In recent weeks, Hong Kong has been gripped by a series of headlines, often tragic ones, starring women as victim or protagonist.
Abby Choi’s murder made front-page news locally and around the world on February 24. Choi, often referred to as a “model” or a “socialite” by local news platforms, was a mother of four and married to the son of a well-known Hong Kong noodles franchise tycoon. She was allegedly murdered and dismembered by her ex-husband and members of his family.
The news went viral on social media and online forums, with extensive media coverage of the grisly details of the homicide and Choi’s personal past, particularly her appearance. Even now, searching for Choi’s Chinese name on Google yields “plastic surgery” as one of the top suggestions.
A week later, Netflix released the documentary In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal, which exposed systematic rapes by Korean religious leaders. The first episode featured the confession of 29-year-old Hongkonger Maple Yip, a former cult follower and victim, as well as the major whistleblower.
The episode sparked doxxing and discussions, not only about the Korean cult but also about Yip’s history as a “brainwashed” or “calculating” former cult member, as well as her recent relationship with a famous Hong Kong actor.
Online slurs which falsely described both Choi and Yip as prostitutes were common, along with claims that the murder and rape were merely the outcome of “labour disputes.”
On the other hand, the Japanese debut of Hong Kong-born porn star Erena So in mid-March received overwhelmingly positive feedback on the face of it, with local tabloids branding her as “the glory of Hong Kong” and praising her for practising bodily autonomy.
However, a fake government statement congratulating the adult video actress led to legal action by the authorities, raising questions over whether So’s unprecedented career move was genuinely respected by the general public or instead viewed as another subject of ridicule.
These three headlines have created an opportunity for both the press and public to reflect – what should we talk about, when we talk about the stories of women?
A thought experiment
Annie Chan, a sociology scholar at Lingnan University and a board member of the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women, proposed a thought experiment: “What would we be discussing if the killer was a woman and the victim was a man?”
Chan believes the answer is clear: the woman would likely remain the centre of attention, with the focus on her personal background revealing how she became an “unconventional woman” capable of killing rather than being killed.
In fact, from 2016 to 2020, 45 per cent of female homicide victims in Hong Kong – 29 out of 64 – were murdered by their intimate partners or family members, according to a database compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In contrast, only one out of 82 male homicide victims during the same period were killed by their partners or family members.
Femicide – referring to intentional killing of women and girls because of their gender – is not just an issue in other countries, but also in this Asian financial hub known for its low overall crime rates.
Chan attributes the prevalence of femicide to women spending more time at home than men worldwide, increasing their likelihood of being killed within households. She also notes that discussions of femicide tend to involve victim-blaming more than conversations about crimes targeting men.
“The first question that springs to most people’s minds when they find out a woman was killed is: what have they done to deserve this?” Chan said.
Pepper Siu, a veteran journalist and a Hong Kong-based columnist who has been monitoring the development of the feminist movement in East Asia, has written several articles criticising this misogynistic phenomenon .
“There are three main reasons considered [by misogynists] to be legitimate excuses for killing a woman – when the woman was cheating, being disobedient or being overly dominating,” Siu summarised.
While most people assume women to be heartbroken after being cheated on, the same act is considered an insult to men, Siu told HKFP. This mindset has served as an easy explanation for femicide in some cases, including when Hongkonger Chan Tong-kai – whose proposed extradition plan set off the 2019 protests in Hong Kong – murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan.
According to Annie Chan, the deeply ingrained cultural association of a woman’s identity with her sexuality accounts for this kind of victim-blaming and rape myth. In this cultural context, men are considered “normal” if they “inevitably” lose control due to a woman’s sexual attractiveness.
“But that’s not the truth. In fact, they can learn to control the desire,” Chan said, adding that men are also victims of this underlying misconception.
A review of online comments and news reports reveals how female victims’ sexuality is often used as a weapon to denigrate them. Chan points out that the labels “model” and “socialite,” as well as the frequent use of Choi’s profile in news reports, may have reinforced impressions of her as a shallow and unproductive gold digger – even though she was later reported as having been the CEO of several companies.
