HER Fund's Annual Report 2021-22

ANNUAL REPORT She dares to change!

21 ／ 22

HER Story

HER STORY HER Vision

We envision a society with gender equality where all women live and enjoy basic rights.

HER Belief

We believe that women have the wisdom and ability to make choices and fulfill their needs and aspirations.

HER Mission

We strive to mobilise resources for women’s empowerment and the promotion of social changes and gender equality.

About HER Fund Founded in 2004, HER Fund mobilises resources for women’s empowerment, the promotion of social changes, and gender equality. We support the most vulnerable women and girls in Hong Kong by providing capacity-building, leadership training and small grants to grassroots organisations led by and serving the most disadvantaged. We also increase the visibility of marginalised women and girls—and the issues they face.

HER Fund is an active member of Hong Kong’s women’s rights community, the Human Rights Funders Network, and of Prospera - International Network of Women’s Funds. HER Fund is also a member of HKCSS. 1

SHE DARES TO CHANGE

HER Work

HER Work Grantmaking General Grant

Our four main focuses in grant-making are: "Freedom from Discrimination", "Freedom from Violence", "Freedom from Poverty", and "Advancement of Women's Civil Participation". Our small grants support is a seed grant that allows new initiatives for marginalised women, girls, and trans groups/organisations to realise and grow sustainability.

Community Response Grant

The grant is initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to provide support to groups/organisations, including but not limited to immediate material support and leadership enhancement. The grant also bolsters their capacity for better well-being, resilience, and sustainability through mid to long-term organisational and financial planning.

Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (Special Initiative)

This special initiative is a three-year project (2019-2022) granting three organisations to implement their projects on combating cyber sexual violence against women and girls in the digital age. The initiative also provides capacity building for the organisations involved and public education programmes.

HER Fund is a companion to all our grantee partners. In addition to giving financial grants, HER Fund also provides comprehensive support and training according to grantee partners’ needs. A group is also formed to facilitate communication and collaboration between grantee partners.

Learn more

HER Hub

HER Hub is dedicated to enhancing the abilities of grassroots, marginalised and new organisations/groups in order to make impact the society continuously. It consists of three elements: “Inspired”, “Core” and "Energiser". Recent years, HER Hub focuses on the capacity development of female leaders and groups/organisations promoting gender equality based on “Transformative Feminist Leadership”.

Learn more

Rights Education

The pandemic has been severely spread last year in Hong Kong. Amid hard times, HER Fund actively participated in interactive online and offline events such as Asia-pacific meetings, webinars, conferences and panel discussions to raise awareness. We treasure these opportunities to bring issues of gender equality to the public and contribute to the gender movement.

SHE DARES TO CHANGE

2

HER Voice: Message from the Chairperson and Executive Director of HER Fund

HER VOICE

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HER FUND First, let us wish you safety and good health!

Since the COVID-19 outbreak more than two years ago, our society has been facing dire challenges on many fronts. HER Fund felt the plight of marginalised organisations much more intensely this year as a fund advancing gender equity. During the epidemic, we continued to see migrant domestic workers and women seeking shelter, restricted by their identity, gender, and occupation, unable to obtain necessary support; the homemaker role of grassroots female caregivers was reinforced repeatedly; the equal rights and anti-discrimination work of LGBTQ+ communities were forced to a halt, with some movements seeing regression.

Disrupted by the epidemic, grassroots, and marginalised women, girls and transgender communities were in deep water. It was imperative for organisations fighting for gender equity to promptly respond to the needs of these communities. Companionship as well as fundings that provide flexibility, value gender perspectives, and support communities’ resilience capacity were essential as a result. Thanks to our wonderful team and our donors, HER Fund was able to swiftly and flexibly allocate HK$1,305,440 of funding to 23 organisations, initiating a total of 28 projects to support community needs during the pandemic.

Judy Kan HER Fund's Executive Director

3

Athena Lee HER Fund's Chairperson

HER Voice: Message from the Chairperson and Executive Director of HER Fund

HER Fund is more than just a grantmaker, but a companion to its grantees, providing resources, all-rounded support, and learning opportunities according to their needs.

In addition to supporting projects initiated by organisations fighting for gender equity, we were also invested in promoting their sustainable growth.

This year, we organised trainings on transformative feminist leadership and project design with a gender lens. These were highly regarded by the participants, who believed the training aided them in reflecting on gender issues in daily operation and project design, caring for their teams’ physical, mental and spiritual well-being, and manoeuvring the organisation forward through various situations.

