Over 40% of Hong Kong Women Fall Below Well-being Benchmark – Mannings Wellness for Women x YWCA GenSHE to Bring Women’s Wellness Support into the Community
More than 20 outreach activities over the coming year will support women who are “too busy to care for themselves”
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 November 2026 – Hong Kong women juggle multiple responsibilities every day, balancing work, family, and caregiving roles. While they are used to looking after the needs of those around them, their own physical and mental needs are often repeatedly postponed. Poor sleep, persistent fatigue, and emotional or physical changes are easily dismissed as “just being too busy” or “something that can be endured.” However, the body’s signals should not have to wait until red flags appear before they are noticed.
Mannings and YWCA Bring Professional Health Support to the Community
A survey conducted by the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) found that 40.6% of local women score below the well-being benchmark. Meanwhile, Mannings’ State of Health and Wellbeing Survey showed that sleep quality is the top health concern Hong Kong women would most like to improve, with 30% of female respondents across different life stages ranking better sleep as their primary health need. Together, these findings highlight that while women tirelessly meet the demands of work, family, and loved ones, they often lack the time and support to pause and attend to their own physical and mental state.
In response, Mannings has officially launched the “Mannings Wellness For Women” Campaign in partnership with YWCA “Project GenSHE“, which aims to groom a generation that cares for the spirit, health and energy of women. The collaboration aims to bring professional wellness support into the community and encourages women to start by recognizing their body’s signals, understanding their underlying needs, and seeking professional advice and suitable solutions at the right time.
Over the coming year, Mannings and YWCA will organize more than 20 community outreach activities. Through health information, professional health assessments, personalized advice and interactive experiences, the programme will reach women from diverse backgrounds and life stages—making self-care more than a reminder, but a practical first step women can take in daily life.
Rooted in Women’s Everyday: Evolving Mannings from Retail Provider to Trusted Wellness Advisor
Mannings serves a large number of female customers every day and is supported by many female colleagues. It has observed that many women entering a store are primarily focused on their family’s needs: buying daily essentials for children, selecting health products for parents, or preparing necessities for family. However, when it comes to their own health, whether they have been feeling tired, sleeping well, or experiencing changes in their physical condition, they are often less likely to prioritize themselves.
Mannings believes that women are not indifferent to their own well-being; rather, they are accustomed to putting the needs of others first. Over time, their own body’s signals become the easiest to overlook. Therefore, the “Mannings Wellness For Women” Campaign extends the role from a provider of health and personal care products to a trusted, comprehensive wellness advisor for women and families across Hong Kong. Mannings’ professional health team—including pharmacists, registered Chinese medicine practitioners, registered dietitians and health ambassadors, beauty advisors and health ambassadors? health consultants —will combine health assessments, personalized advice and diversified product solutions to help woman better understand their individual health needs and access the support, that suits their needs.
Alex Liu, Managing Director of Mannings Hong Kong, Macau and China, said: “Every day, we see many women caring meticulously for their families, yet not always paying the same attention to their own well-being. What women need is not simply a reminder to ‘take care of yourself,’ but professional support that is close to daily life, easily accessible and responsive to individual needs. Mannings hopes to become a trusted comprehensive wellness advisor for women and every Hong Kong family—accompanying women from recognizing their body’s signals and understanding their needs, to finding the next step that is right for them.”
He added: “Today is not just an event; it is the beginning of Mannings turning its commitment into action. We hope to bring professional wellness support beyond our stores and into the community, so that more women know that when their body sends a signal, they do not have to guess alone or wait until they can no longer cope before seeking help.”
Mannings’ Professional Health Resources × HK YWCA’s Community Network Translate Shared Vision into Sustainable Action
The partnership between Mannings and YWCA is built on a shared vision: women, regardless of background, age or stage of life, should have access to health support that is close to everyday life and easy to reach, giving them more space and capacity to care for themselves.
YWCA has long been rooted in the community and understands the real-life circumstances and needs of women from different backgrounds. Mannings brings professional wellness expertise, health assessments, personalized advice and diversified wellness solutions. By combining their strengths, the two organizations aim to turn care for women into community action that is accessible, participatory and sustainable.
Over the coming year, Mannings will partner with YWCA to organize more than 20 outreach activities, bringing health information, assessments and professional advice closer to women who may not otherwise proactively access such resources.
Yvonne Yeung, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association, said: “Through our community work, we meet many women who devote themselves wholeheartedly to their families and careers while continuously supporting the people around them. Yet they are often the ones most likely to put their own needs last. This is not because women do not value their health, but because the demand of multiple roles and responsibilities, often leave them with very limited time and space to care for themselves.”
She continued: “YWCA and Mannings share a common vision: we hope women’s wellness support will go beyond simply providing information and instead genuinely reach women where they are, within their communities and daily lives. By combining YWCA’s understanding of women in the community with Mannings’ professional wellness resources, we hope more women will have the opportunity to pause, recognize their own state, and know whom they can turn to for support when needed.”
First Collaboration Begins with Better Sleep: Nearly 50 Community Women Temporarily Set Aside Roles and Dedicate an Afternoon to Themselves
As the first step of the collaboration, Mannings and YWCA held their inaugural community experience event on 1 November at the YWCA Jockey Club Social Service Building in Ho Man Tin. Nearly 50 women from the community were invited to temporarily set aside their roles at work, at home and as caregivers, and dedicate an afternoon to themselves through an immersive relaxation experience.
