A Brief Biography:
Amy Sim is a Cultural Anthropologist in the Department of Sociology, University of Hong Kong.
Her research interests include gender and sexuality, women in migration, issues of identity and
cultural change in women’s empowerment and leadership, social movements, social transformations
and governance. Prior to her postgraduate studies, Amy worked in a regional NGO in Asia on issues
of sustainable development. Her master’s degree was in Development Management and her thesis
was on the subject of the development of migrant-related NGOs in Hong Kong.
Research interest: Migration, NGOs, social movements, labour activism, gender and sexuality in
East and Southeast Asia.
Publications:
Sim, Amy. In pr ess. 2009. “The Sexual Economy of Desire: Gir lfriends, Boyfriends
and Babies Among Indonesian Women Migrants in Hong Kong” in Shen Hsiu Hua and Brenda Yeoh (eds.), Sexualities.
Sim, Amy. In pr ess. “T ransitional Sexuality among Women Migrant Workers:
Indonesians in Hong Kong” in Yau Ching (ed.), As Normal as Possible: Negotiating
Sexuality in Hong Kong and China . Hong Kong: University of Hong Kong Press.
Sim, Amy. 2009. “ Women, Mobilities, Immobilities and Empowerment."
Introduction to Amy Sim (ed), 2009 . “Maids, Wives and Seasonal Migrants”: Female
Migration in East and So utheast Asia . Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, Special
Issue (2009).
Sim, Amy. 2009. “Women versus the State: Or ganizing Resistance and Contesting
Exploitation in Indonesian Labour Migration to Hong Kong” in Amy Sim (ed),
2009 . “M aids, Wives and Seasonal Migrants”: Fem ale Migratio n in East and Southeast
Asia. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, Special Issue (2009).
Sim, Amy (ed). 2009 . “Maids, Wives and Seasonal Migrants”: Female Migration in East and
Southeast Asia . As ian and Pacific Migr ation Journal, Special Issue (2009).
Sim, Amy & Vivienne Wee. 2009 “Undocumented Indonesian Workers in Macua”
Critical Asian Studies, M arch 2009, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p165 -188.
Sim, Amy. 2008. “ The Cultur al Economy of Illegal Migration: Migr ant Wo rkers Who
Overstay in Hong Kong” in Melissa Curley and Wong Siu -Loong (eds .), Illegal
Migration and Non -Traditional Security: Processes of Securitisatio n and Desecuritisation in
Asia. Routlege- Cur zon.
Sim, Amy. 2008. “Sapphic Shadows: Sworn Sis terhoods and Cyber Lesbian
Communities in Hong Kong” in Kuah Khun Eng (ed), Chinese Women and Their
Chinese Networks. Hong Kong: Marshall Cavendish International (Singapor e).
Sim, Amy. 2005. “香港工作的印尼傭工之間的同性關係 ”, 著作人：游靜、金佩瑋、邵國
華等, 性政治. 香港：天地圖書有限公司. [“Sexuality in Migr ation: I ndonesian
domestic workers in Hong Kong” in Yau Ching (ed), 2005, Sexual Politics. Hong Kong:
Cosmos.]
Wee, Vivienne and Amy Sim. 2005. “Hong Kong as a Destination for Migrant
Domestic Workers” in Brenda Yeoh et al (eds), Contemporary Perspectiv es on Asian
Transmigrant Domestic Workers . Singapore: Asian MetaCentre & Marshall Cavendish
International (Singapor e).
Wee, Vivienne and Amy Sim. 2004. “Transnational labour networks in female labour
migration: mediating between Southeast Asian women wor kers and international
labour markets” in Ar is Ananta (ed), Internatio nal Migration in Southeast Asia:
Impacts and Challenges . Singapore:Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Sim, Amy. 2003. “Organising Discontent: NGOs for Southeast Asian migrant wor kers
in Hong Kong”. Asian Journal of Social Sciences , Vol. 31 no. 3: 478 - 510.
Research Projects (optional):
Lead researcher:
 April-June 2009: A preliminary study of undocumented migrants in Jap an
 April 2009-September 2010: Invisible Communities: Undocumented Migrants in Hong Kong
 July 2006-March 2011: Exploitative Practices in Women’s Labour Migration from Indonesia
Work in Progress (optional):
Working papers:
 "From Welf are to Advocacy: A Social Movements Perspective to Migrant Worker
Activism in Hong Kong”, proposed date of completion: September 2009).
 “Women’s Leadership and Empowerment: A grassroots perspective”, proposed date
of completion: September 2009.
 "A Good Muslim Must Protest: Indon esian Women Organising Around Religion in
Hong Kong", proposed date of completion: August 2009.
