Migrant Domestic Workers Research Articles

Informal caregiving time and its monetary value in the context of older adults in Singapore

BackgroundLittle is known about the caregiving time of different types of caregivers in Singapore or its monetary value. We quantified the caregiving time of primary informal, secondary informal, and migrant domestic worker (MDW) caregivers of older adults and estimated the monetary value of caregiving time of primary and secondary informal caregivers. Methods278 primary informal caregivers reported the time provided by themselves, secondary informal caregivers and MDW caregivers in a typical week helping their care-recipients, aged ≥75 years, with activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs, healthcare and social care use, other needs, and supervision of MDW caregivers. We estimated monetary value using the proxy good method. ResultsOn average, primary and secondary informal caregivers provided 33.0 (annual monetary value: S$15,959) and 8.4 (annual monetary value: S$4,062) caregiving hours/week. MDW caregivers provided even more – 42.0 h/week. Care-recipients received 60.5 h of care/week on average. Nationally, the monetary value of informal caregiving time for Singaporeans aged ≥75 years requiring human assistance was about S$1.28 billion. ConclusionThis study highlights the substantial time commitment of informal and MDW caregivers. Our estimates of the monetary value of informal caregiving time can inform economic evaluations of care models for older adults and policies for supporting informal caregivers, particularly in societies that rely heavily on informal care.

Home-bound precarity: home violence on return Indonesian migrant domestic workers

ABSTRACT Migration for work is often an unending journey. Many Indonesian women spend years as domestic workers overseas before they return home, and there is often no definitive answer as to when they should return, and whether such a return is ‘final’. Migration scholars have long critiqued neoliberal capitalism and the global job market for subjecting workers to uncertainty and precarity. Yet, few have explored the precarity faced by return migrant women at home. Drawing on the results of our field interviews conducted on return workers in East Java and workers in Hong Kong, we develop the concept of ‘home-bound precarity’ to examine the financial and moral violence imposed on migrant women. We argue that ‘home-bound precarity’ is one of the root causes of migrant workers’ protracted precarity. The research opens a rich vein of inquiry into return migration and sheds new light on the understanding of labor precarity.

Conflicts and interactions in urban tourism: Use of urban public space by residents, tourists, and migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong

Conflicts over the use of public resources are not uncommon in urban destinations. While tourist-resident conflicts are well-researched, previous studies have not considered marginalized groups who cannot be categorized as tourists or locals, such as migrant domestic workers (MDWs). This study aims to explore the use of urban public spaces by residents, tourists, and MDWs and whether their co-presence leads to conflicts or interactions and understanding. In-depth interviews with MDWs and short interviews with residents and tourists were conducted. Findings revealed the sources of public space conflicts, including place, recreationist, and behavioral factors, and the varied experiences sought in open spaces. Nevertheless, residents and tourists expressed a high level of tolerance and understanding of MDWs' circumstances, which prevented direct conflicts. Although sharing the same public space did not necessarily facilitate cross-group social interactions, tourists and residents appreciated the diversity in public spaces, which also transformed tourists’ impression of Hong Kong.

Engendering migrant counterpublics: fun, care, solidarity, and resistance among Ethiopian domestic workers in Lebanon

ABSTRACT Research documenting the re-configurations of ‘public–private’ boundaries encountered by migrant domestic workers has observed how they often create a sense of ‘home’ in public spaces in destination countries. Migrant workers’ occupation of, and interactions in, public spaces such as parks, malls, restaurants, and churches in effect create ‘private spheres’ where they can relax and be themselves with friends and sometimes partners. Yet migrant women also often face a double exclusion from the public sphere as political subjects, first as women and second as migrants. Their physical presence in the public sphere may be highly regulated by gender norms, and their participation in the public sphere is limited due to their exclusion from citizenship or even labour entitlements. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s concept of subaltern counterpublics, this paper argues that migrant domestic workers’ experiences of re-configuring public and private spaces within Lebanon contribute to the creation of ‘migrant counterpublics’ that challenges the methodological-nationalist limitations of conceptualisations of citizenship and participation in the public sphere. I make these reflections through an auto-ethnographic account of my experiences while researching the working lives and conditions of Ethiopian migrant domestic workers in Lebanon. Central to these reflections on our navigation of public spaces is the consideration of our embodied experiences as racialised women, which intersected with our differential class, sexuality, and migrant status positioning.

