• Widening income disparity, soaring cost of living make it harder for poor to achieve a better life

• Educational success remains critical, but having a degree does not guarantee escape from poverty.......

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One in five families considers themselves unhappy, with mothers typically suffering from negative emotions more than fathers during a fifth wave when only the more intrepid dared venture outdoors, a survey has found.  However, parents with children generally enjoy a higher level of family happiness than those who were without and married couples are also generally happier than those who had yet to tie the knot. The Hong Kong Family Happiness Index Survey – jointly conducted by the Lee Kum Kee Family Foundation, HKWeCare, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Tung Wah College...

• Survey finds 81.1 per cent of 1,633 people interviewed scored six and above on family happiness, but overall index of 6.98 is lowest since 2019

• Mothers found to have been affected more negatively by Covid-19, ranking lower on family and personal happiness, and scoring worse on perceived financial difficulties

Just some food for thought.  Every year 900-1,000 people in Hong Kong commit suicide.  That means that 10x more people have died from suicide than from Covid over the past 2 years in Hong Kong.  And it is a very significant killer of younger people - the most likely cause of death for people below 35 in most countries (haven't been able to confirm if this is the case in Hong Kong but I suspect it is)​...

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• Against Child Abuse says its hotline received 1,264 calls in the last financial year

• Of 200 child abuse cases, 96 involved physical violence, followed by 33 cases of sexual abuse...

• Authorities attribute the increase to the pandemic, with a weaker economy creating more stress at home and children spending less time at school

• Police call on carers, teachers, parents and even neighbours to step in if the need arises, saying: ‘Protecting our children is everyone’s responsibility’...

• Cases of child abuse in Hong Kong rose 70 per cent in the first eight months of 2021 compared with the same period last year.

• Girl, 13, ran away with 21-year-old man she met online, an incident police say has become increasingly prevalent amid pandemic...

• His wife was jailed for helping him take their daughter away days before the trial, while his brother and mother also received prison terms for their roles in incident

• Judge says the case is appalling and one of the rarest of its kind, with the girl’s family members ganging up on her and leaving her helpless and isolated

• Man and four family members have been charged with perverting the course of justice

• Court shown video recordings of visits between them at detention centre where father was being held ahead of sexual assault trial

Even prior to the pandemic, an estimated 30% of women globally – that’s over 1 billion women – can expect to experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime, and by an intimate partner. Attacks against women have been known to increase even more during crises or turbulent times. For example....

As society grapples with the human and economic costs of Covid-19, attention should be paid to the often neglected impact on women.  Ahead of International Women’s Day, we also need to recognise that women are not just victims, but are vital to rebuilding our communities and economies....

A women's rights group has warned that domestic violence has been on the rise in Hong Kong during the pandemic...

Higher chances of conflict, violence when abusers spend more time at home.  Children at risk of neglect, abuse as stressed parents work from home in Hong Kong since start of pandemic...