The protection and empowerment of Indonesian female migrant domestic workers: Proposals from a multi-stage analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT Migrant female domestic workers are subject to an overarching system of isolation, subordination, and exploitation due to the intersection of their gender, low education, and foreign-migrant status. This is a study of Indonesian female migrant domestic workers and their actual experiences in the six distinct stages of their journey that have not been previously acknowledged. This enabled us to uncover the distinct exploitation and abuse problems they encountered at different stages and propose how these problems may be addressed, apart from formulating proposals for fundamental reform. We conclude by identifying ways in which the problems can be mitigated, or even fully addressed in some cases, through more active intervention by their home country.