It is the common wish of HER Fund and emerging small groups/organisations to walk side by side, connect, and understand each other. Fortunately, we were able to organise a grantee partner sharing session with limited space. Through dialogue, collaboration and linkage, our grantee partners inspired imaginations and discovered diverse ways of promoting different issues. Under the new normal, the opportunity to exchange ideas face to face is scarce and especially precious.

To keep tackling future challenges under the unpredictable epidemic, HER Fund instigated a three-year strategic plan in the past year to distinguish ourselves as Hong Kong’s only community women’s fund with our unique positioning and work, namely to continually make crucial grants to organisations seeking to achieve gender equity, nurture a favourable philanthropic environment for our grantee partners, and reinforce social support and linkage to community leaders. Every penny and every source of community power counts in bringing our objectives to fruition. We shall dedicate ourselves to realising these objectives.

We hope that this annual report could help you in understanding how our work alleviates gender inequality resulting from intersections of marginalised identities. Your contributions and resources could coalesce into a farreaching force in gender equity advancement. We wish you could visualise your own power from reading our annual report, and become a proactive member in promoting gender equity and fostering a more caring, diverse society with us.

Translated by: Donald Cheung

4

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners

GROW WITH HER In the year 2021-2022, HER Fund granted 23 organisations to initiate 28 projects.

2021/2022 Grantee Partners General Grant Grantee Patner

Project

Sticky Rice Love

Organisational Development of Sticky Rice Love

Grassoots Future

Community Building Through Crochet

Sexuality for All GDotTV

5

LGBTQ Multicultural Project GDotTV 3.0 Phase II GDotTV 3.0 Phase III

Hong Kong Life Model Club

Private Shooting Support Group

EMpowering WoEMn

EMpowering WoEMn

CODA Hong Kong

Her stories in her photographs image workshop and photo collection with women in Deaf families

Quarks

Know thyself: Local Trans Youth Collected Works

Midnight Blue

Art Therapy For Transgender Sex Workers

PrideLab

Arts Empowerment II : Eliminating Discrimination against LBTIQ+ Programme 2022-2023

Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (IMWU)

Media Training for migrant workers’ self-empowerment & community advocacy

Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres Limited

Women Labor Law Education and Consultation Service

Women In Sports Empowered Hong Kong (WISE HK)

WISE A.C.E. Program

The Association for the Advancement of Feminism, Happeriod, Sex and Gender Concern Group of CUHK

Drop Spot——Menstruation Support

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners

Community Response Grant Project

Grantee Partner

Les Corner Empowerment Association

Heroines combating COVID

Tin Shui Wai Community Development Network

Organisation Resilience Support

Kwun Tong Methodist Social Service - AGAPE Community Care Center

"Watch with us"

The Bethune House Migrant Women's Refuge Limited

Care and Wellness Booster Program for Women Migrants in Distress

Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (IMWU)

Migrants community emergency plan during the fifth-wave pandemic

Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (2019-2022) Grantee Partner

Project

Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women (ACSVAW)

Image-based Sexual Violence: Prevention and Awareness Building

Les Corner Empowerment Association

Supporting Sexual Minority Women Combating Intimate Partner Violence 2.0

OpenRoom

“No Means No” - Female Participation in Microfilming Project

Transformative Feminist Leadership (Phase II) Grantee Partner

Tin Shui Wai Community Development Network Les Corner Empowerment Association Virtuous Lady Club 2011 Hong Kong Drama/Theatre and Education Forum Grassroots' Livelihood Alliance

HER Fund and grantee partners mutually support, accompany and grow with each other, making impact in different areas, read their stories working on the projects below to learn more.

6

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

Les Corner

Supporting Sexual Minority Women Combating Intimate Partner Violence 2.0 #Eliminate Violence Against Women

You could cause secondary and tertiary damage to the victim even if it seemed trivial.

——Joe, Chairperson of Les Corner

The Internet is irreplaceable when social media and dating apps are increasingly prevalent, and face-to-face interactions are hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, masked under the conveniences of the Web are dangers of abuse and violence. Already in its 2015 report Cyber Violence Against Women and Girls, the United Nations has highlighted webbased violence against women as a global phenomenon. It seemed, though, that the topic had not garnered the attention of Hongkongers.

Joe Li, the Chairperson of Les Corner Empowerment Association, pointed out that unintentional harm was often done due to the lack of discussion and public awareness on cyber sexual and gender-based violence. “A friend of mine was talking about a male artist uploading his nude photos onto social media and becoming an Internet sensation, and wanted to forward me the pictures. In fact, you could cause secondary and tertiary damage to the victim even if it seemed trivial, even if you don’t know the victim personally.” Joe mentioned another incident where an influencer uploaded a malicious YouTube video against lesbians, which was only removed after Les Corner received complaints and negotiated with YouTube.

