The Women’s Foundation alerts public about sexual violence through video

The Women’s Foundation has launched a video online to raise awareness about sexual violence in Hong Kong. 

The video includes everyday scenarios where sexual violence commonly takes place, including workplaces, pubs and bars. It also encourages the public to support victims of sexual violence.

“Too often, people hear statistics, but don’t stop and think about how these numbers represent real people. By producing this short film, we hope to shine a light on the issue of sexual violence that people can’t ignore, which spurs them into action,” said Mak Yan Yan, director of the video. 

According to The Women’s Foundation, one in seven women in Hong Kong have experienced sexual assault, but 90% of the victims chose not to report the incident. In the workplace, over a quarter of women cited harassment at work as a significant challenge they were facing. 

“Sexual violence is a silent, yet pervasive epidemic affecting Hong Kong. Most worryingly, although it’s happening every day, victims face a number of barriers in reporting, and the overwhelming majority choose not to speak out about the crime,” said Fiona Nott, CEO of The Women’s Foundation. 

The Women’s Foundation has also worked with several organisations and groups to raise awareness about the prevalence of sexual violence in the city, including End Child Sexual Abuse Foundation; The Family Planning Association; and the Gender Research Centre – Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, to name a few. 

To help prevent sexual violence, and improve the protection and support to victims, The Women’s Foundation has created a website with resources for victims, including legal and mental health contacts, as well as information for companies and individuals around prevention and interventions. 

The foundation has also worked with Stephanie Au, Juju Chan, Cheuk Wan Chi, Chip Tsao to increase exposure. As for the second phase of the campaign, more than 500 posters and a 30-second video will be seen at MTR’s escalator crown panels and its concourse TV in early May to drive cross community awareness.

“As we launch the #MakePeopleCount campaign, we are setting out to break the taboo, boost preventative measures, encourage individuals to become active bystanders to prevent or intercede when they witness sexual violence, and significantly improve the support available to victims – legally, from employers, from educators and from individuals,” Nott said. 

“It’s time for our community to come together to provide wholesale solutions to this long-ignored issue and ensure the safety, dignity, and human rights of all residents – particularly women and girls – are fully respected.”

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