“They're Formidable, They're Beautiful, They're Hiding”: Filipina Migrant Domestic Workers in London and Dreams of a Global Union

“They're Formidable, They're Beautiful, They're Hiding”: Filipina Migrant Domestic Workers in London and Dreams of a Global Union

Improving awareness of foreign domestic workers during the COVID-19 pandemic using infographics: An experience during the crisis

The COVID-19 epidemic is a significant humanitarian crisis witnessed in contemporary times, necessitating the exploration of techniques and approaches that might augment the capabilities of individuals within society to mitigate the adverse consequences of this pandemic. Domestic workers have always been an important part of societal structure, and it is essential to ensure their awareness about the perils of the pandemic as well as implement preventive measures. This is crucial in order to effectively address the hazards associated with the ongoing epidemic. The primary objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of infographic technology in augmenting the level of knowledge among foreign domestic workers on the COVID-19 epidemic. The present study employed a quasi-experimental design to examine and compare the effects of infographic technology on the experimental group, while the control group received only public awareness messages disseminated to all citizens and residents. The study sample comprised (16) foreign domestic workers, who were assigned to the two research groups through a random allocation process. The development of the COVID-19 pandemic awareness scale was conducted. The measurement scale consisted of three dimensions: the cognitive awareness dimension, including a set of (12) statements; the performative awareness dimension, comprising a set of (8) statements; and the psychological awareness dimension, comprising a set of (10) statements. The findings demonstrated the superiority of the experimental group, which used the infographic approach, over the control group in fostering awareness of the COVID-19 epidemic throughout its three dimensions among the participants of the study. The study suggested the need of expanding the utilization of infographics in an attempt to enhance knowledge and awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside the establishment of varied databases for migrant domestic workers. The objective is also to develop an extensive digital awareness strategy about the impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic, so as to include an increased number of informative infographics.

Is it Discriminatory to Mistreat a Migrant Domestic Worker? The Cases of Taiwo and Onu

Abstract When presented with images of the American plantations, seamstress sweatshops, Morecambe Bay’s Chinese cockle pickers or Qatar’s World Cup stadium builders, a sense of inequality will accompany any normal reaction of shock and revulsion. The exploitation of a group of migrant workers readily is characterised as racist, sexist or both. Yet, when reduced to the sole migrant worker, the legal recognition of discrimination is denied. In such cases, the UK Supreme Court posits a clear distinction between vulnerability and nationality. Not only does this seem somewhat doctrinal and lacking in principle, it produces a likely anomaly between the group and individual exploitation. It also stymies claims for the inevitable psychological harm. This paper presents a brief account of the plight of migrant workers in the UK and the legal landscape regarding trafficking. The main body presents a critical appraisal of the Supreme Court’s denial, in Taiwo v Olaigbe and Onu v Akwiwu, that the mistreatment of a sole migrant worker is not discriminatory. It demonstrates that equality law readily can recognise discrimination in such cases. This is followed by some considerations on policy and alternative remedies.

Beyond Kafala! Employers’ discriminatory attitudes and violations of the rights and freedoms of women migrant domestic workers in Lebanon

Abstract Women migrant domestic workers (WMDWs) constitute 7.7 per cent of migrant workers worldwide, of whom more than a quarter work in the Arab region under the exploitative Kafala, system. In this article, we center employers as key actors in the making of the discursive meaning of Kafala. Utilizing data from a mixed-methods study on Lebanese employers of live-in WMDWs, we investigate whether practices that violate the rights and freedoms of workers are determined by the employers’ knowledge of what Kafala and local legal obligations entail versus other factors. The findings reveal that, although knowledge of legal obligations increases compliance with basic worker rights, employers shape the meaning of Kafala through practices that resonate with their discriminatory attitudes and financial interests. Thus, whilst benefit may accrue from enhancing employers’ knowledge of local legal obligations, only anti-racism advocacy that addresses deep-seated discriminatory attitudes and mobilizes employer morality would improve the rights and freedoms of WMDWs. The article does not abrogate Kafala as an exploitative system but calls for centering employers who, through their daily practices, contribute to shaping its meaning and reinforcing its power.

