HER Fund supports Hong Kong's marginalized women and projects to advance gender equality and women's human rights. All HER grantees share a "dare to change" story.

"SHE" may be a single mother who is a social security recipient, a young girl who is finding her way out, a lesbian, a low income working woman, a homemaker, a sex worker, an ethnic minority mother, a new immigrant woman, a foreign domestic helper...

They come from a very diverse background, yet all facing social discrimination, unjust treatment, intimidation, violence as they are systematically marginalized by the mainstream. But with a "dare to change attitude", they all step out from their vulnerable and invisible situation, to speak for themselves, fight for their basic human rights, share their wisdom and experiences, and made changes to their lives and to other women !

Walking the path as partners, HER Fund salutes to our Daring Women on 3．8!

HER Fund decided to raise our grant amount this year, hoping to support our grantees to carry out their projects in a more feasibleand daring way! In seeing the importance of sustaining the changes made, HER Fund continues our supports to 5 of our grantees from last year. Below is a brief introduction to our 9 grant projects in year 2013/2014:

Partner	Project Title and Description
Concerning Group for Women Poverty A Self-help organization led by low income single mothers $30,000	Organizational capacity building of Grassroots Women's Group Strengthening the capacity of new executive committee members is very crucial for sustainable development. This project supports the organizational skills training of the young executive committee members of the Concerning Group.
Mission for Migrant Workers $37,500	Awareness Raising and Advocacy towards Sexual Violence and Abuse in workplace Last year, MFMW did a research on the correlation of migrant workers' sexual vulnerability with the "live-in" arrangement. They will announce the results on 1st May this year, hoping to let more workers learn to protect themselves and advocate for policy change.
New Women Arrivals League A self help organization led by new immigrant women $32,000	Training Project for Executive committee members and Core Members of the League This project is to strengthen the organizational capacity of the League's Executive Committee and core members, in order to build their confidence and to help other new women arrivals to overcome different challenges.
Voices of Women Media An international organization, now having a Hong Kong branch, that is providing women from marginalized communities with innovative media tools to enable them to voice their own lives $44,500	A day in Her Life – Hong Kong Edition This project will co-operate with Ziteng, an organization that concern sex workers' rights, to conduct workshop for sex workers to tell their stories by using photos and video (Self-Portrait Digital Story). A screening and social media promotion will organize to spread the voices.
Asbury Methodist Social Service School Social Worker Team $30,000	Beautiful Life Project 2013 The Project receives HER Fund's grant for the third year, estimated 40 – 50 secondary school girls will join the Project. It raises young girls’ critical thinking capacity towards relationships by organizing visits and day camp, and enhance them to set up online platform to share information with other young girls for promoting gender equality.
Teen's Key - S/hero Group $36,000	I am Searching – Gender Awareness Empowerment Project S/hero Group is formed by young girls, letting them to explore self, relationships, and how to achieve gender equality. The girls will also guide the new members of the Group to learn about gender issues and train them as young leader to advance gender equality.
JJJ Association A self help organization led by mostly one woman brothel's sex workers $30,000	Mutual Communication Platform for Sex Workers' empowerment against violence In this project, athey outreachincluding distributing restricted newsletter and online outreach for over 2200 one-woman brothel. The outeach Aims at sharing internal information and raise their self-protection awareness and capacity against violence at workplace.
Women Coalition of HKSAR A self help organization led by lesbians $30,000	Project of Equal Working Environment for Sexual Minorities The government vetoed the consultation for "Sexual Orientation Discrimination Ordinance" last year. This project will train lesbian as ambassador to promote “Tong Chi (Sexual Minorities) Friendly Working Environment” to different organizations and companies, from conveying the concepts to providing execution suggestions. Aim to gain supports from employers in equal employment opportunity for sexual minority and to pursue advocating the legislation.
Miss Alpha A newly established group founded by a group of artists and activists who concern about gender issues. $30,000	MISS Project Using dramatic art as medium to discuss and reflect on gender issues with teachers and students, and to advocate policy changes.

HER Fund is delighted to be the beneficiary of Bobbi Brown's Pretty Powerful Campaign for Women & Girls launching on International Women's Day, March 8, 2013!

"Pretty Powerful symbolizes my belief that all women are pretty, and with the right tools, are empowered to a higher level of pretty – it's about being confident and about being who you are," says Bobbi Brown.

Please buy a Pot Rouge for yourself or for your friend at Bobbi Brown's counter to support HER Fund in making more women to be confident in herself ! You can click here to get more information.

