Every year on 8 March, International Women’s Day is celebrated to bring awareness to the bias, stereotypes and discrimination that women experience on a daily basis.
This year’s theme is #breakthebias, which inspires us all to challenge the norm, speak out and work towards a more gender equal world that is as diverse as it is inclusive. In Hong Kong, we’re lucky to have plenty of women to look up to for inspiration, especially in the field of sustainability.
So for #IWD2022, we’re shining the spotlight on the incredible women in Hong Kong who are championing sustainability – from food and fashion to media and more:
1. Sonalie Figueiras aka. Green Queen
Before veganism and vegetarianism became ‘cool’ in Hong Kong, Sonalie Figueiras was already ahead of the game with her then-blog (Green Queen) on living a green and zero waste lifestyle. Now an award-winning, global media title, Green Queen continues to be the ultimate resource for all things eco, plant-based and zero waste!
Visit Green Queen
2. Peggy Chan of Grassroots Initiatives and Zero Foodprint Asia
From running Hong Kong’s beloved plant-based eateries (such as Grassroots Pantry and Nectar) to her own consultancy (Grassroots Initiatives), Peggy Chan continues to be a driving force for sustainability in food. She is also executive director of Zero Foodprint Asia, an NGO that supports regenerative farming to fight climate change.
See also: 8Shades Of… Peggy Chan of Grassroots Initiatives
3. Janice Leung-Hayes of Honestly Green
Janice Leung-Hayes (aka. @e_ting) is one of Hong Kong’s leading food writers and the founder of sustainability consultancy Honestly Green, who have been running local farmers’ markets here for the past decade. Janice is also part of the advisory board for Zero Foodprint Asia.
See also: 8Shades Of… Janice Leung-Hayes, food writer and sustainability advocate
4. Christina Dean of REDRESS
Christina Dean is the founder of Hong Kong-based NGO Redress, whose mission is to reduce waste in the fashion industry. From educational programmes and collecting unwanted clothing to creating their own upcycled fashion brand The R Collective, Redress also runs a second-hand clothes shop, The Redressed Closet, in Sham Shui Po.
See also: 8Shades Of… Christina Dean of Redress
5. Natalie Chung Sum Yue of V’air
Natalie Chung co-founded ecotourism company, V’air Hong Kong in order to raise awareness of climate change and celebrate Hong Kong’s local nature and biodiversity. Since then, she’s become a renowned climate advocate dedicated to protecting the environment through different mediums, from co-authoring books to running V’air.
See also: Hong Kong Climate Advocate Natalie Chung on Flash Travel & Ecotourism
6. Laura Williamson of Plantdays
Laura Williamson is the founder of Plantdays, a community-driven eco-conscious marketplace that showcases over 40 amazing, female-owned sustainable brands, with everything from ethical fashion to handcrafted homeware available on their carefully curated Hong Kong-based e-boutique.
See also: 8Shades Of… Laura Williamson of eco-conscious marketplace, Plantdays
7. Sarah Fung of HULA
Sarah Fung is making fashion circular with her pre-loved clothing shop, HULA. With a showroom in Wong Chuk Hang, seasonal pop-ups and their online store, members can consign pieces they no longer need while discovering the best designer pieces for less.
See also: HULA & Emily’s Top 8 Ideas to Revive Your Wardrobe
8. Tamsin Thornburrow of Live Zero
Bringing the bulk food scene to Hong Kong, Tamsin Thornburrow is the founder of Live Zero, the city’s first zero waste store selling sustainable, green, eco friendly and plastic-free products. They now have two locations in Hong Kong in Sai Ying Pun and Sai Kung and share sustainable living tips through their social media channels.
Visit livezero.hk
More Hong Kong women in sustainability:
In addition to the eight incredible women featured above, we’ve also had the pleasure of featuring the following female small (green) business owners in Hong Kong, and the list continues to grow!
Check out their sustainability journey stories by following the links below and prepare to be inspired:
F&B
- Amy Elkhoury of Nuteese
- Laura Offe of Meraki Hospitality
- Cynthia Lok of Clean Hong Kong
- June Ng of Tempehola
- Amy Tsang of Hong Kong Agricultural Development Association (HKADA)
Fashion
- Veronica Chou of Everybody & Everyone
- Kayla Wong of Basics For Basics
- Denise Ho of Kitdo
- Natalie Chow of KIBO
- Juliana Lam of Innotier
Beauty
The above lists are by no means exhaustive and there are so many other women out there doing amazing things in sustainability, whose stories we plan to continue elevating on 8Shades.
If you know of more sustainability-minded heroes in Hong Kong, don’t hesitate to reach out to us by email or on our Instagram @8shadesofficial.
Let’s continue to #breakthebias this International Women’s Day 2022 and beyond!
See also: 8Shades’ Guide To A Greener Lockdown
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