Travel Bans Don't Work, Domestic Workers Need More Protection

This letter was published in The Straits Times on 28 April 2015.

ECONOMIC empowerment, access to education and the creation of jobs are what the Indonesian government needs to do in order to provide their women with better lives (“Indonesia’s dilemma over foreign domestic workers”; April 16).

Banning them from going abroad to work will not resolve the problems these women and their families face, and it is a violation of their right to migrate and seek better opportunities elsewhere.
However, the responsibility for the economic empowerment and social protection of these women cannot just lie with Indonesia alone.

Receiving countries, such as Singapore, have an equal role to play. There are approximately 220,000 migrant domestic workers and the population White Paper has projected their numbers to rise to 300,000 by 2030 to serve families with elderly persons.

Our recent survey of nearly 700 of these women showed that almost a quarter suffered from mental problems and only 54 per cent received adequate medical attention when they are sick. More than a quarter experienced some form of economic abuse, and 65 per cent reported not being treated with dignity by their employer or their employer’s family. Singapore must, and can do more to, ensure their well-being.

Domestic workers should be protected by minimum wage legislation and their working hours have to be regulated. Overtime pay, maternity leave, annual leave, sick leave and other statutory benefits in the Employment Act should be extended to them. They should also have the right to form and join unions. Hong Kong has extended these rights to domestic workers and there is no reason Singapore cannot do the same.

We should increase our international cooperation and enter into bilateral agreements with Indonesia and other sending countries to protect these women from human trafficking and exploitative recruiters.Migrant domestic workers are often unseen and unheard. They are part of the Singapore story and their contributions should be recognised, not just through the giving of awards to appreciate their hard work, but also in ways which provide them with better protection of their rights and welfare.