This campaign also link up with Global Giving, and please share the news with your network and donate at Global Giving as wel!

Photos Speak ! HER Fund plans to create a series of "Photo Story" to tell our grantees' "Dare to Change" stories. If you are willing to share your professional photography skills and concern about gender equality, please join us! You will visit different organizations with HER Fund, learning about their real life situation, and telling their stories through your lenses. If you are interested, please contact Casey Kwok (Tel: 2794-1100 / Email: kwokkachai@herfund.org.hk) during office hour.

'HER Talent Performance Show 2013 – It's HERs, It's OURs!' was held successfully on 10th March 2013 at the Youth Square in Chai Wan. The event raised over $110,000 for HER Fund to support marginalized women's groups and projects in Hong Kong, for advancing women's human rights and gender equality.

The Show opened with, Mary Ann Pui Wai King, our Chairperson sharing that she felt deeply that everything in the world was inter-connected, so gender equality is affecting us all in society, so, it is everyone’s business. She thanked everyone's support to the Show and to HER Fund. And our celebrity, the unique masked singer and internet sensation, Ms. Lung Siu Kwan, shared her personal experience that growing up in a grassroots family, she was happy to give back to the society; she also felt that lots of working women need to bare double burden of work and domestic work under gender stereotype. She appealed to our audience to support HER Fund, so that more women can live independently and with autonomy. Siu Kwan then performed two beautiful songs, one of the songs was especially meaningful addressing "compensated dating girls".

Performers Showed Excellent Talents and Loving Hearts

Our performers, including: "Power Star" and "Dancing Shero", which were two groups of Share Talent Line Dance class teachers and students; "Fan Ka Chun and Yeung Hiu Tung" and "Talent Mill" who were from Hong Kong College of Technology; Child Dance Group "Coby Coby Dance", Salsa Dance perfect partner, "Mr & Mrs", and "Kikibaby Funky Dance Group" led by Belly Dance teacher Kiki Ho, fully showed their talents and enthusiasm through the wonderful performances. "Power Star" continued to succeed "Highest Fund Raising Prize", while the "Most Enthusiastic Fund Raising Prize" went to "Talent Mill" and "Dancing Shero", Congratulations!

This year, we invited 4 voluntary Guest Performers, they are "Y. Tick Entertainment & Production" who performed an amazing and amusing "Magic Show with Love”; “BIG Sammy", rapper from Justice League; "Traditional Taekwondo Association" who performed female self-defense skills; and "Just Acappella" who had a gifted wonderful voice. Their performances heated the floor !

Gender Equality and Women's Human Rights are for All

"It's HERs, It's OURs!" is the theme of the Show, because gender equality is for, not only women. For example, working father could not spend time with their new born baby and family, just because the traditional division of labor for men is in the public zone. More, there is always a "SHE" besides you, e.g. your mother, sisters, daughters...

Last but not the least, HER Fund appreciates all our supporters and wonderful partners ! Including: our Honorary celebrity, Ms. Lung Siu Kwan, and her manager Dean Siu; our sponsors: BOBBI BROWN, The Green Pagoda Press Ltd., RTR, Talent 100, Kiki Ho, and Vitasoy International Holdings Ltd.; Our amazing performers and guest performers; volunteer MC - Ingrid Lam; and all volunteers: Manuel, Sina, Kaka, Man Yi, Stephen, Mindy, and Cheung Yan.

14 Feburary is Valentine's Day, but it is also V-Day – A global initiative to combat violence against women. The V in V-Day meaning Vagina, meaning Victory over Violence. As the theme for International Women's Day this year is "Stop Sexual Violence Now !", the global campaign of One Billion Rising brought together tens of thousands of women and activists to assert their demand to end violence against women by flash mob dance or by performing Vagina Monologue on V-Day.

On V-Day, The Vixens Burlesque showcased Vagina Monologue, and the tickets sold, deducting the cost, solely donated the $10,000 to HER Fund ! We assured to the organizer, Meaghan McGurgan that we would use each and every dollar we received for the women's cause, in fact, projects that we funded do responded to work safety of sex workers and young women, empowering them through self help programs and action research.

Special thanks: The Vixens Burlesque, Desert Mermaid, The Bisous

Do You Know?

You probably know that 8 March is International Women's Day, but do you know the theme of this year? It is: "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women."

"There is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable." Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations

And here are other International Days that related to women:

23 June
International Widows' Day

11 October
International Day of the Girl Child

15 October
International Day of Rural Women

25 November
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women