Employment-related sexual harassment complaints steadily climbing since 2021
Complaints related to workplace sexual harassment in Hong Kong went up 33% in the past year, showing a steady increase since 2021, according to reports.
Citing data from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that employment-related sexual harassment complaints climbed from 156 in 2024 to 207 in 2025.
Over the same period, total sexual harassment complaints received by the watchdog rose from 228 to 315, a 38% year-on-year increase, according to figures disclosed in a written response from the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau to lawmakers.
The data indicates that incidents linked to employment continue to make up the bulk of sexual harassment cases handled by the commission.
In 2021, the EOC received 148 employment-related complaints. That number has risen steadily over the past five years, reaching 207 in 2025, the South China Morning Post noted in its coverage of the bureau's submission.
Rising sexual harassment complaints
Meanwhile, non-employment-related sexual harassment complaints also increased over the same period.
These cases went up from 72 in 2024 to 108 in 2025. According to the SCMP, such complaints have more than tripled in four years, from 35 in 2021 to 108 last year.
The figures were released as part of a broader set of statistics on harassment and related enquiries.
In addition to formal complaints, the number of sexual harassment enquiries received by the commission edged higher, from 588 in 2024 to 596 in 2025, a rise of about 1.36%.
In the wake of the upward trend, the bureau said the EOC will roll out a citywide publicity campaign aimed at preventing workplace sexual harassment.
The initiative will promote the commission's one-stop website, "Compass – EOC Anti-Sexual Harassment Resource Platform," and its hotline, 2106 2222, as part of events marking the EOC's 30th anniversary this year.
The watchdog is also preparing a community partner training programme that will invite corporations to nominate staff members for specialised training. The scheme is designed to help organisations identify, respond to, and prevent sexual harassment within their ranks.