Indonesia Diplomacy in Protecting the Rights of Indonesian Migrant Domestic Workers in Malaysia (2017-2022)

This research aims to discuss the diplomatic efforts made by the Indonesian government to protect Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) in the domestic sector in Malaysia, where the majority of PMI are undocumented. In this case, the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is the representative of the Republic of Indonesia in Malaysia, which provides services and protection for Indonesian Citizens (Indonesian citizens) who stay in Malaysia, including human rights and migrant worker rights that every worker must have. This research will use qualitative methods with data collection techniques from observation, interviews, participation, and literature study originating from books, journals, articles, official reports, and online news. This research implements the track one diplomacy, negotiations, and international migration concept. The findings of this study show that the Indonesian government is making diplomatic efforts with Malaysia to provide maximum protection for PMI in the domestic sector of Malaysia. One of the ways the government provides PMI protection is through lengthy negotiations with Malaysia, which eventually resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Domestic Workers in Malaysia in April 2022. Keywords: Track One Diplomacy, Indonesian Migrant Workers, Protection of Human Rights, Workers Rights

Emotional Intelligence as Predictor of Work Motivation: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem - Case of Prospective Indonesian Domestic Migrant Workers

Abstracts are written in Indonesian and English wit Through the Decree of the Minister of Manpower No. 313 of 2015 established the Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (SKKNI) for domestic workers which became the guideline for competency test material for Prospective Indonesian Domestic Migrant Workers (Ministry of Manpower, 2015). Most of those competencies are technical competencies such as Operating Cleaning Equipment, Cleaning Living Rooms and Bedrooms or Cleaning Bathrooms and Toilet Facilities, which are easily observed by the assessor with the naked eye, so we consider it necessary to find out the mental processes behind the technical activities of Prospective Indonesian Domestic Migrant Workers such as how they identify their own strengths and weaknesses, self-motivation and managing emotions that encourage work motivation. The study was non-experimental based on quantitative research and utilized a survey method to collect data. Linear regression method was used to predicts the value of the Intrinsic Motivation, which is the response or outcome Emotional Intelligence being analyzed. The hypothesis of this study is that there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and work motivation which is mediated by self-efficacy. The data collected consisted of 210 Prospective Domestic Migrant Workers. Based on the results of the Pearson correlation coefficient, it can be seen that there is significant relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Intrinsic Motivation (r (208) = 1,0; p < 0,001), partially mediated by Self-Efficacy, which is 28.1%. Thus, all Job Training Institutions for Prospective Indonesian Domestic Migrant Workers must pay more attention to developing emotional intelligence for Prospective Indonesian Domestic Migrant Workers, instead of only focusing on providing technical knowledge related to work, but also psychological provision because it has been proven that technical ability has a positive correlation with emotions in predicting work motivation.

Identities and the City: Socialities amongst Migrant Domestic Workers in Kolkata

Migrant subjectivities, experiences and agency have not received the attention needed within development studies discussions on migration, and gender remains to be mainstreamed within understandings of migration. This article attempts to contribute towards bridging these gaps by outlining the findings of a study that explored sociality amongst migrant domestic workers in Kolkata. It outlines experiences of living the migrant identity amongst women migrating from rural West Bengal to Kolkata as well as forms of sociality they engage in at the level of the everyday. Socialities with their employers at the site of paid domestic work allow them to lay claims to the city by drawing on identities based in the Partition of India, 1947. Drawing on the concepts of ‘beings’ from Amartya Sen’s capability approach and of the ‘right to the city’, originally formulated by Henri Lefebvre, the article captures two significant questions emerging from these socialities: those of identity and self, and relationship with the city. It further shows the interrelation between these two frameworks that becomes apparent in the context of what the above socialities imply for the women in the study.

