HRPLC Webinar: Social Workers as Human Rights Defenders

We are pleased to have invited Professor Vasilios Ioakimidis and Dr Kostis Roussos to give a talk on their project which develops a database to document the violence and abuse carried out against social workers globally. Mr Hei Chow, Programme Manager of the UK Welcome Refugees, will offer a unique perspective as a social worker from Hong Kong after experiencing the 2019 protests. The presentations are as follows:

Social Workers as Human Rights Defenders

Professor Vasilios Ioakimidis (Chair, IFSW Global Education Commission, Head of Department, Social Work School of Administrative, Economic & Social Sciences, University of West Attica) and Dr Kostis Roussos (Director of Research, School of Health & Social Care, University of Essex)

Social workers often stand at the frontline of human rights advocacy, addressing social injustices while facing significant personal and professional risks. This presentation explores the increasing dangers faced by social workers globally, including persecution, violence, and even death, as they defend the rights of the most vulnerable.

Drawing on data from a recent global study, we will discuss the alarming rise in incidents of abuse and targeted attacks on social workers in various contexts, including authoritarian regimes, conflict zones, and neoliberal welfare states. This session aims to amplify the voices of those who risk their safety for social justice and to advocate for better protections for social workers worldwide.

Hong Kong Social Workers Facing the Authoritarian Regime

Mr Hei Chow, Programme Manager, UK Welcomes Refugees

Hong Kong social workers provided humanitarian aid and emotional support during the recent pro-democracy movements, and they were also convicted of rioting and in many cases given heavy sentences. The Hong Kong government further pressured the Hong Kong Social Workers Registration Board to deregister social workers who are prosecuted for criminal offences including offences under the newly implemented National Security Law. Due to the visibility of social workers in social movements, even social workers who have fled the city are targeted by the Hong Kong government which imposes additional barriers for these social workers to renew their Hong Kong registration hence more challenging professional conversion in the host country.

Discussant: Dr Sui-Ting Kong, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology

Chair: Dr Alice Nah, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology