Discrimination of Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong

By Kevin Tombs

As a student in GS200 (Global Perspectives of Diversity), I had the opportunity to speak extensively with a woman who lives in Hong Kong, and we discussed topics of cultural differences, politics, social interactions, and much more. One topic that I was curious about going into the discussion was that of domestic helpers. In addition to the preliminary research I brought to the discussion, I ended up with some interesting facts and opinions. 

Domestic helpers in Hong Kong are almost exclusively women, and they are hired to take care of the home, children, and elderly, and essentially care for the needs of the homeowners. Many of these women are from Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as other neighboring countries. Domestic helpers are especially popular in homes with children, for the sake of allowing both parents to work. They work six days a week, with Sundays off. 

Many of these working situations are mutually beneficial. However, there are also stories of discrimination. My interviewee said helpers are usually seen at a different social level than homeowners. In some cases, they are not allowed to eat dinner with their host family, despite being the ones who prepared the food. Some don’t even get house keys. There are some more extreme cases of helpers being malnourished to the point of hospitalization, but these are very rare cases, and it is difficult to nail down how well some helpers are treated compared to others because it happens behind closed doors. It really depends on the family. Many helpers work in Hong Kong for decades. Helpers often develop a very strong bond with the children they care for, and are seen as part of the family. Another interesting tidbit I got from my interview is that after COVID, there are more options and flexibility for helpers. Contractually it is easy to leave a home, but most stay for the money. 

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