Book Review: Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Movement-Building, and Communities of Care by Ethel Tungohan and Solidarity & Care: Domestic Worker Activism in New York City by Alana Lee Glaser

Book Review: <i>Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Movement-Building, and Communities of Care</i> by Ethel Tungohan and <i>Solidarity &amp; Care: Domestic Worker Activism in New York City</i> by Alana Lee Glaser

The social determinants of migrant domestic worker (MDW) health and well-being in the Western Pacific Region: A Scoping Review.

The health and well-being of transnational migrant domestic workers (MDWs) is a pressing but largely neglected public health concern. The Asia Pacific region is home to over 20% of the global MDW population. Living and working conditions, social contexts, political environments, and migration regimes are recognized as consequential to the health of this population, but currently no synthesis of available literature to prioritize research or policy agenda setting for MDW has yet been conducted. This scoping review screened 6,006 peer-reviewed articles and 1,217 gray literature sources, identifying 173 articles and 276 gray literature sources that reported key MDW health outcomes, social determinants of health, and related interventions. The majority of identified studies were observational and focused on the prevalence of common mental disorders and chronic physical conditions, with most studies lacking population representativeness. Identified social determinants of health were primarily concerned with personal social and financial resources, and health knowledge and behaviors, poor living and working conditions, community resources, experienced stigma and discrimination, poor healthcare access, exploitation within the MDW employment industry, and weak governance. Six interventional studies were identified that targeted individual-level health determinants such as financial and health knowledge with mixed effectiveness. Future population representative epidemiological and respondent driven sampling studies are needed to estimate population health burdens. In addition, randomized control trials and public health intervention studies are needed to improve women's health outcomes and address proximal health determinants to reduce health inequalities. Leveraging social networks and community facing non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are promising directions to overcome access to care for this population.

Book Review Symposium on Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Communities of Care, and Movement Building

Book Review Symposium on <i>Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Communities of Care, and Movement Building</i>

Exploring the Intersection of Legal Regulations and Feminization of Migration: A Focus on Migrant Women Working in Domestic Services in Türkiye

One of the trends that have come to the fore with globalization is the increased visibility of women in migration. As the rate of women’s participation in the labor force through paid work has increased, their mobility from rural to urban areas or from one part of the world to another has also increased. In this process, also known as the feminization of migration, women have become geographically more mobile than ever before in history. With this process, women started to migrate independently from their family members across national borders to work in a variety of jobs, particularly domestic work and sex work. The diversion of domestic work (caring for the sick, children and elderly, cleaning, etc.) to women in poorer countries through the global division of labor has played an important role in this change. This division of labor, which arises from the combination of the gendered character of domestic work and cheap female labor, has necessitated the geographical mobility of poorer women from all over the world. As a result, women have also begun to engage in geographical mobility on a global scale. In addition to these reasons that push women to migrate, developments in destination countries that create demand for migrant women’s labor are also important. Today, almost every part of the world has become a destination point for women migrating for domestic work. Especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Türkiye has also become one of these target countries. However, migrant women have faced various problems in Türkiye, both due to deficiencies in existing regulations and political attitudes towards migrants. These women, most of whom work as domestic workers, have been at the center of problems arising from both the migration system and the specific conditions of domestic work. In this study, the problems faced by female migrant domestic workers in Türkiye are discussed within the aforementioned framework. In particular, the main axis of the discussion is how domestic workers are affected by legal regulations in Türkiye. The study interrogates how women’s migration to Türkiye has developed within the existing migration system and examines the migration experience of migrant women working as domestic workers in Türkiye.

"We Need to Go Back Home (to) the Philippines Healthy": An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Migrant Domestic Workers' Experiences of Having Breast Cancer in Hong Kong.

Diagnoses of breast cancer are continuing to increase in the Philippines, but little is known about incidence rates among the significant number of Filipino women working abroad as migrant domestic workers (MDWs). These women are often the main income providers for their families, and their ability to work depends upon their physical health and strength. In this article, we use interpretive phenomenological analysis to explore the experiences of 10 MDWs from the Philippines who were diagnosed with breast cancer during a period of employment in Hong Kong. Analysis of these narratives revealed numerous points at which their status as temporary, transnational migrant workers intersected with their experiences of breast cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment. We argue that these women's experiences of breast cancer were shaped by the structures of migration that link the Philippines with host destinations like Hong Kong. These structures create a unique context in which these women had to constantly renegotiate their identities as migrants, financial providers, and breast cancer patients.

