Letters | On International Women’s Day, show your appreciation for your domestic worker

Readers discuss equity for migrant domestic workers in our midst, gig workers’ rights, and the Myanmar situation

Women and gender

Letters

Published: 11:30am, 8 Mar 2023

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The theme of International Women’s Day this year, #EmbraceEquity, encourages everyone everywhere to work together to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all women.

At PathFinders, we embrace equity every day as we seek to protect migrant worker mothers and their children, so this theme resonates strongly with us.

I’m incredibly proud that we at PathFinders are strong participants in this effort. Over the past 15 years, we have been at the forefront of enhancing public awareness of, and care for, the migrant domestic worker community. We believe that without greater respect for migrant domestic workers, we will not be able to protect their children.

Domestic workers, or “helpers”, are among Hong Kong’s most marginalised communities of women. We often hear heartbreaking stories of these workers encountering racial or gender discrimination. They’re working women just like you and me, yet often they do not enjoy respect, fair treatment and access to rights in society.

Being a working mother myself, I just can’t imagine how I would carry on with my career and take care of the family without our amazing domestic workers. These workers are part of our families, and have enabled thousands of working women in our city to carry on working and have families, but how often do we really acknowledge their personal challenges?

02:29

Dozens call for end to violence against women and girls in rally ahead of International Women’s Day

On this International Women’s Day, let us recognise the migrant domestic worker community for who they really are – wives, mothers, daughters, sisters and hardworking women who have made enormous sacrifices to work thousands of miles away from home to create brighter futures for themselves and their loved ones.

There is much you can do to mark this special day with your domestic worker. Start by simply spending a moment to show your appreciation for her. If your domestic worker is a mother, encourage her to take short breaks during the day to connect with her children. You can also support an NGO that is truly committed to creating positive change to the migrant domestic worker community.

Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. While we have seen greater effort by the Hong Kong community as a whole to increase equity, we still have a long way to go. Let’s work together to protect and empower this extraordinary and often overlooked community of women by embracing equity this International Women’s Day.

Vivien Webb, board chair, PathFinders

Help Hong Kong’s gig workers unionise

We refer to the letter, “Rights of gig workers require major rethink” (January 20).

We agree with your correspondents that the Labour Department should offer more protection for gig workers in the city.

In addition to the consultation and conciliation services offered to employers and employees, the Labour Department has set up the Workplace Consultation Promotion Division to promote the Employment Ordinance and good human resources management practices. Under this umbrella, nine industry-based tripartite committees and 18 human resources managers’ clubs have been established to promote tripartite dialogue on general labour issues and good people management practices at the industry level. Since gig workers are usually not protected by the Employment Ordinance, it is unlikely that such activities can benefit the workers in flexible employment. The government should conduct more seminars and workshops on how to protect gig workers’ rights for the members of the tripartite committees and human resources organisations.

The Labour Department administers the Trade Unions Ordinance and Trade Union Registration Regulations through the Registry of Trade Unions. Although the latest count puts the number of employee unions in Hong Kong at 1,472, the government has no idea how many of these unions accept gig workers as members.

In response to our enquiries about gig workers’ rights to unionise, the Labour Department refers us to Article 27 of the Basic Law – on residents’ right to form and join trade unions – but offers no specific guidelines on how gig workers may protect their rights through labour unions.

We call on the government and the Legislative Council to study the practices of labour unions in foreign countries and mainland China and offer more help to gig workers interested in forming their own trade unions.

Hazel Lee and Cherry Leung, Kowloon Tong

Don’t look away from human rights abuses in Myanmar

Human rights abuses are bad in any country.

Yet, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has taken attention from Myanmar’s General Min Aung Hlaing, who had civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi placed under house arrest in 2021. Under Min Aung Hlaing, a court has since sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to prison.

Min Aung Hlaing seems to be bringing back military administration from the days of general Ne Win. Myanmar has been controlled by the military junta since 1962.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who worked to free the people of Myanmar from military rule, is considered a charismatic leader in the country. The International Court of Justice is hearing a genocide case against the military.

What’s the difference between the Putin regime of Russia and the Min Aung Hlaing regime of Myanmar when it comes to atrocities allegedly committed against innocent civilians, including women, children and elderly people?

Aung Chin Win Aung, Indianapolis, Indiana