Measures To Deal With Underage Domestic Workers Questionable
A version of this letter was published in The Straits Times on 6 January 2011.
HOME has, over the years, housed approximately 20 underage foreign domestic workers (FDWs). Of these, two attempted suicide, one was convicted of theft, one will be on trial for child abuse, one was persuaded by her employer to have an abortion and the others were victims of some form of abuse and exploitation.
Therefore we do view the recruitment and placement of underage FDWs with grave concern. The work of the FDW in Singapore is extremely demanding for a ‘village teenager’. We are therefore glad that MOM has made it clear that this will not be condoned and that the onus is on employment agencies (EAs) to ensure that FDWs brought in are not underage.
However serious problems remain. The well-intentioned move to raise the entry age from 18 to 23 years has led to a shortage of FDWs and therefore new devices by EAs to beat the rule. There is clearly a need for the authorities in both Singapore and sending countries to work together with greater tenacity to combat this illicit trade in underage teenage women into domestic work.
Some observations and concerns:
• We question why MOM would continue to rely on the official passport as evidence of age. It is a known fact that the official passports from some sending countries can be doctored.
• We question why MOM has chosen to penalise only 4 out of the 14 EAs last year who brought in ‘underage’ FDWs. This is not in line with encouraging EAs to police this issue more effectively. The difficulty facing EAs in authenticating the age of inbound FDWs suggests the need for a checklist of measures which EAs should be held accountable for implementing.
• Some EAs and employers unfortunately compel FDWs to work on even if they are mentally or emotionally incompetent, or have decided to “come clean” about their real age. This is done so as to discharge the FDW’s debt to the EA and to avoid disruption to the employer respectively. Often EAs threaten FDWs that they would be ‘jailed’ if they are found to be underage. In the enforcement of the law, underage FDWs who have decided to report an EA or employer who has compelled them not to reveal their real age should be offered witness protection and immunity from prosecution.
• We are of the view that where underage women are traded, the agencies in both the sending and destination countries should face consequences, the former in terms of blacklisting by Singapore for example.
The recent ‘murder’ has tragically highlighted that more has to be done by the States and the EAs to eradicate the placement of underage and mentally incompetent FDWs to care for young children and elderly in the homes of our employers.