Operation Santa Claus: young Hongkongers learn about respect, consent in relationships by charity dealing with sexual and reproductive health issues
- Charity Teen’s Key Hong Kong says many Hong Kong teenagers not well informed about how to practise safe sex or tell their partner what they are comfortable with
- Its ‘Key to Healthy Consent’ project will get much-needed funds from annual Operation Santa Claus drive, run by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK
A Hong Kong charity helping young people with sexual and reproductive health issues will soon launch a project to teach them the importance of respect and consent in relationships, after seeing a surge in unwanted pregnancies and harassment.
The project by Teen’s Key Hong Kong, titled “Key to Healthy Consent”, aims to equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to enjoy healthy relationships through a targeted curriculum.
The initiative is supported by the annual fundraising drive Operation Santa Claus (OSC), run by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK since 1988. Money from the drive will allow the charity to hold in-school workshops and boot camps, provide online resources, train and hire youth ambassadors to visit the schools, as well as offer crisis intervention for at-risk cases.
Megan Yik Kwan-pik, head of service at the charity, and Rachel Chow Chiu-yan, head of resource development, said such help was needed as many Hong Kong teenagers were not well informed about how to practise safe sex or tell their partner what they were comfortable with.
“The message young women get from society is that they should be submissive to please the man,” Yik said. “We’ve observed that some girls don’t even know basic things, such as condom use and STDs [sexually transmitted diseases].
“It hasn’t changed in the past 10 years and in fact it’s worsened,” Yik said.
Last year, the number of calls regarding unplanned pregnancies to the charity’s 24-hour hotline, 2302 0068, tripled from eight per month to 25, she said.
