By Huiyu Yin

Hong Kong is home to hundreds of thousands of women from Indonesia and the Philippines who work as “helpers” in pursuit of meager wealth. They are an indispensable part of the city’s vibrant economy and society. But incidents of abuse and torture often stay hidden from public view.

Hong Kong's Mission For Migrant Workers (MFMW), a Hong Kong-based advocacy group, released a study last year based on interviews with more than 3,000 foreign domestic workers. According to the study, 58 % said they had experienced verbal abuse; 37% said they worked 16-hour days; 18% said they experienced physical abuse such as slapping and kicking; and 6% said they had been subjected to rape, touching or sexual comments in the homes of their employers. Some reported having to sleep in the bathroom or in the kitchen.

This issue has raised international concerns. CNN, WSJ and BBC have reported real-life tragedies of the Indonesian maids. It is believed that at the heart of the issue is Hong Kong law. The law requires domestic helpers to live with their employers. It also requires them to leave Hong Kong just two weeks after their employment ends, which often forces the domestic workers to endure abuses in order to hold onto their jobs and stay in the country.

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October 27, 2014

By Katie Bacharach

The UN News Centre reported on the second official visit to the Central African Republic (CAR) made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, on March 17 to 19. She met with State officials, civil society representatives, and humanitarian workers to discuss practical arrangements for the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence. 

Displaced persons in CAR face a constant threat of atrocities committed by perpetrators of inter-communal and inter-religious violence, including rape and gang rape, forced marriage, sexual mutilation, abduction, and sexual slavery. Ms. Bangura agreed to the U.N.-backed deployment of a rapid response unit of the national gendarmerie to respond to incidents of sexual violence in conflict in an effort to combat the climate of impunity.

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March 25, 2014

By Katie Bacharach

The Libyan Cabinet has issued a decree that would put women raped during Libya’s 2011 uprising on the same level as wounded veterans by recognizing them as war victims.  

Pro-Gaddafi forces are alleged to have used rape of women as a weapon against rebel forces during the uprising. The decree, which still would need congressional approval to go into effect, contains 12 measures, including financial assistance and physical and psychological health care. Recognizing rape victims is unprecedented in the conservative North African country, and the hope is that this will help with reconciliation efforts.

See the BBC for more details.

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February 26, 2014

By Julie Inglese

CNN reported that a groundbreaking case was settled on Friday in New Delhi, India. After seven months of public outcry and uncertainty about the punishment of the allege rapists, four men were found guilty and sentenced to death, a rare occurrence in India, for the ruthless rape of a 23-year-old girl. The innocent victim was merely riding a bus when she found herself surrounded by at least five drunk men that gang raped her so brutally that she died several days after the attach. This case points to a change in India’s stance on both the death penalty and women’s rights. India has taken a large step forward in their demand for better treatment of women. 

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September 17, 2013