The collaboration began with “rest and sleep”. Sleep is a shared need among women of different ages and life stages and is often the first thing sacrificed in a busy life. Sleep is also closely linked to daytime energy, mood and overall physical and mental well-being, making it a practical starting point for women to begin listening to their body’s signals.
Grace Wong Shares Her Real-life Experience Across Multiple Roles
Akina Fong: Pursuing Others’ Stories, Learning to Listen to Our Own Bodies
The event featured a “Wellness Heart-to-Heart Talk” with Grace Wong, who balances the roles of mother, artiste and content creator; a community women’s representative; Mannings Chief Pharmacist Philip Chiu Kwok-leung; and Mannings Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner Wong Man-wai to discuss how women across different roles and life stages can notice body signals that may previously have been overlooked.
The talk was moderated by veteran media personality Akina Fong. Drawing on her experience as a media professional, she shared that she is accustomed to observing, listening to and exploring other people’s stories. Yet women also need to turn their attention to themselves and ask: “What has my body been trying to tell me lately?” Grace Wong also shared that while juggling family, work and content creation, women can easily put their own needs on hold time and again. She encouraged women not to feel guilty about taking time to rest, because looking after their own well-being does not mean neglecting others.
Mannings’ professional health team also reminded participants that listening to the body does not mean self-diagnosing. Women can start by observing the timing, frequency, duration and impact of their body’s signals on daily life, then seek appropriate professional advice based on their individual situation.
Philip Chiu Kwok-leung, Chief Pharmacist of Mannings, said: “Listening to the body does not mean diagnosing yourself. When the body repeatedly sends signals, women can first observe and record their own condition before consulting the appropriate professionals. The more clearly one can describe one’s situation, the easier it is to receive suitable support.
Wong Man-wai, Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner at Mannings, said: “Sleep is not an isolated night-time issue—it can also reflect a person’s daily lifestyle rhythm and physical condition. Even when the concern is simply ‘not sleeping well,’ the underlying situation and needs can differ from one individual to another. It is important to understand a person’s overall condition before making appropriate adjustments.”
Immersive Sound Journey: Moving from “Knowing he Importancce of Rest” to Truly Taking a Pause
Beyond the dialogue and professional sharing, the event included a 45-minute immersive relaxation experience performed live by five musicians. Combining guided breathing with instrumental resonance, the session helped participants slow down in a calm environment, reconnect with their breath and become more aware of their body in the present moment.
The experience was designed not only to tell women that they need rest, but to give them a space where they could genuinely pause—temporarily setting aside daily roles and responsibilities and experiencing rest as an essential part of caring for body and mind.
The venue also offered a range of health consultation and assessment experiences, including Skin & Scalp Assessment, Chinese Wellness Consultation, Body Composition Analysis, and Cardiovascular and Stress
Index Assessments. Mannings’ Health Professional Team provided on-site consultations to help participants understand their results and individual needs, turning health assessments from a set of numbers into a starting point for better self-awareness.
Participants: Rediscover the Power of Self-Care
The event was warmly received. Accompanied by live music, participants gradually relaxed, stepped away from the day’s hustle and enjoyed a rare moment of calm and restoration.. A community women’s representative who joined the inaugural activity said: “In my daily life, I rush between work and family and often overlook signs of fatigue and sleep problems. This experience gave me a rare chance to put down my roles and responsibilities, focus on a moment of relaxation that belongs to me, and relearn how to listen to my body’s signals early and take better care of myself in daily life.”
Bringing Women’s Health Support Closer to the Community
This community event marked the first experience under the collaboration between the “Mannings Wellness for Women” Campaign and YWCA GenSHE, and serves as a starting point of a long-term partnership.
Over the coming year, the two organizations will progressively organize more than 20 community outreach activities. Through health workshops, professional health assessments, personalized advice and interactive experiences, more women from different backgrounds and life stages will be able to access practical, easily available wellness support in familiar community settings.
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About Mannings
Mannings, the health and beauty business of DFI Retail Group, is Hong Kong’s largest health and beauty retailer, recognised No.1 Most Preferred Brand* for 6 consecutive years (2021- 2026), operating over 300 outlets, including more than 60 in-store pharmacies, across Hong Kong and Macau. With a diverse range of products and services, Mannings is committed to integrating the concept of Wellness into our daily lives while pioneering a new era of health. By offering innovative health technologies, AI solutions, preventive healthcare, self-managed health tools, and digital wellness and beauty solutions, Mannings empowers individuals and families to prioritize their well-being. Mannings also provides complimentary professional services to safeguard the community’s health and beauty.
*Health, Beauty and Personal Care Retailer Survey for consumers in Hong Kong conducted by Ipsos (2021–2024) and Nielsen (2025-2026).
About YWCA
Established in 1920, YWCA has evolved into a leading social service organization with a wide spectrum of services catering to the needs of people from all walks of life, including women, children and family, youth development, elderly, primary healthcare, community health, early childhood education and secondary education. Currently, it has over 110 service units located in Hong Kong and the service attendance exceeds 3.3 million annually. For more information, please visit http://www.ywca.org.hk.
