Empowering Life and Womanhood

Every year on March 8th, I gladly join the rest of the world in celebrating International Women's Day. The occasion is close to my heart, not only because I am a woman, but also because the day unites women around the world to celebrate life and womanhood. We are blest to live in an era when women have many opportunities to contribute to society.

This day also reminds me that not all groups of women are able to experience the freedom most of us enjoy in Hong Kong. Migrant domestic workers leave their families and friends to come here and earn a living so that they may help their loved ones back home. Many face the language barrier and cultural differenced, so they have limited access to information and vital resources such as health services, which can be costly.

In response to this, our Centre for Migrant Domestic Workers collaborated with the AIDS Concern organisation to conduct a series of health talks and free medical check-ups every three months. The guidance of our speakers and volunteer medical students help empower Migrant Domestic Workers to care for their health and wellbeing.

Our first event in January had all 30 participants filled with excitement about learning more about their health. The event began with an informative talk on the reproductive system. The speaker discussed common beliefs people have and provided practical steps the women could take to improve their health. It was a joy to see all the participants clearly engaged in the discussion.

After the talk, the participants had a free health check-up with volunteer medical students from the AIDS Concern organisation. During the consultations, they gave thorough analyses and recommendations based on each woman's current health status. You could clearly see the participant's gratitude for receiving a new awareness of their health.

One of our participants said, "I'm so thankful to have been included in this health check-up. I want to thank Christian Action for providing me and other domestic workers with this rare opportunity, and I look forward to the next event!"

This collaboration marks the start of a new chapter in our mission for Migrant Domestic Workers. I pray that all our events will bless and empower even more women in need.