Since 2021, HER Fund has been providing grant to Les Corner on public advocacy projects against cyber sexual and gender-based violence, including “Cyber Gender-based Violence - Sexual Minorities Workshop” for women and gender/sex minorities, and training sessions for frontline staff in the Social Welfare Department and the Police Force, equipping communities, support services and the law enforcement with knowledge. Joe added that while there is still much work to be done on cyber sexual and gender-based violence, local fundings remain regrettably scarce, especially those applicable to gender/sex minorities. “Thanks for HER Fund’s support which sparked public attention into the topic,” said Joe.

7

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

Learn more

Cat, a workshop participant and victim of cyber sexual and gender-based violence, recalled how netizens flocked to attack a video in which she did Sign Language interpretation for a hearingimpaired, gender/sex minority friend during a media interview. She said the malicious comments against her friend piled up minutes after the video went public on social media, and she was also attacked and had her personal information exposed for helping with interpretation. Not only was she worried about her friend, Cat was also disquieted herself. “It wasn’t until participating in the workshop that I learnt more on cyber gender/sexual violence, slowly felt relieved, and alleviated my hearing-impaired friend’s emotional turmoil. I also reflected on how I could be more proactive instead of accepting the status quo,” said Cat, who was bolstered by the workshop to counterstrike sexual and gender-based violence in daily life. “I was able to directly ask my friends to stop discussing my gynaecological issues in group texts, which was making me anxious. The younger me wouldn’t have dared to object.” Cat’s confidence in sharing her recent experiences is undoubtedly an encouragement to HER Fund and its beneficiaries.

Cyber sexual and gender-based violence

Criticising or shaming a person on the Internet based on their gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, or physical appearance. This could happen on media such as online forums, social networking platforms, and group messaging applications. Perpetrators may also upload, reshare or distribute private images and videos, or threaten to do so, without the consent of people involved.

Gender/sex minorities

An umbrella term for communities of different sexual and romantic orientations, and gender identities and expression, for example those who identify as homosexual, bisexual, transgender, asexual, pansexual, genderqueer, gender neutral, non-binary. The term also encompasses diversity, fluidity and differences. Sometimes known simply as “LGBT+”.

Interviewed and written by: Lam Chi Chung Translated by: Donald Cheung

8

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (IMWU)

Migrants community emergency plan during the fifth-wave pandemic

The fact that they were being seen and cared for, some of the best comforts marginalised communities yearn for, that moved them the most.

The infection rate and death toll of the fifth wave of COVID-19 pandemic had far exceeded expectations, dealing a heavy blow to the physical, mental and economic health of citizens. The situations of marginalised labour, for example migrant workers, had been especially dire.

“During the first days of the outbreak, many migrant workers were not provided face masks and hand sanitisers, and had to use their meager salary to buy anti-epidemic products at inflated prices. Their hometowns were also impacted, and many workers had to make extra remittances to support their out-of-job family members,” said Eni Lestari, the chairperson of International Migrants’ Alliance. She pointed out that even though many migrant workers were cash-strapped, they were ineligible for the consumption vouchers issued by the Hong Kong SAR Government, and were locked out of necessary aid.

9

In addition to being financially crippled, it was more difficult for migrant workers to access pandemic information compared to Hong Kong citizens. Due to language barriers, they couldn't get daily updates on time, such as the new information about different anti-pandemic policies, social distancing policies, epidemic prevention measures, what should be done if infected, and so on. Dolores Balladares, Chairperson of United Filipinos in Hong Kong, said, “When the outbreak started, the Government didn’t prepare pamphlets specifically written in the migrant workers’ mother languages.

Even if they have them now, the pamphlets were only telling us not to congregate, and they were only distributed in scarce locations where migrant workers might gather.

Social distancing measures and police dispersals have scattered workers and confined them to their immediate social circles, making it challenging to disseminate information en masse, thus increasing our risks of infection manyfold.”

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

Learn more

Eni added that many employers forbade migrant workers to go out during days off, or demanded them to report their whereabouts with video chats. Workers were also required to clean the households more frequently than before, which added to their stress levels.

Communities were largely left to their own devices under Hong Kong’s fifth wave of pandemic. Migrant workers were just as frustrated, said Sringatin, Chairperson of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union. “Without government support, migrant workers had to take their own initiatives to voluntarily outreach to others face-to-face on their day offs, and spread anti-epidemic information on their communities’ social media. Luckily, we received HER Fund’s grant, which covered our outreach volunteers’ transport fares, pamphlet printing, and the purchase of canned food, vitamin C and anti-epidemic products. It was such a warm gesture.”

