Hong Kong Council of Women

• 香港婦女協會

• HKCW

Hong Kong Council of Women (香港婦女協會) was formed as a non-governmental organization in August 1947 to help coordinate the efforts of individual women and existing women's organizations in terms of social and civic affaris of the colony. Being affiliated with the International Council of Women, HKCW followed its footsteps in striving for the rights and wellbeing of women. The constitution of HKCW mandated that its objectives are to promote welfare and human rights of women, promote conditions of life of children, removing legal, social, and economic barriers on women, coordinate organizations within boundary of these purposes, and raise funds for the said objectives. HKCW extended its influences through holding meetings on subjects of interests, forming sub-committees, convening conferences and inquiries, and submitting recommendations to the colonial government.

HKCW has carried numerous campaigns that led to legislative changes in Hong Kong. In 1950s, they began rallying for separate taxation, which allows married couples to undergo taxing assessment individually. In 1960, a joint campaign with 140 other groups was launched to change marriage laws, demanding complete eradication of the concubinage system. HKCW joined the Federation of Asian Women's Association (FAWA), creating a presence not just in Hong Kong, but also South east Asia. In the following decades, HKCW continued to strive for women's benefits, including relaxation of abortion laws, introduction of maternity benefits, increased employment opportunities and vocational trainings for married women.

In 1981, HKCW set up a Steering Committee to assess the needs and requirements for a community centre that provides women-focused social services. This led to the establishment of the Women's Center, that would later become the Hong Kong Federation of Women's Council. In 1984, several office and storage facilities were acquired from Union Church in Kowloon to provide venues for women's refuge. The Harmony House for battered women opened in April 1985, and Lai Kok Estate was fitted as the premise for the Women's center.

HKCW gradually ceased to operate from mid-1980s. The records of the organization was partially deposited in the Government Records Service of Hong Kong in 2000, and partially transferred to the Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres.

Created December 01, 2025 — Jason Kahei Wong (Archivist).