Geographies of Bodily (Dis)Possession: Domestic Work, Unfreedom, and Spirit Possessions in Singapore

Singapore’s labor-migration regime has come under much scrutiny for the ways in which it unequally positions employers vis-à-vis their migrant “workers.” One domestic worker, Rosamie, described the work permit she was issued as a “curse,” as it bound her to her employers as property, leaving her vulnerable to exploitation and violence. Drawing on ethnographic research, this article argues that multiscalar geographies of bodily (dis)possession are produced by Singapore’s labor-migration regime, which shape migrant domestic workers’ everyday lives. By engaging directly with the concepts of possession and dispossession, this article reveals the ways in which migrant domestic workers are themselves rendered bodily possessions in Singapore; with the state, employers, employment agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and ghosts all involved in creating this dynamic. Indeed, as I demonstrate, the permanence, freedoms, and authority of both employers and (shelter-based) ghosts stood in stark contrast to the disposability, unfreedom, and powerlessness that domestic workers (particularly those residing in shelters) often experienced and felt. I also explain how domestic workers’ lack of autonomy and bodily (dis)possession was (re)produced at different geographic scales: within the nation, individual dwelling spaces, and the body.

Negotiating Leisure Constraints in the Pandemic: The Case of Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong

How did migrant domestic workers accomplish serious leisure during the pandemic (Stebbins RA (1982) Serious leisure: A conceptual statement. Pac Sociol Rev 25(2):251–272, 1982)? In this paper, I look at the uneven effects of the disruptions in leisure activities as governments introduced lockdowns and physical distancing measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. While the restrictions were applied broadly across societies, it is necessary to examine how these played out for ‘temporary’ migrant communities subjected to different conditions of stay in their host countries. I address this question by looking at the experience of One Filipino Migrants – a network of Filipino domestic worker organizations in Hong Kong engaged in advocacy work for migrant workers’ welfare even prior to the pandemic. In the Special Administrative Region, the prescribed living-in arrangements and the absence of spatial separation between home and work life steer these mostly female workers to spend their leisure time outside their domicile. But with the spread of COVID-19, their leisure activities are now met with stringent physical distancing measures. Through interviews and participant observation, I narrate how their pre-pandemic activities were scaled down through government and employer regulation of their use of leisure spaces and mandated time off. But I also show their capacity to negotiate with constraints through behavioral changes while challenging notions that portray them as virus carriers. This paper shows how leisure constraints could grow in disaster situations. But it also highlights how leisure agents can come up with negotiation tactics to maintain participation.

Employment conditions and mental health of overseas female migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong: a parallel mediation analysis

BackgroundFemale migrant domestic workers (MDW), approximately 8.5 million globally, often live in their employer’s home under vulnerable conditions. In Hong Kong, MDWs currently comprise 5% of the population. This study was conducted to assess the association between employment conditions and mental health, and the mediating roles stress and job satisfaction have, among female MDWs in Hong Kong.MethodsParticipants completed an online cross-sectional survey. A total of 1,965 survey were collected between August 2020 and August 2021. Questions in the survey were related to MDWs background information, employment conditions, stress, job satisfaction, and two mental health outcomes: anxiety and depression. An employment conditions score was created to assess the cumulative effect poor employment conditions had on mental health. A multicategorical parallel mediation analysis was used to assess the direct effect employment conditions have on mental health and the indirect effects through stress and job satisfaction.ResultsOverall, 17.7% of MDWs were reported to be suffering from anxiety and 30.8% from depression. An increase in poor employment conditions was statistically associated with an increase in both outcomes, while stress levels and job satisfaction mediated this association.ConclusionsThe findings call for increased scrutiny of employment conditions and mental well-being of MDWs.

Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Movement-Building, and Communities of Care Ethel Tungohan, Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2023, pp. 256

Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Movement-Building, and Communities of Care Ethel Tungohan, Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2023, pp. 256