Conference papers (refereed)
“A Good Muslim Must Protest: Indonesian Migrant Workers organising around
religion in Hong Kong” in the 16th World Congress of
The International Union of Anthropological & Ethnological Sciences, 27 to 31
July 2009, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
“Cheap Labour Reserves & the Growth of Cities: Undocumented Migrant Workers in
Macau” in the International Workshop on Gender, Migrant Wo rkers and
Citizenship in Greater Mekong Subregion: Economic and Political Perspectives
for a World in Crisis organized by Asian Institute of T echnology (AIT) &
University of Leeds, 1- 3 June 2009, Thailand.
“Women versus the State: Empowerment and Leadersh ip in Labour Migration from
Indonesia” in Inter - Asian Connections Confer ence organis ed by the Social
Science Research Council, 21 - 23 February 2008, Dubai.
“Leadership and Empowerment in Women’s Labour Migration” in the Hong Kong
Sociological Association 9 t h Annual Conference, 8 December 2007, City
University of Hong Kong.
“Leadership and empowerment in women’s labour migr ation: Oppor tunities and
limitations” in the wor kshop: Pushing the Boundaries: Women and Leadership, 9
June 2007, Centr e for Asian Studies , University of Hong Kong.
“The Sexual Economy of Desire: Gir lfriends, Boyfriends and B abies Among
Indonesian Women Migrants in Hong Kong” in the International Workshop on
Sexuality and Migration in As ia, Asian M etaCentre for Population and
Sustainable Dev elopment Analysis , National University of Singapor e, 10 -11 April
2006.
“The State, Religion and Moral Turpitude: Consequences for Indonesian Women
Migrants in Hong Kong” in Women’s Worlds 2005: 9 t h Interdisciplinary Congr ess
on Women, EWHA Women’s Universi ty, Seoul, 19 -25 J une 2005.
“Illegal immigrants in Hong Kong: Causes and Constructions of Illegality Among
Illegal Indonesian Domestic Workers” in the 6 t h Confer ence on Social
Transformations in Hong Kong and Asia: Cris is, Progress and R enewal.
Organis ed b y the Hong Kong Sociological Association and the University of
Hong Kong, December 4, 2004.
“Agency or Structure? Sexual Identitites and Choices in Migr ation Among Indonesian
Domestic Workers in Hong Kong” in the 6 t h Confer ence on Social
Transformations in Hong Kong and Asia: Cris is, Progress and R enewal.
Organis ed by the Hong Kong Sociological Association and the University of
Hong Kong, December 4, 2004.
“Sapphic Shadows: Sworn Sisterhoods and Cyber Lesbian Communities in Hong Kong”
in The Second Internat ional Symposium on Chinese Women and Their Network
Capital, Log-on: Chinese Women and Their Chinese Networks, October 20 - 21,
2004.
“The Cultur al Economy of Illegal Migrants in Hong Kong: Domestic Workers Who
Overstay” in the Wor kshop on Illegal Migration a nd Non-Traditional Security:
Processes of Securitis ation and Desecuritis ation in Asia, Beijing, October 10 -11,
2004.
“Sexuality in migr ation: The Cas e of Indonesian domestic Workers in Hong Kong” in
the 8 t h Asian Studies Conference. Organised by the Instit ute of Asian Cultural
Studies and International Christian University, June 19- 20 2004, Tokyo, J apan.
“Transformations in M igrator y Patterns among Filipina Domestic Workers in Hong
Kong” in the Fourth Resear ch Postgr aduate Conference 2004. Or ganised by the
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Hong Kong, 24 Apr il 2004.
“Labour Migration by Filipina Domestic Wor kers to Hong Kong: conditions, processes
and implications” in the International Workshop on Contemporary Perspectives
on Asian Transnational Dom estic Wor kers. Or ganis ed by the Asian M etaCentr e
for Population and Sus tainable Development Analysis, Asia Research Institute,
National University of Singapore, 23 -25 February 2004.
“Effects of Short -term Migration of For eign Domestic Workers: Some Observ ations
From Hong Kong” presented at the World Hakka Culture Conference: 2003 New
Hakka For New Homeland, organised by the Council for Hakka Affairs, The
Executive Yuan, Taiwan, 12 - 16 November 2003, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
“The Rise of Activism Among Indonesian Domestic Workers in Hong Kong: Cultur al
Logic and Historical Context” pres ented at the Third International Convention
of Asia Scholars. Organised by the National University of Singapore and the
International Institute for Asian Studies (Netherlands), 19 -22 Augus t 2003,
Singapore.
“Class, Gender and Agency: The Employment and Abuse of Migr ant Domestic
Workers in East and Southeast Asia” presented at the Wor kshop of Migration,
Ethnicity and Wor kfor ce Segmentation in the Asia Pacific. Organis ed by the
Southeast Asia Res ear ch Centre, City University and the Centr e for Asia Pacific
Social Tr ansformations, University of Wollongong, 11 - 12 August 2003. (Co author ed with Vivienne Wee and Celine Lim).