Fifi, a member of the migrants solidarity committee of autonomous 8a, added, “under the pandemic, on one hand, we didn’t have the manpower to appeal to larger Grantmakers. On the other, many funders prioritised the anti-epidemic needs of local permanent residents. HER Fund not only provided monetary support but also allowed flexibility. For example, while executing our project, we realised the change in the community’s needs as the pandemic progressed. Therefore, we opted to buy nutritious canned food for migrant workers in need in addition to simply providing food subsidies to frontline volunteers.”

Sringatin thanked the efforts of volunteers and HER Fund’s timely assistance. “There were migrant workers who told me they were grateful for receiving food in time, which gave them sufficient nutrients to strengthen their immune systems and speed up their recovery.”

While emergency financial support played a part in transforming migrant workers’ helplessness into gratitude, it was the fact that they were being seen and cared for, some of the best comforts marginalised communities yearn for, that moved them the most.

Interviewed and written by: Lam Chi Chung Translated by: Donald Cheung

10

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

Virtuous Lady Club 2011 Transformative Feminist Leadership Programme

HER Fund is the first to care for the body, mind and spiritual development of members of Virtuous Lady Club 2011 in addition to providing financial support.

——Tang Wai Shan, Consultant social worker at Virtuous Lady Club 2011

“As caretakers, a lot of grassroots women faced indescribable physical and mental stress managing the household single-handedly and unpaid. They constantly pour themselves into work that they neglected their health, self-worth, needs, interests and aspirations. They assumed the identities of wives and mothers, to the point of having their real names forgotten,” lamented Tang Wai Shan, Shanna, consultant social worker at Virtuous Lady Club 2011, ELCHK Login Club For New Arrivals, laying bare the common physical and mental struggles of grassroots women.

Since the establishment of Virtuous Lady Club 2011, a mutual help group for grassroots women, consultant social workers like Shanna have been offering advice and support to the Club’s committee members, deeply moved by the women’s dedication of time and effort to voluntary organisational work, and their transformation and growth as a result. “I didn’t know much other than my enthusiasm for making handicraft. So, when they asked me to takeover the position of chairperson, I felt really worried and helpless,” said Selina, the new Chairperson of Virtuous Lady expressed her wariness when Club 2011, who often she first assumed the role.

Yet, as Shanna remarked, she was one of the most inspiring grassroots women.

“The activities at Virtuous Lady Club 2011 were diverse. There were singing performances showcasing members’ potentials. Committee members, social workers leading them, and participants were very content. But when I took over [the chairperson position], I realised the difference in pace among committee members. They weren’t very coordinated or communicating enough, and the work division was inefficient,” recounted Selina. abcsedf

11

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

Learn more

Selina’s comments illuminated her leadership potential, which surprised Ms. Wong, facilitator of the Transformative Feminist Leadership Programme under HER Fund. “During a workshop where participants shared their imagination of their respective organisations’ path forward, a lot of the participants were suggesting more practical goals of increasing number of events and members.

Selina, on the other hand, detailed the plan for Virtuous Lady Club 2011 to have a 1,000 sq. ft. space that includes office space, rooms for childcare, and a cafe. Those are aspirations with vision and leadership.”

Selina humbly thanked for the help from HER Fund, social workers, and her confidante Mokmok, who was a fellow matchmade to her by HER Fund. Reminiscing her first time meeting Mokmok, Selina said, “I thought I could consult her on how to be a chairperson right away. Instead, she sat me down first, and we practiced mindfulness exercises together. That was a memorable experience. She is both a teacher and a friend to me, offering me insight into being a chairperson, and being my “treehole” of inner thoughts.” With Mokmok’s heartfelt support, Selina was able to find an exit to her concerns.

“HER Fund is the first to care for the body, mind and spiritual development of members of Virtuous Lady Club 2011 in addition to providing financial support,” added Shanna, who applauded HER Fund’s genuine companionship with their beneficiaries. “They have a lot of additional, humanised support, like offering one-on-one leader fellowships and allowing re-allocation of fundings with respect to COVID-19. The staff were quick to answer our questions and difficulties with their allrounded aid.” Living up to the spirit of companionship, HER Fund’s effort has allowed beneficiaries to gain more than what was offered and thrive.

Interviewed and written by: Lam Chi Chung Translated by: Donald Cheung

12

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

In a society where patriarchy still reigns, it’s imperative for us to liberate women’s bodies and sexualities, and let our bodies be free.

