Incorporating Foreign Domestic Workers as Providers of Family Care: Case Studies of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore

Abstract

Focusing on policies relating to the over 700,000 foreign domestic workers in East Asia, this chapter examines how these foreign domestic workers are incorporated within labor and welfare policies as providers of family care. Foreign domestic workers and welfare providers in East Asia have played an important role in the process of industrialization. The existence of foreign domestic workers suggests the formation of a common labor policy, immigration policy and alternative welfare policy in East Asia. The countries and regions examined in the chapter have the following factors in common: limited workforce, orientation towards the principle of development, residual welfare, and rapidly aging populations. The chapter examines how foreign domestic workers have been included under these conditions in an attempt to compensate for shortages in care providers as we see more women join the workforce and aging populations increase. Keywords: care providers; East Asia; foreign domestic workers; immigration policy; labor policy; limited workforce; rapidly aging populations; welfare policy; women