Migrant women in Hong Kong are facing a crisis as a series of Covid-19-related emergencies have cut off their sources of livelihood and put their children at risk. As travel has been all but banned in and out of the country they are cut off from the support of their communities of origin. Because Hong Kong is a very wealthy and homogeneous city overall, the needs of this small and vulnerable community are often overlooked.
PathFinders is working to provide legal guidance, health resources, employment supports, and mental health services for migrant women as well as their children. Building on her study of seasonal migrant parents in India, Ratna will use what she has learned at HKS to support this organization with their programming for children directly impacted by maternal migration. She works on project management and communications, and is contributing to a research report on left-behind children of women who are migrant domestic workers.