——Siuding, Chairperson of Hong Kong Life Model Club

Our own bodies have been a battlefield of societal values. Wars are waged based on harsh standards of shapes, sizes and proportions. Crusades are marched upon those who submit their bodies to abortion, sex work and nude photos. Also demonised are private photo shoot models, who are often condemned to sexual harassment and assault.

Slut-shaming

Derogation of a woman as an impure, immoral “slut” due to her violation of mainstream values and expectations, such as sexual purity, sexual passivisity, and concealment and restraint of bodies. This could refer to examinations, verbal attacks and accusations against women, and the general critique of oneself and others.

“It’s a pity that some photographers believed that models who decided to engage in private photo-shooting are expected to be violated. This kind of slut-shaming is prevalent in the community. In addition to changing public perception and scope of body art, we are also concerned with the “occupational safety” of private photo models, to whom we teach selfprotection techniques,” said a despaired Siuding, Chairperson of Hong Kong Life Model Club (HKLMC), who was recounting the horrors of the “Private Shooting Workshop 101” backed by HER Fund.

The workshop was aimed at raising the awareness against sexual violence for private photo models. Siuding said participants were asked to write down their boundaries before roleplaying real-life scenarios, “but during the oneon-one photo shooting simulations, when our photographer moved in on the models and coaxed them to take off their clothes, we realised that the participants’ risk awareness was close to none.”

Reference:

王曉丹、余貞誼、方念萱、姜貞吟、韓宜臻、胡錦媛……康庭瑜（2019）。《這是愛 女，也是厭女：如何看穿這世界拉攏與懲戒女人的兩手策略？》台灣：大家出版社。

Of the 30 workshop participants, only two were able to enforce their boundaries. “The rest unknowingly allowed the photographer to advance past their limits, only realising afterwards that they might have been violated.

The situation was extremely worrying,” said Siuding. afdjksejkfdfsdfnd

13

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

Vice Chairperson of HKLMC Wain, who was interviewed along with Siuding, believed that the workshop sowed seeds of risk awareness in the hearts of the participants. “We really want to hold another workshop instructing them on how to clearly state their boundaries and voice out their dissent, because a lot of girls don’t know how to say ‘no’,” he said.

Learn more

Organising these workshops was not easy though, said Wain, who remarked that Hong Kong lacked grantmakers targeting gender and body-related issues, and that HKLMC had to apply for art fundings. “Art-related foundations require project objectives to be based on art, and most parts of the project to be completed. They will only consider “buying your work” if your almostfinished product matches their needs. On the contrary, HER Fund was like a companion to us, allowing us to conduct experimental projects based on an idea, just like this workshop.”

Siuding nodded and added, “in a society where patriarchy still reigns, it’s imperative for us to liberate women’s bodies and sexualities, and let our bodies be free.” Her unrestrained smile after her comment exuded the confidence and serenity, something HER Fund seeks to bless every woman with.

Interviewed and written by: Lam Chi Chung Translated by: Donald Cheung

14

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

Interviewed and written by: Lam Chi Chung Translated by: Donald Cheung

#Empowering Teenage Girls

WOMEN IN SPORTS EMPOWERED Learn more HONG KONG(WISE HK) prompted Alicia to sever the transgenerational chain of gender stereotyping by encouraging more girls to join in on sports.

As a renowned sports event, while the Summer Olympic Games seems fair, open and just at first glance, gender discrimination has been hiding under its facade for years, whether in terms of gender participation imbalance, or restrictions on female gymnasts’ outfit. It was not until Tokyo 2020 that there was the first “gender-equal Olympic Games”. The road to equality is a rugged one, but the successes won today through the collective effort of our predecessors serve as totems of gender advocacy in the sports arena.

“Physical exercises are supposed to be healthy for the body and the mind. Through practice, adolescents could hone their sports skills and, in turn, recognise their own abilities and build up confidence. Unfortunately, teenage girls have much lower participation in sports than male teens in Hong Kong. The girls have a lot of gender normative beliefs, thinking that they’re not tall enough, nor have enough endurance, which set up barriers to their participation,” shared Alicia Lui, founder of Women in Sports Empowered Hong Kong (WISE), on her experiences and observations on the field.

As an avid player of various sports, Alicia had known the gender injustice on the restriction on sports participation from young through her mother, who had been forbidding her to take part in sports like football, rugby and basketball, which were deemed “boyish”, and would make her skin dark and coarse, and her legs stumpy. The first-hand experience 15 prompted

Despite Alicia’s conviction, WISE had a rough start. “It was not until 2020 that we were formally established. Without official track records, a lot of funders were reluctant to entertain new organisations and small projects like ours. Fortunately, HER Fund sponsored our first project, the WISE HK Sports Leadership Program, which results supported our subsequent applications to other charitable foundations. We really appreciate HER Fund’s trust in us,” says Alicia.

