Linked with the Hong Kong Association for the Survivors of Women Abuse Kwan Fook.
She is one of the 1000 women proposed for the Nobel Peace Price 2005.
She says: « I am now 17 years old, because I started my new life 17 years ago when I left my ex-husband. My painful experiences turned into a driving force for me » .
Ngun Fung Liu – Hong Kong SAR
She works for the Hong Kong Association for the Survivors of Women Abuse Kwan Fook.
Liu Ngun Fung, born in 1949, is chairlady of the Hong Kong Association for the Survivors of Women Abuse (Kwan Fook), which advocates self/mutual-assistance. Having liberated herself from her husband’s violence, Liu provides services to the women in need as a counter to the patriarchal contempt of the female body and autonomy. She demands an improvement of various social policies, including those on welfare, housing and medicine, so as to build a better environment for the abused women and their children.The Hong Kong Association for the Survivors of Women Abuse (Kwan Fook) was established as an independent NGO in 1997. The organization’s aim is to bring together abused women to help each other to set up a new life. The Hong Kong Association for the Survivors of Women Abuse (Kwan Fook) does not apply the top-down management model.
Ngun Fung Liu emphasizes the importance of strengthening oneself. She encourages those women who have overcome their bad experiences to help the newcomers so that bonding can be established. This can enhance their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Liu plays a key role as the group’s coordinator and organizer. She takes a long time to listen to abused women; she fights for change of policy and legislation through demonstrations and lobbying both the public and the government legislators.
Abused women leaving their families need enormous courage. Liu helps those women in this process nd tackles divorce matters with them. She also helps them avoid harassment by their ex-husbands. Liu closely follows up the situation of the women and teaches those who are uneducated or do not know their legal rights about their privileges. She gives them necessary information.
The general public in Hong Kong viewed abused women negatively. For example, they were believed to be worth battering, immoral, or incapable of meeting the expectations of their husbands. Society looked down upon abused women who relied on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), thinking that these were lazy people without contribution or that they were a burden to society.
Liu encouraged abused women to stand tall. Many of them have regained self-confidence. They are no longer afraid of being labelled. They joined the group to help newcomers who were being abused.
During the whole process, Liu was criticized for teaching women to run away from their families. Some conservative people, and even the government, emphasize the completeness of a family. Therefore, Liu was viewed as a troublemaker for her encouragement of female autonomy and self-protection.
Liu undertook studies and active work with university research and teaching staff about the housing and CSSA for abused women and the impact of the government’s stringent control on population on the abused women who have newly arrived in Hong Kong. During this period, Liu’s commitment and perserverance in the three areas included doing research, fighting for change of policy and legislation and providing hands-on assistance in helping abused women to improve their standard of living. Liu grew stronger as did her love and care for this group.
From January to June 2004, Liu has helped eight newcomers and their children obtain social security and start their new lives.
From Liu’s experience, we can see for females to obtain autonomy, individual power is not enough. Assistance from others is very important. Because she herself is a former victim, having faced abuse for 20 years, Liu understands the women she works with well. She says, “I am now 17 years old, because I started my new life 17 years ago when I left my ex-husband. My painful experiences turned into a driving force for helping others like me. We all have to believe that there is a way in front of us.?
Liu regrets not having been able to study, and often remembers the hard situations of her workplaces. At home if she attempted to tolerate her husband’s abuse, she was beaten harder. She says, “People feel weird about your tolerance – as an adult, why can’t you simply walk away?!?Growing up in a walled village from the New Territories, Liu has witnessed many successful cases of happy families even if the wives were being abused. Liu finally left her marital home; she had only HKD 800 on hand. « I was not in human shape at all. The wound in my forehead is still clearly visible after all these years. » Besides she was suffered from Pancreas Inflammation few years later.
After gaining independence from her ex-husband, Liu no longer suffers from nightmares. She finds it difficult to understand why our society does not show its sympathy to abused women as it does to other minorities. Liu set up the Hong Kong Association for the Survivors of Women Abuse together with some ten enthusiasts like herself.
Liu received Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, CSSA for four years. Then she with in the Hong Kong Association for the Survivors of Women Abuse. She is now working in the office of a legislative council member, looking after a hotline for abused women; she is the current chair of the Hong Kong Association for the Survivors of Women Abuse.
Discrimination for the CSSA receivers, especially women single-parents, is common in society, because people think they are free riders. Liu disagrees and thinks that misunderstanding drives such misconceptions. Liu thinks that single parenting women receiving CSSA should not have to face discrimination, “If anyone could give me a hand in my darkest moment in life, I will pay it back in the future. We are not taking the CSSA for nothing…my children and I will repay it someday. »
The population policy effective on 1 January 2004 barred new immigrants from China from receiving benefits and housing assistance from the government in their first 7 years of stay in Hong Kong. This unfavourable policy forces many abused women to remain with their abusers. Liu is trying hard to plead a modification of this sexually/racially discriminatory policy in order to avoid new immigrant women becoming double victims. (Read all on 1000peacewomen).
Sorry, I can not get other informations in english about Ngun Fung Liu of Hong Kong, being certified it would be the wanted person.