“It would surely give a different impression of me if you referred to me as a ‘socialite’ instead of a ‘professor’…Why not focus more on the other aspects of Choi, instead of how she looked?” the sociologist asked.
Professionalisation of journalism
According to Siu, femicide has been treated lightly by Hong Kong society in the past and the news industry is partly to blame.
“The ecosystem of Hong Kong news industry is inseparable from its desire for hit rates,” said Siu, who worked for major local newspapers, online media and international news outlets in the past decade.
She said Hong Kong journalism has yet to undergo a process of professionalisation. Local news organisations, unlike news agencies, tend to undervalue training on news ethics. As a result, frontline reporters are encouraged to reveal victims’ pasts – mostly gossip that should not be a matter of public interest.
“Even when some journalists have received professional news training before, do local news outlets really need that type of talent? Are they willing to pay more for talent? Or do they merely want someone literate enough to provide whatever content they want?” Siu asked rhetorically.
She said reporters should strive to make victims less one-dimensional, helping readers understand that they were not just newspaper images but actual human beings.
“While we follow guidelines on how to report suicides, why can’t we also take reference of guidelines on reporting femicide?” Siu asked.
An undercurrent of misogyny
While some believe Hongkongers have become more open to feminist campaigns and bodily autonomy, Siu argues that an undercurrent of misogyny persists.
She cites the example of Erena So, the first major Hong Kong-born porn star in the Japanese industry.
Since the trailer for So’s adult video was released on a Japanese porn publisher’s website on March 15, Hong Kong netizens have been voicing their support by ordering DVD copies of her work. The website has reportedly stopped loading because of heavy traffic.
While some people claimed to be inspired by her bravery, a number of netizens thanked her for not being a “digital prostitute” – a Cantonese slang term for women who sell seductive photos online. That was So’s side gig before acting in porn movies.
“Let me start with my conclusion – I think even though the public seem to be positive and open, the undercurrent is still misogyny – just misogyny presented in a ‘friendly’ way,” Siu said.
The columnist agreed it was progress that the public did not shame the porn star as they would likely have done 20 years ago, but the compliments were mixed with other sentiments.
“Men’s appreciation for women’s bodily autonomy occurs mostly when a woman devotes herself to the sex industry. You could imagine the applause given to women becoming firefighters would not have been so loud,” Siu said.
Siu also cited the satirical online post – mimicking an official press release – that congratulated So on her latest career development. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau responded to the doctored statement, saying it had reported the case to the police.
In Siu’s opinion, the incident showed that both parties – netizens and the government – did not see “porn star” as an occupation worthy of respect. “On the one hand, people said all jobs are equal; on the other hand, they used it to mock the government…and the officials took it as an insult too.”
Who changes first?
Chan, who teaches courses on gender and sociology at Lingnan University, believes that education on gender equality in Hong Kong still has a long way to go.
She argues that deeply rooted mindsets and sexual jokes in the office are the most difficult to remove. Suggestions that another person stop making such jokes may backfire so she usually does not step into that area.
The associate professor said the younger generation, despite a stronger awareness of gender bias and discrimination, did not see the broader inequality in the city. Their school days had been comparatively free of discrimination, so they could not recognise the underlying patriarchy in society unless faced with specific cases of sexual harassment or discrimination.
Siu suggested a few questions she would ask if she had a chance to interview Erena So, including whether So had been sufficiently well-informed about the possible cost of becoming a porn star, or why she told the press she was reluctant to watch any of her videos, including her first adult video.
“But raising questions like these could be misunderstood as discrimination in this social context, while those covering the story from a single perspective would be deemed as ‘progressive.”
Who should change first, the media or the public? Chan and Siu do not have a definite answer. However, they agree that while the media cultivates readers’ taste for news, readers also play a part in shaping the media.
Correction 3/4: An early version of this article referred to Anna Chan as opposed to Annie Chan – we regret the error.
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