Voices out of the Shadows: Migrant Women Workers from Senegal

Abstract

Young and recently widowed mother-of-three, Toulaye1 moved to Italy in 2010 to look for work. Back in her native Senegal, sexual harassment by her boss and a bullying culture forced her to quit a prestigious job in the finance sector. With her qualifications not being recognised in Italy, she turned her hand to whatever she could find; mostly in the care sector. Toulaye was frequently blackmailed by one employer, only too aware of her staff’s undocumented status. When Toulaye refused her sexual advances, she found herself out on the street and denied six weeks’ of backdated wages. Years later, after Toulaye successfully navigated the labyrinthine Italian immigration system, the harassment still didn’t desist. An employer installed cameras everywhere, including the shower. In order to keep him on side, Toulaye’s agency advised her not to pursue the matter. This is the first of many stories collated in a 2021 report foregrounding the myriad experiences of migrant women from West Africa. It’s with the sad recognition that accounts like Toulaye’s are all too common, that Testimonies of Migrant Women Workers in Senegal came about. An 8-month long collaborative effort between Germany’s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) foundation, RSMMS (The Trade Union Network for Mediterranean Sub-Saharan Migration) and Senegal’s inter-trade union action on migration (CARISM), the project was greatly influenced by the adoption in 2019 of the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 190 (C190) - and Recommendation 206 - on violence and harassment in the world of work. Grassroots civil society campaigning has already been instrumental in driving changes to Senegalese legislation on sexual assault. As well as criminalising rape and paedophilia, Law 2020-05 makes reference to harassment and ‘indecent behaviour’. In light of these recent victories, the research aims to buttress campaign efforts for ratification and full implementation of C190 in the Sahel countries, including by the Réseau National des Femmes Syndicalistes du Sénégal (RENAFES, English: The National Network of Women Trade Unionists of Senegal). ‘This work is a valuable contribution by women trade unionists; principled activists who combine solidarity with workers in the field’ says Naima Hammami, Deputy Secretary General of the UGTT (Tunisian General Labour Union) on behalf of the RSMMS. ‘A far cry from slogans and declarations of principle, the…publication highlights the violence and harassment that women in general, and migrant women in particular, endure’. The advent of C190 was not the only motivating factor. In search of data around the living and working conditions of migrants, FES Tunisia discovered there was a dearth. ‘The results showed the necessity of paying more attention to migrants’ situation who, because of their isolation, are out of the state’s reach and often remain hard for unions and associations to access’ says occupational safety and health consultant Fambaye Ndoye, author of the report. Whilst acknowledging the realities of the pandemic, the research team remained undeterred. Comprised of academics and legal professionals, they found innovative ways to reach the women. With the help of contacts on the ground, the RSMMS put researchers in touch with potential interviewees. The use of WhatsApp proved highly pragmatic. All the women interviewed had the application. They could communicate discreetly with the team whilst at work. For those who did not have access to wi-fi, data was provided. Of course, this purely online medium came with challenges, such as long lapses of contact. Interviews had to be conducted piece-meal. There were technical problems and often poor sound quality. More challenging still, not all the women were forthcoming. Some subjects were considered offlimits and interviewees would refuse to continue. For those who did open up, researchers noticed a reluctance to discuss the extent of their emotional trauma. The vast majority of those interviewed would only do so under the cloak of anonymity. These brief accounts are nonetheless rich and poignant. After a relatively happy stint working for a family in Spain, Awa was convinced by a friend to move to Saudi Arabia in 2012. It’s a depressingly familiar story of smugglers and wage theft, only for Awa to be burdened furthermore by invented debts. Domestic workers’ rights evaporate once they cross the...