The first funding was as much a monumental step in WISE’s development as in the change in the programme participants’ lives. Manyata, an ethnic minority girl enrolled at Integrated Brilliant Education, said, “I was an introverted girl who would rather stay at home than go out. In the past, whenever I went to the basketball court with other female students, I always had the thought that girls shouldn’t be here, and I was worried how others would comment [on girls playing basketball]. I felt so freeing the first time I visited the court after joining the [WISE] programme, and realised no one really cared about our presence.”

It is common that internalised gender ideologies lurk in girls’ subconscious and hinder their personal growth. Manyata recalled how her parents were pleased to see her leave the house more after joining the rugby team under WISE. “Participating in sports has made be satisfied and confident.

The teamwork in sports gave me joy unlike any other.”

With the success of their first project, WISE is now eligible to apply for fundings from other charitable funders. “We are already receiving support from a few foundations, but so far HER Fung is the only one that pinpoints gender equality, provides flexibility, and promotes linkage and cooperation among smaller organisations,” added Alicia. As the Chinese proverb goes, “never submit to inaction just because something is deemed insignificant”. A small organisation’s small project with little funding and resource could still be a large step toward change.

Grow with HER: Our Grantee Partners' Impact Story

16

HER Milestone: Grantmaking

HER MILESTONE Grantmaking

Granting HKD$1,305,440 in total To 23 grantee partners Via 28 flexible seed grants

Grantee Partners' Primary Impact Capacity Building 18 HKD$230,000

％（

） Freedom from Discrimination 35 HKD$459,980

％（

）

Advancement of Women's Civil Participation 16% HKD$210,000

（

）

Freedom from Poverty 8 HKD$103,940

％（

）

Freedom from Violence 23% HKD$301,520

（

）

Grantee Partners' Porject Capacity Building 17.9% Freedom from Discrimination 35.7%

Advancement of Women's Civil Participation 17.9%

Freedom from Poverty 10.7%

17

Freedom from Violence 17.9% *Percentage of project concern area

HER Milestone: HER Hub

HER HUB 169 Women Leaders received training 83 hours of Capcaity Building Workshops 21 organisations participated in Capacity Building training 311 total training attendance

6 Volunteers 94.5 Volunteer hours

5 Corporates Pro Bono Volunteer 46.5 Corporates Pro Bono Volunteer hours 141 Total Volunteer hours 3 Interns 339.5 Interns contributing hours

18

HER Journey

HER JOURNEY 28 May

MAY 2021

Panel Speaker of “Giving & Receiving: Shifting Power through Building Trust in Philanthropy” Webinar full video

JULY 2021 Launching of “Transformative Feminist Leadership” Mentoring Monthly Colearning

The learning and development of “Transformative Feminist Leadership” is to put a gender lens in the operation of organisations, aiming to enhance and reinforce their abilities. Participants would reflect on the power of leaders, consolidate their resources and seek their inner strength through monthly co-learning.

SEPTEMBER 2021

JUNE 2021 Launching of 2021/22 General Grant (1st Cycle)

HER Fund received 27 grant applications and granted 6 marginalised groups or organisations.

26 June

Roundtable on Organisation Management and Sustainability

AUGUST 2021 29 Aug

Transformative Feminist Leadership Workshop in Women’s Festival

SEPTEMBER 2021 4 Sep

Community of Practice

OCTOBER 2021 28 Oct

“Transformative Feminist Level 3 Workshop I

Leadership”

8 – 30 Sep

Prospera Asia-Pacific regional meeting Learning on collective care 19

HER Journey

NOVEMBER 2021 12 Nov

“Project Design with Gender Perspective Workshops” Module 1

DECEMBER 2021 Launching of 2021/22 General Grant (2nd Cycle)

HER Fund received 24 grant applications and granted 9 marginalised groups or organisations.

16 Dec

“Transformative Feminist Leadership” Level 3 Workshop II

FEBRUARY 2022 20 Nov: “Change Make-HER” Local Fundraising Campaign

The “Change Make-HER" journey was led

by Sonia Wong, Gender Studies scholar, Kitty Hung, Co-founder of KidsClub, and Zoe, founder of menstrual products brand happeriod. As a lover, a mother and a self-loving feminist, they shared their practice of female autonomy in everyday life and fostered a meaningful conversation with 20 participants of more than 20 identities.

