Join us for a new Fitness Challenge in September: Fun Run, Outdoor Yoga and Social Drinks!

Join us to de-stress and relax in this after work run or yoga class near the Central Harbourfront. Led by the WiFA team and volunteers from Women in Sports Empowered Hong Kong (WISE HK), you can choose to run in pods for either 3.5km or 6km, or simply a full session of stretch yoga. Coaches for this event include Emma Newman, Johanna Chan, Cindy Reid, Cardeux Nel, Anik Tremblay, and Tanya Bennett.

After running or yoga, we can relax and re-energize at Cafe 8 where drinks and light bites will be available at a nominal cost.

For more information, please refer to this link.

In recognition of the global Black Lives Matter movement and Hong Kong's own challenge with racial discrimination, WiFA is hosting a panel featuring distinguished Black female professionals to unpack what being Black in Asia and elsewhere in the world means. The session will also encourage participants to become more aware of their own biases and will provide resources on anti-racism.

The panelists include:

Harmony 'Anne-Marie' Ilunga - Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Harmony established her own culture and fashion collective to support her community and to amplify people of color in the HK fashion world. She is the Founder and CEO of refugee-curated social enterprise: http://harmonyhk.co/.

Liana Johnson - Originally from New York, Liana isDirector at Mizuho Securities with over a decade of experience in the financial services industry spanning London, Singapore, New York, and Hong Kong. She is also the founder of a Sweet Potato chips company called Yes I Yam.

Jayne Jeje - An American entrepreneur (owner of former SoHo establishment Orange Peel) and activist, Jayne champions causes such as: Black Lives Matter (BLM), Special Education Needs (SEN), LGBTQ, Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW), and refugee/asylum seeker support programs.

Marie-Louisa Awolaja - Originally from Nigeria and the U.K., Louisa is a project manager at Linklaters. She is also the co-host of HomeGrown, a podcast created to inform, inspire and entertain through personal stories of black expats: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1137473

Register here.

Over the years as Archana settled into this role and her personal life expanded with children and a move to Hong Kong, she found herself affronted with a personal struggle that many women resonate with. As a successful career woman, she realized she wasn’t carving out space for herself. She embarked on a journey of change to incorporate more self-care and self-awareness into her routine. This included the practice of being truly present in the moment, with her children and in allowing quiet moments of reflection away from pressures of daily life. She shared that discipline is an important virtue to cultivate and that to change, one must practice these behaviours daily.

In the words of Archana “Being brave comes with fear and you cannot show courage without being comfortable with your vulnerabilities. We are human, we are imperfect. Let’s accept this and learn that we are each enough. Be seen and be heard, whoever you are and wherever you are”

A recent study from Hong Kong University found that almost three-quarters of Hong Kong adults have experienced moderate-to-high degrees of depression while 40% showed PTSD symptoms during the prolonged civil unrest, followed by the pandemic. In view of the situation, WiFA hosted 2 sessions on 21st and 28th August respectively, discussing how to build mental resilience while facing enormous stress at work and home.

Moderated by co-founder of HeartChatVincent Li, the event engaged the audience to join the conversation with metal health experts Raindy Yu from Holistic Wellness Hong Kong, and Odile Thiang from Mind Hong Kong. Several practical tips, including creating a healthy routine while you are working from home, were provided, and having quality Me Time was also deemed a priority. Raindy and Odile also led a mindfulness practice and meditation to help us focus and redirect our thoughts. Building mental resilience is a life-long process, but you are never alone on this journey. Let’s keep it up so we come out of the pandemic stronger and more resilient. If you are looking for guidance or support, please reach out to the experts. WiFA thanks the Emerging Talent Committee for providing us with these inspiring sessions and to Bonnie Ohri and Boni Liu for facilitating.

· HeartChat: http://heartchathk.com/

· Holistic Wellness Hong Kong: https://holisticwellnesshongkong.com/

· Mind Hong Kong: https://www.mind.org.hk/

Are you keeping fit and healthy during these challenging times? Are you finding daily activities stressful? The extended COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, uncertainty of events, and working from home (WFH) can take its toll on your physical and mental health.

Our speakers -- health fitness and nutrition experts Beth Wright, Trish Yap, Mairi Mclnnes, and Emma Newman (moderator) gave us some excellent answers to our questions to help us keep fit, de-stress, and relax mentally and physically. The dialogue regarding fitness and nutrition was insightful and provided us with helpful tips to manage our stressful days. The simple WFH home stretches / basic nutrition advice/ meditation exercises gave us the needed boost to re-energize ourselves to face the challenges ahead, both at home and at work.

Thanks to the Thought Leadership Committee for hosting this fabulous event, especially during this time of social distancing restrictions!

Our 2019 WiFA supported charity, Resolve, provides fellowships to future community leaders who are working towards a more inclusive Hong Kong. We were excited to hear that two of Resolve’s fellows, Hemyar (a 2018 fellow) and Rodelia (a 2020 fellow) have been nominated for Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, an annual campaign organised by Sino Group and SCMP to celebrate the remarkable achievements of ordinary people. Public voting has recently opened and will close on 30 September, so take a look if you’re interested in finding out more and voting.