Many Hong Kong women face greater stress as they are squeezed between poorest and better off
Study finds those earning just above the threshold for social security payments are the most stressed, having to balance work with family care obligations
Ms Lam, a 60-year-old Hong Kong cleaner, does not often feel happy about her life.
The stressed-out labourer, who in many ways typifies the city’s working-class women, must balance her job while also taking care of her husband, who suffers from lower back pain, and her mother-in-law and father, who are both in their 90s.
She said when her two 30-something daughters were younger and still living with her, she even vented her frustration by hitting them with sticks and throwing items around at home.
“I sometimes get irritated very easily,” Lam said. “I feel like I can never finish housework, while I have two elderly people and a husband to take care of. Not to mention the fact that I need to work long hours.”
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