Kickstart of D.H. Chen Fellowship programme

Foundation

25 Feb

“Transformative Feminist Leadership” Level 3 Workshop III

MARCH 2022

8 Mar Online campaign for International Women's Day: #BreaktheBias

The theme of International Women’s Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias. We gathered 10 key persons from the community and different sectors to voice out the conscious and subconscious gender biases shared commonly within the community. With the voices and faces of the community, we witness how people dedicated their lives to bring meaningful impact to lives and combat stereotypes.

25 Nov

Webinar on International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women 27 Nov

“Project Design with Gender Perspective Workshops” Module 2

11 Mar

Deloitte #BreakTheBias Webinar Community Response Grant

Throughout the year, HER Fund granted 5 marginalised groups/organisations.

20

Congratulations to Gender Equality Champions

CONGRATULATIONS TO GENDER EQUALITY CHAMPIONS Congratulations to those who become Gender Equality Champions!

HER Fund is very grateful to all the organisations and individuals who have given us their time, expertise, and/or resources. With your support and trust, we can persist in promoting women’s rights and promote gender equality!

Foundations, Corporate, and Organisations

Allen & Overy (Hong Kong) Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women Avery Dennison Bookazine Coin Dragon Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu D. H. Chen Foundation GAME (Governance and Management Excellence for Public Benefit Limited) Global Fund for Women Happeriod Hong Kong Commercial Radio Kering Foundation Lady Ho Tung Hall Graduates' Association Linklaters Mayer Brown Partnership for Community Development Prospera – International Network of Women’s Funds RS Group Stephenson Harwood The Hong Kong Association of Business and Professional Women The Hong Kong Centre for Pro Bono Service Wai Kee Jewellers Ltd Women’s Festival Women’s Fund Asia Women in Finance Asia Women Win WULT Young Living HK Ltd.

21

Congratulations to Gender Equality Champions

Monthly Donors

AU Kit Lin CHIU Cheuk Mun Barbara BUTLER Samantha EP CHAN Fung Yi CHAN Lai Wan, Cecilia CHAN Shun Yi CHAN Wai In CHAN Wai Lun CHAU Hon Suen CHAU Yin Man CHEUNG Hiu Wah, Mandy CHEW Choo Lin CHUK Wing Hung, Keswick CHUNG Wing Fong CHUNG Yuen Yi FUNG Kwok Leung FUNG Pui Kee Brigit LAI Mei Kwan Gladys HO Yan Hiu HOUN Suk Han HUI Lai kwan KAN Pui Kwan KWOK Hiu Chung LAM Chuen Ping LAM Ka Kuen LAM Lai Ling LAM Ying Hing LAU Kit Wai LAW Yuk Yee LO Sin Chi LUI L H Lorraine LUK Kam Shing COHEN Mark Simon NG Suet Yi Michelle NG Tze Wei NG Wai Nog POON Kar Wai PUN Pui Man Sherry SO Yuen Man TO Kit Lai TO Kit Oi TONG Chi Wang Stephen WISNIEWSKI Victoria

WONG Chi Yan WONG Hung & FONG Man Ying WONG Miu Yin WONG Suet Yee WONG Yuk Ying WU Runn Bing YAO Jiaer YEUNG Ching Yin YUNG Man Pik Volunteers/Interns and Supporters

CHAN Zoe Cheekay CHEUNG Mandy CHOW Bonnie CHUN Sally CHUNG Yuen Yi Gigi Lo HUNG Kitty KAN Jacey KEE SM Jac LAM CM Jasmine LAW Emy LI Isis MOK Ka Wai NG Ebbie ROTH Andrea SER Natia SO Serena TONG Stephen TSANG Nok Yi WONG Anna WONG Karen Dr. WONG Yuk Ying Sonia YEUNG Lok Yung Chloe

22

Support-HER: Words from supporters

SUPPORT-HER HER Fund supports small-scale groups that work tenaciously for gender equality in Hong Kong. As a companion on this challenging journey, HER Fund provides support and assistance that match the needs and characteristics of each group.

These include learning, capacity building and networking opportunities, which add up to promote the sustainable growth of the groups.

Granted, HER Fund cannot compare with most other local grant-making foundations or NGOs in terms of scale, manpower or funds. However, what sets HER Fund apart is how it’s consistently supported, with dedication and humility, the gender equality work of small-scale groups. This is why I feel happy and assured backing these small yet impactful endeavours through HER Fund.

