From Unseen to Seen: Addressing Psychological Abuse in Intimate Relationships
“From Unseen to Seen” is a territory-wide advocacy project jointly organized by the Zonta Club of Kowloon and the Hong Kong Federation of Women’s Centres (HKFWC). Implemented between late 2025 and early 2026, the Project responded to the widespread yet under-recognized issue of psychological abuse in intimate partner relationships in Hong Kong. While psychological abuse—including coercive control, emotional manipulation, verbal degradation, isolation, intimidation and economic control—can be as harmful as physical violence, its invisible nature often leads to misunderstanding, normalization, and inadequate support. The Project aimed to make the “unseen” visible by centring survivors’ experiences, engaging the public through creative expression, and strengthening evidence-based advocacy.
Creative Engagement and Public Art
The first initiative focused on creative engagement and public education. Through two facilitated programmes — “Her Space, Her Voices” (art co-creation) and “Silent Bloom” (monodrama and photography) — 16 women with lived experience participated in 10 structured workshops led by an interdisciplinary team of an artist, theatre practitioner and photographer. The creative process enabled participants to externalize emotional experiences, rebuild self-agency, and transform personal narratives of harm into expressions of resilience. A total of 34 creative works were produced, including visual artworks, photographic portraits, audio stories, a collaborative installation and a short drama performance.
These works were presented in a five-day public exhibition in November 2025, held during the United Nations 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The exhibition attracted 227 in-person visits and reached 26,243 people online, generating 1,008 interactions. Cross-sector dialogues involving professionals from legal, social service, mental health, arts and advocacy sectors reinforced public understanding of psychological abuse as a collective social issue.
Survey Research and Public Advocacy
The second initiative centred on research and advocacy through a territory-wide survey, which collected 434 valid responses. While awareness of psychologically abusive behaviours was high, findings revealed major gaps in help-seeking. Nearly 70% of respondents reported experiencing psychological abuse, yet fewer than 30% of those facing ongoing abuse sought formal support. Key barriers included limited knowledge of services, fear of repercussions and underestimation of harm.
Survey findings were released at a press conference on 6 March 2026, linked to International Women’s Day, generating extensive media coverage and contributing to policy and public discourse on psychological abuse in Hong Kong.
