To honour International Women’s Day this year, migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong held a solidarity rally at Causeway Bay on Sunday. In the event organised by Indonesian Migrant Network (JBMI) and members of Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB-IMA-HK), foreign domestic workers (FDWs) held speeches and dance performances, followed by a march starting from Paterson Street and ending at the Indonesian consulate.
International Women’s Day takes place on March 8th every year as a celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
FDWs – especially women – from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, face discrimination, verbal and physical abuse, and even imprisonment.
Photo: Loryjean Yungco
Despite the massive contribution of FDW to the Indonesian economy, they remain largely oppressed.
Sring Atin, the chairperson of Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Union (IMWU) says: “We demand the Indonesian government to stop the practice of human trafficking through recruitment agencies and criminalize overcharging.”
FDWs in Hong Kong also face unfair treatment. Some local recruitment agencies have been known to charge an excessive amount in placement fees, up to five times the minimum monthly wage of a newly placed migrant worker. For a domestic helper, this makes earning money for her family back home even more difficult.
Meanwhile, labour-exporting governments who are unable to provide decent jobs in their own countries continue to rob migrant workers of their livelihood.
Hong Kong FDWs continue to call for a revision of their conditions of employment, especially regarding the live-in rule, which requires them to live with their employers, and the two-week rule, which gives migrant workers only 14 days to find a new job in Hong Kong if their current contract is terminated.
Words: Indonesian Migrant Network (JBMI) / Adrian Lo
Got a tip? Send it to us at hongkong@coconuts.co
