There are 370,000 Domestic Migrant Workers (DMWs) in Hong Kong, almost all of them female and originating mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines. They work as live-in maids on two-year contracts in order to send remittances to their families back home. There are many reports of DMWs being exploited and abused, and they can face serious problems re-integrating into their home communities after completing their contracts.

Research carried out by Prof. Hans Ladegaard, Head of the Department of English, into the plight of DMWs since 2010 has led to changes in the policies, practices, and legal case work of some local NGOs. PathFinders, one of the NGOs Prof. Ladegaard collaborated with, shifted the emphasis of its Home Country Integration Programme for DMWs from Indonesia from skills training to resilience and social support. Justice Centre Hong Kong, another NGO, drew on the research in their report on forced migration as well as court cases to argue against the deportation of unmarried Indonesian migrant mothers and their children. The research was supported by two research grants from the General Research Fund.

Prof. Ladegaard also collaborated with Rooftop Productions, a theatre production company in Hong Kong, in their 2017 production of the play Not the Maids, which received very positive reviews. He was invited on stage after the premiere to talk about his research and answer questions from the audience. This play, alongside Prof. Ladegaard’s media engagement, led to substantial debate about DMWs, and raised public awareness and understanding of the challenges they face.