First Migrant Worker Lives Matter Symposium Addresses Key Issues Faced by Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong
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The symposium participants come from different sectors across Hong Kong, including policy makers, academics, migrant worker NGOs, migrant domestic workers, and their employers.
The Department of English and Communication (ENGL) hosted the first Migrant Worker Lives Matter Symposium on 24 May 2024. This half-day symposium, which was co-organised by ENGL and two migrant worker NGOs, Pathfinders and Mission for Migrant Workers, brought together people from different sectors across Hong Kong, including policy makers, academics, migrant worker NGOs, migrant domestic workers (MDWs) and their employers. A total of 140 people signed up for the Symposium - 130 in person and 10 online - and they discussed some of the most pressing issues facing MDWs in the city, including their social inclusivity, access to healthcare, and the employer-employee relationship.
Some of the conclusions and recommendations for practice that came out of the Symposium include: (1) more ethical recruitment practices and transparency about the recruitment process; (2) more accessible information about health issues available to MDWs in their own language; (3) more information about MDWs’ rights and pre-hire training to employers; and (4) more open communication about the challenges faced by both MDWs and their employers to foster more positive relationships. The Symposium also highlighted the importance of collaboration among all MDW stakeholders to address the structural issues faced by many MDWs and ensure their wellbeing and social inclusion in the city.
