Bid to overturn live-in rule for domestic workers rejected by Hong Kong High Court

The latest in the ongoing battle in Hong Kong to achieve more rights for its foreign domestic helpers: Filipina domestic helper Nancy Lubiano made the bid that the High Court overturn the mandatory rule that domestic helpers live with their employers on February 14, only to be unceremoniously rebuffed.

The rule was instated in 2003, dictating the living environments of over 370,000 foreign workers and often resulting in long working hours, poorer standards of living and wellness, and increased vulnerability to abuse and exploitation by employers.

With no personal space of their own, crowds of domestic helpers can be seen picnicking along the public walkways of Central on Sunday, their day off.