Unheard Stories in Hong Kong: Dreams of Foreign Domestic Workers
By Andrea Liu — edited by Lucile Stengel
We all have our dreams and our personal stories. Dreams guide us through rough times, while our stories make us who we are. In Hong Kong, there is a particular group of women with dreams and stories. They are foreign domestic helpers hailing from Indonesia and the Philippines. An estimated 320,000 women come every year to find work in Hong Kong, far away from their hometowns and families. But no one seems to listen to their stories, or to encourage them to follow their dreams.
Put yourself in their shoes and imagine. How would you feel?
In 2013, domestic helpers accounted for 3% of the population. But despite being a landmark in the country’s social life and a backbone of the economy, helpers are still seen as a separate group, belonging to a lower social status. This deep-rooted social exclusion, which is largely ignored, has dramatic implications for notions of equality and human dignity. Helpers’ voices are rarely heard, if not absent, from the public debate. While some face unfair treatment in the workplace and very difficult working conditions, their experiences are largely neglected by the public.
Erwiana Sulistyaningsih’s story is a case in point. A foreign domestic helper who used to work in Hong Kong, Eewiana was treated like a slave for years by her employer. The young woman suffered daily torture, working 21 hours days behind closed doors. (Read more about Erwiana here.)
The status of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong poses important challenges to gender equality. This is all the more the case in 2016, as migration patterns have become increasingly feminised, and female labour rights remain fragile. This inequality, and the belief that things need to change, are the reasons behind Lensational’s work with domestic helpers in the past three years.
Since 2013, we have worked with female domestic helpers through participatory photography workshops, supporting them make sense of the transient emotions they encounter, but also regain agency over a sometimes hectic work environment. Over three years, our student photographers have substantially grown on a personal level; and they have expressed their interest in developing their photography skills further.
This success, and the need for more regular support, prompted the launch of first long-term photography programme, the Lensational Academy. The Academy, which is led by photographer Stephanie Teng and organised in partnership with Para Site, comprises four sections during which students develop and nurture their photography skills. Students first learn the basics of photography in class, then they are invited to test these skills while taking photographs during workshops. The workshops are hosted by Hong Kong’s leading contemporary art centre, Para Site, which also strengthens the professional development component of the programme.
The programme then moves outdoors, where students can test their skills further, and familiarise themselves with the subjects and techniques they like the most. Once they are comfortable with the basics and know what they are interested in, the women then take ownership of a personal project, which they subsequently present to the rest of the group in order to graduate from the programme.
The time spent with the students at the Academy also allows the women to share their stories, which they would have otherwise kept to themselves. We learned about what motherhood feels like, when you have no other choice but to leave your children behind. We also learnt about what it is feels like to be disrespected, in the workplace or beyond. Most importantly, we learnt about resilience and strength, as reflected in the helpers’ journeys, and the ambitions that they have outside of work.
One story we would like to highlight is that of Leeh Ann. When Leeh Ann had to leave her family in the Philippines behind to work in Hong Kong, she picked up a camera and started developing an interest for photography. For the young woman taking photographs was a way to overcome loneliness and homesickness; it also helped her to stay connected with ‘the true side of herself’.
Leeh Ann is one of a few privileged women who were lucky enough to receive an education in the Philippines. Thanks to her aunt’s financial support, she attended primary and university back home, a rare luck in the Philippines. Because Leeh Ann understands the importance of education, the young woman’s dream when she arrived in Hong Kong was to help more children go to school in her home country.
Lensational’s photography training provided her with a way to reconcile both dreams: develop additional photography skills, and use photography as a tool for social awareness, and to raise money for her community back home.
Leeh Ann’s story reflects the true notion of empowerment: finding independence through education and new skills, and gaining confidence to empower others further along the way. Now that she has received training, she feels that she needs to give back, and provide that same training to other people in need. Some might argue that she is just a domestic helper with little power, but she still hopes she can change the world. And with such a caring heart we don’t doubt she will go a long way to make the world a better place.
Whilst we all have hobbies, interests and dreams, we sometimes forget them when life gets hectic. This is even more true of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, who seldom get the opportunity to rest, or pursue other activities outside of work. With the Lensational Academy, we want to remind women like Leeh Ann of their talents and dreams, and encourage them to pursue new aspirations. It is also important that the women regain a sense of agency over their environment, and take time to reflect on themselves and their experiences. We hope to strengthen their confidence to share their remarkable journeys with the world.
Andrea Liu is Lensational’s Marketing and Communications intern. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she now lives in the UK to complete her Bachelor in Business Studies at the University of Sussex. Having studied in an all-girls school, she believes strongly that people should be able to achieve anything regardless of their gender.
