Domestic workers in Hong Kong are required to live in their employer’s residence due to a ‘live-in’ rule. On their weekly day off, these workers congregate in public areas, using cardboard boxes for shelter.
A viral video shows women sitting and sleeping in large cardboard boxes in Hong Kong. The cardboard boxes provide a modicum of shelter for domestic workers who have nowhere else to go.
Thousands of women from the Philippines and Indonesia are forced out of the luxury apartments they clean on their day off. They are effectively homeless for the day, seeking privacy from the eyes of a city that depends on them.
The situation highlights the wealth gap in Hong Kong, one of the world’s richest cities. Influencer Rapha referred to this issue as ‘The Invisible Labor Crisis’ of Hong Kong.
Rapha stated, “Hong Kong runs on labor it refuses to house.” Every Sunday, thousands of women are pushed into public spaces where they build makeshift ‘rooms’ out of cardboard boxes.
They congregate on bridges and in underpasses just to find a shred of privacy. This crisis underscores the treatment of domestic helpers as temporary fixtures rather than valued members of society.
As observers continue to highlight these issues, no official response has emerged regarding potential changes to housing policies. The plight of these workers remains a pressing concern for human rights advocates worldwide.