Lo Sin Chi Gigi

Individual Monthly Donor 23

Phoebe So

Individual Monthly Donor

HER Fund is an organisation supporting gender equality work through grantmaking. All grantee partners are organisations/groups at the frontline, committing to grassroots communities and making systematic changes in society. The grants resonate with the needs of fundraising for small organisations and fill the gaps in Hong Kong. The most impressive part of HER Fund is its relationship with grantee partners. It is not a top-down relationship but a cooperative, interactive and mutual respect collaboration, aiming to advance women and gender equality hand in hand.

Support-HER: Words from supporters

HER Fund has been promoting gender equality work for years and has accumulated rich experience in this field. In recent years, HER Fund has been promoting “Transformative Feminist Leadership” training among grassroots organisations, which not only cares for the physical and mental health and growth of the organisers and grassroots women but also provides resources for these organisations to explore a more participatory collaboration and to achieve a culture of equality and co-creation.

Partnerships for Community Development believe that social change is closely linked to personal change. HER Fund encourages organisers to respond to Hong Kong’s rapidly changing social environment in a nurturing rather than consuming manner, which greatly support organisers’ development.

Matt Bower

Partner at Allen & Overy

Sherman Tang

Director at Partnerships for Community Development (PCD)

HER Fund promotes gender equality and social change. Through its work, the Fund gives a voice to marginalised women and girls in Hong Kong by highlighting the issues they face. Grants are made to grassroots organisations who deal with a range of issues domestic violence, poverty and discrimination. The Fund also facilitates workshops for companies where women from the LGBTQ+ community, migrant workers and young mothers share the challenges they have to deal with on a daily basis. These interactions help others to understand the issues and challenges of these women, and provide an important forum for discussion as to how awareness can be raised to improve the lives of these women. We support the important work that the Fund is doing to promote gender equality.

24

Financial Highlights

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS For the year ended 31 March 2022

Income Total Income: HK$4,345,466

Expenditure Total Expenditure: HK$3,904,321

Local Fundraising 11.9%

Resources Mobilisation and Communication 1.1%

(HK$509,143)

Funds for designated Programmes* 56.4% (HK$2,469,631)

General Fund 28.7% (HK$1,250,855)

(HK$41,491)

Grant-making and Capacity Building Programmes 86.1%

(HK$496,692)

(HK$3,360,640)

Others 3%

Network Building 0.1%

(HK$115,837)

(HK$5,498)

* Designated Programmes include projects for grant-making, HER Hub, preventing violence against women and girls, and building donor and partnership acquisition programme.

Balance Sheet

at March 31, 2022 Liabilities and Accumulated Fund

Current Liabilities

Accrued expenses

HK$7,380

Receipt in advance

HK$2,388,447

Total liabilities

HK$2,395,827

Accumulated Fund

25

Organisational Management & Administration 12.7%

General fund

HK$1,258,539

Reserve fund

HK$1,500,000

Total Liabilities and Accumulated Fund

HK$5,154,366

Board of Directors

BOARD OF DIRECTORS As of March 31, 2022

LEE Chi Yan Athena Chairperson

HOUN Suk Han Ada Vice-chairperson

FUNG Pui Kee Brigit Hon. Treasurer

MUI Tai Loy Terry Hon. Secretary

BUT Tsz Ting

Board Member

FONG Man Ying Board Member

CHAN Florence Sai Wing Board Member

NG Tze Wei

Board Member

Honarary Legal Advisor

LAM Tze Yan

26

Advisors

Advisors CHEUNG Hiu-wah, Mandy

Programmme Management in NGO

CHEW Choo-Lin

Founder, HER Fund Chairperson, The Institute for Women's Empowerment

CHUNG Yuen-Yi Founder, HER Fund

Christine FANG, JP

Ex-Chief Executive, The HK Council of Social Service

Sophia KAO, SBS, JP

Ex-chairperson, Women's Commission

Mary Ann KING Pui Wai Cross-Sector Cultural Activist

LAM Ying Hing Lecturer

Phoebe SO

Ex-chairperson, HER Fund

TO Kit Lai Linda

Founder, HER Fund Senior Social Worker

AU Mei Po Mabel

Chairperson, The Association for the Advancement of Feminism

WONG Shui Hung Linda Barrister

27

THE ONLY COMMUNITY WOMEN’S FUND TO ADVANCE GENDER EQUALITY BY GRANT-MAKING AND CAPACITY BUILDING IN HONG KONG. SUPPORT NOW

Money donated to HER Fund is professionally managed and carefully allocated. HER Fund is a registered charitable organisation (charity number: 91/7393) and gifts of HK$100 or above are tax deductible.

CONTACT US

info@herfund.org.hk (852) 2794-1100 Mong Kok Post Office Post Box No. 79890 CONNECT WITH US

www.herfund.org.hk Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

28