{"id":1193,"date":"2016-11-04T01:56:18","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T17:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesis.arch.hku.hk\/2016\/?p=1193"},"modified":"2016-11-17T00:52:49","modified_gmt":"2016-11-16T16:52:49","slug":"city-scape-for-fdhs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thesis.arch.hku.hk\/2016\/city-scape-for-fdhs\/","title":{"rendered":"City-scape for FDHs"},"content":{"rendered":"
Foreign Domestic Helpers (FDHs) have been serving the Hong Kong community and the number of workers is increasing constantly. Some of them are treated badly and lived in very small spaces in their employers\u2019 homes. They can relieve from their work only when they go to gatherings during Sunday day-off. However, there are constant opposing voices against the illegal occupation of spaces and no proper protection to them. I am looking for better solutions of recreating the social devices(\/space) that serves the FDHs as major users during weekends.<\/p>\n
[WHAT]<\/p>\n
Hong Kong has more than 336,000 foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) which comprise 10% of the total working population1<\/sup>. A recent study has shown that they are exploited by the local agencies or their employers. They live in small rooms and some of them are not free to leave their employer\u2019s home during their time-off2<\/sup>. The rest of them, who are \u201clucky\u201d to have their day off once a week in the weekend, would gather around public places such as roadsides and footbridges for their socializing events. There are no guidelines and no rules for them to follow when they use tarp and cardboards to create their little intimate spaces to carry out their activities. And there is no hygienic concern and protection against pollutants as well. When there is any public event like protests, they have to move to other places to make ways for the event. Some local people get used to the situation but some other think these FDHs are just eyesores to the area3<\/sup>. Nevertheless, there is no official solution provided for them and they have to continue their “habits” in these unprotected open areas.<\/p>\n According to Su-Ying Lee, co-curator of recent exhibition How to Make Space<\/em>4<\/sup> organized by Rear View, there are several ways for women to be in public and she summarizes as such:<\/p>\n