“Transnational Labour Networks in Female Labour Migr ation” pres ente d at the
Confer ence on International Migr ation in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Impact.
Organis ed by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 30 September to 1
October 2002. (Co - authored with Vivienne Wee).
Invited lectures
“The State, Debt Bondage and W omen’s R esponses in Hong Kong:
Leadership, Empower ment & Issues in Women’s Labour Migration”, seminar at
the Hong Kong Institute of Education, 6 June 2008.
“Have Passport, Will Travel: Working within the Context of Global Migration”, a
lecture given for the course, Globalization and Information Society: Myths, Facts
and Emerging Patterns. Department of Sociology, University of Hong Kong, 19
March 2008.
“Leadership and Empowerment in Women's Labour Migr ation:
Opportunities and Limitations”, s eminar given at National Tsing Hua University,
Taiwan, 3 October 2007.
“Whos e Fault Is It? A Study of Indonesian Illegal Migrants in Hong Kong and
Implications for Social Policy” , lecture given at The Fr ench Center For Resear ch
on Contempor ary China ( CEFC), May 5, 2005.
“Illegal Migrants in Hong Kong: For eign Workers Who Overstay” , lectur e given at the
University of Hong Kong, Department of Sociology, 17 Mar ch 2005 , for the
degree programme Bachelor of Criminal Justice.
“Labour Migration of Asian Women as Domestic W orkers: A Cas e Study of Hong
Kong, Conditions, Processes and Implications” , lectur e given at t he Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Department of Sociology, 31 Mar ch 2004 , for the
course Gender in Asia .
“Labour Activism Among Indonesian Domestic Wor kers in H ong Kong: Cultural Logic
and Histor ical Context” , lecture given at the University of Hong Kong,
Department of Sociology, 27 October 2003 , for the course, Globalization and
Information Society: M yths, Facts and Emer ging Patterns.
“Foreign Domestic Workers i n Hong Kong” , lectur e given at the University of Hong
Kong, Department of Sociology, 24 Apr il 2003 , for the course, Intro duction to
Anthropology.
“The Rise of Activism among Indonesian Domestic Workers in Hong Kong” , lecture
given at the Hong Kong Anthropo logical Association, 12 November 2003.
Book review
Review of Romance on a Global Stage: Pen pals, Virtual Ethnography, and “Mail Order" Marriages” in the
Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, Vol. 26, No. 2, 2005.
Journal reviews
1 review for the journal, Women's Studies International Forum, 2009
1 review for the Asia Pacific Migration Journal, 2007
1 review for the Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 2007
1 review for the Asia Pacific Migration Journal, 2005
Awards
2006: Commendation Certificate by t he Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong
Kong in recognition for winning the international competition for r esearch gr ant
in non-tr aditinal security issues .
2005: Awarded r esearch grant by the For d Foundation for a res ear ch project on “The
Cultur al Economy of Illegal Migrants in Hong Kong: Indones ian Domestic
Workers Who Overstay”
2004: Awarded Certificate of Distinction for Oral Pres entation in the Research
Postgraduate Conf erence in Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences,
University of Hong Kong.
2002- 2006: Awarded PhD research s cholarship by the University of Hong Kong.
1997- 2001: Awarded Scholarship from Centre for Environment, Gender and
Development, for M aster’s degree in Development Management at the Open
University (U.K.)
Consultancy

Project design and management of DFID -funded (Department for International
Development, United Kingdom) five -year project, Exploitative Practices in
Women’s Labour Migr ation as part of the cons ortium, Women’s Empowerment in
Muslim Contexts : Gender, Poverty and De mocratis ation from the Inside Out,
(http://www.wemc.com.hk/web/index.htm ), 2006- 2011.

Social audit: T en -year evaluation of the organisation, Asian Migrant Centr e in
Hong Kong, 2001

United Nations Develo pment Fund for Women ( U N I F E M ), in a project on
women’s economic empowerment in the Asia - Pacific r egion, 1999.
Honorary positions
2008-pr esent: Member of the Res ear ch Committee of the International Migrants
Alliance.
2005 - pres ent: Chair & Programme Coordi nator, Centre for Environment, Gender
and Development (ENGENDER)
Community service through research and application
Lead r esearcher for the 5 -year project from 2006 to 2011, Exploitative Practices in
Labour Export from Indonesia (Women’s Empowerment in Mus lim Contexts),
funded by the Department for International Development, United Kingdom.
Lectur er and wor kshop coordinator , from 2008, for a lecture s eries on ‘Gender and
Women’s Empowerment’ for gr assroots migr ant organisations in Hong Kong.
Teacher for English-language learning among Indonesian migrant workers in Hong
Kong and Macau, from 2008.