too many misconceptions about feminism.
Jade To, the senior programme officer of HER fund pointed out that gender inequality has become even more prominent during the pandemic.
Founded in 2004, HER Fund (Her Empowering Resources Fund) sponsors organisations that target grassroots and marginalised women, girls and trans people. They also help organisations strengthen their professional skills such as public speaking and financial management.
“Females from grassroot families are often the caregivers. Their priority is the children and the working fathers,” said To.
Since the start of the pandemic, the number of grassroots women who are unemployed or are forced to quit their jobs to take care of their children due to the suspension of faceto-face classes increased from 73.88% to 85.57%, according to a study by the Society for Community Organisation and
A 2019 study conducted by the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association on the gender distribution ratio of housework found that over 80% of the chores were done by females. The study also interviewed stay-home mothers, who stated that “taking care of children” and “cooking continuously” were the most exhausting.
“Generally, public health and the allocation of anti-pandemic resources are the main concerns of the society. We are aware that marginalised women are suffering even more,” said To.
“Some LBT+ organisations in Hong Kong lose the opportunity to hold fundraising events at such difficult times, they are also welcomed to apply for a fund to keep their organisations running,” said Winky Law, the development officer of HER Fund.
But To is “really excited” to see the growth of discussion about
“We have been funding different organisations that engage in public education. Not only on the stereotypes, but also on promoting the idea that gender is a wide spectrum and there should be equality for all,” said To.
To and Law hoped that HER Fund can promote individual and social impact to accelerate the journey of gender equality in Hong Kong.
“We believe females are not the only ones who benefit from gender equality. More opportunities and possibilities can be created if the traditional patriarchy views are abandoned,” concluded To.
Females can be outspoken and opinionated, males can show vulnerability and be pretty when they want to. Hopefully, this can be achieved within 10 years.
James Chiu Wing-shu Anti-patriarchist
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On a sunny day before Omicron hit Hong Kong, people went about their business as usual, heading outside to meet with friends and family. However, Lilian Wong Ling-yi, a 48-yearold housewife, stayed home to help her son Nolan with his homework.
Wong would often repeat the homework content over and over, patiently and gently. Nolan, 13, a student with special needs diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, is studying in a mainstream school.
Wong said she was sad when the clinical psychologist told her that Nolan had ASD but she understood that first and foremost, she must locate an organisation that could assist her.
“A private sector had done training to assist him with the development of his sensory integration and coordination, and interpretation of his feelings but I think it’s not really effective as the training time is too short and it costs too much,” she said.
“During the pandemic, Nolan cannot concentrate on online lessons since he, as an ASD student, can hardly focus on electronic devices for lengthy periods as he feels bored. He explores other websites instead of listening to teachers, which makes his learning hard to make progress,” she added.
Children have been taking online classes on and off for the last two years during the pandemic, which has brought social and learning difficulties, especially affecting pupils with
special education needs.
Peer contact and social relationships have been severely restricted because of pandemic. Given the importance of peer contact for well-being and self-esteem, this can have a negative impact on children’s social activity as less social contact is especially critical for SEN students, who often struggle to be accepted or integrated into society, according to a British Journal of Educational Psychology.
The term “special education needs” reflects the broad and diversified group of children and teenagers who require additional support to study and engage with peers in schools.
Many of these children, like Nolan, have preexisting neurological or
neurodevelopmental disabilities, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or learning disabilities like ASD, intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury or other physical disabilities that cause a negative impact on cognitive and academic functioning, can also limit educational opportunities, according to a study from the Institute of Medicine in the United States in 2001.
In the last school year, there were 56,640 pupils in Hong Kong with special needs ranging from ADHD and autism to physical disabilities in public sector schools, according to the Legislative Council Panel on Education paper.
Before the pandemic, SEN pupils required a variety of inclusive and special education services, including customised education, a reliance on routines and connections that have developed over time and professional support, according to a study from the European Association for Learning and Instruction.
Some pupils have more complex needs, which necessitates a wide range of assistance from communitybased organisations, health care providers, and school staff. The consistency and intensity of interventions are the key to children’s learning progress, according to autism research.
In Hong Kong, as students are once again back online, parents have become educators to create a supportive learning
environment and assist SEN children from online learning.
“I sometimes ask Nolan what he has learned but he is unable to respond because he is unaware of what he has learned,” she sighed.
Nolan’s assessment scores are declining since he is unable to comprehend what instructors have taught him and is unable to receive direct support from teachers once he does not understand.
SEN kids may not be able to demonstrate their mastery of knowledge or abilities in the same way that other students do during exams.
“The pandemic has caused Nolan to fall behind in school, and the online class is unable to assist SEN kids, such as Nolan, in learning efficiently,” she added.
Pandemic research has found that online schooling and management of videoconferencing platforms may
be inappropriate for some SEN children who struggle to concentrate more than other students.
“They lose direct assistance from the teachers when they don’t understand the content while using ZOOM, plus they understand content slower. These cause inequality when they’re learning,” Wong said.
Government subsidies have been distributed to all public mainstream schools for additional resources, professional support and teacher training to assist schools in helping students with special educational needs, according to the Legislative Council’s education panel.
The annual funding for integrative education has expanded from roughly HK$1.5 billion to almost HK$3.6 billion, according to the 2021 policy address.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said in her policy address that the annual
Lilian Wong Ling-yi
Parent of special needs student
ASD students just like my son cannot concentrate on ZOOM classes and have difficulties understanding the content just like other students since teachers teach in a fixed schedule.
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recurrent expenditure on special education has risen significantly from around HK$2.5 billion to almost HK$3.5 billion.
Will Low Wai-hei, a 24-yearold teacher at Lutheran School for the Deaf, a special school for secondary school students with hearing impairment, said the government provides appropriate hardware but insufficient software resources.
“In most mainstream schools, SEN students are only given extra time in tests or exams. Only a few have speech-to-text machines or other appropriate equipment,” Low said.
He said the government should adjust the learning set-ups for SEN students during the pandemic.
“They should be given appropriate assessment accomodation and learning methods so that they can achieve better academic results to provide them with special examination arrangements to ensure that they are equitably assessed,” he said.
Some local organisations are trying to fill in the gaps. In November 2021, OriginBit, a technology company, collaborated with children education and rehabilitation organisation Heep Hong Society to teach SEN students fundamental IT skills to aid their future job development, according to OriginBit.
“Our organisation intends to
offer SEN students the same possibilities as other students to gain IT skills through a tailored teaching technique designed exclusively for SEN students,” said Sam Lam Cheuk-ming, the 26-year-old business manager of OriginBit.
The Education Bureau has been encouraging mainstream schools to adopt the “wholeschool approach” model of inclusive education, which includes a “three-tier support model” with tier 1: High-Quality Instruction in the General Classroom, which provides support to all students, tier 2: Small-group Supplemental Instruction, and tier 3: Individualized Reading Instruction. Tiers 2 and 3 are designed specifically for SEN students and aim to provide a suitable learning environment for them.
Wong, the parent of Nolan, said that when children enrol in
mainstream or special schools, schools should think of how to help SEN students instead of just focusing on their academic performance when they conduct internal assessment to check the students’ learning levels.
“The same level of students should be grouped together after the internal test and professionally educated teachers should assist and consolidate their knowledge,” Wong said.
“Otherwise, they would never be able to catch up with other pupils of the same age and will miss out on the opportunity to acquire knowledge on a set schedule,” she added.
“The government should allocate more supporting resources to SEN students to ensure they have the same learning opportunities as other students,” she said.
OriginBit collaborated with Heep Hong Society to host an IT course last year in November.
