Hong Kong women are frequently forced into it by economic necessity. This makes more difficult the work of the Women's and Girls' Section of the Department which is responsible for the rehabilitation of young prostitutes and the care and protection of girls and unmarried mothers.
43. The Protection of Women and Juveniles Ordinance contains extensive provisions designed to protect women and girls from exploita- tion. Chief among them are those aimed at preventing trafficking in females and the running of brothels. The enforcement of the Ordinance is primarily a matter for the Police Force; there were 90 successful prosecutions during the year, details of which are shown in Appendix 8.
44. The officers of this Section conducted more than 27,000 inter- views during the year and paid some 4,000 home visits to girls under their care. More than 700 new cases were taken on during the same period (See Appendix 9) and by the end of the year there were 2,684 women and girls whose welfare was still the concern of the Section.
45. Marriage and employment are often the keys to rehabilitation; 86 girls in the care of this Section or at Pelletier Hall (see paragraph 47 below) were married and 281 found work during the year. Only five of the marriages were solemnized in accordance with Chinese custom, the rest being performed in registries or churches. Most of the work secured for the women and girls was in factories or households. However, a few were also engaged as typists and shop assistants.
46. Towards the end of 1960 a vocational training centre was set up for girls under the care of the Department at the Wong Tai Sin resettlement estate. There about 50 young prostitutes, dance hostesses, bar girls and some normal girls are given training with a view to secur- ing employment in textile or garment factories.
47. The Section works very closely with two voluntary institutions— Pelletier Hall and the Po Leung Kuk. Pelletier Hall is a home run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd who have similar homes in other parts of the world. Admission is through the recommendation of the Department only. The Home provides residential care and domestic and vocational training for about 152 girls, most of whom are between the ages of 14 and 18. A measure of the success of the Home lies in the fact that about 90 per cent of the girls who have been trained therein since 1956 have been able to resume a normal way of life after their discharge. During the year a reception and transit section was built at the Home to accommodate another 32 girls. The Po Leung Kuk provides a refugee for unmarried mothers and their children and
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