Women migrants in Hong Kong: Countering the “uncaring” domestic work

In our third entry for the Women’s Month article series, “Beyond Lands and Seas: How women migrants in Asia Pacific build solidarity and resist oppression”, we talked to Sringatin from the Jaringan Buruh Migran Indonesia (JBMI, or Network of Indonesian Migrant Workers). She discussed the pressing issues of migrant women in Hong Kong today such as visa discrimination and lack of support given to them. Sringatin also shared with APMM some recommendations in ensuring justice and safety of migrant domestic workers, as well as her aspirations for a future in line with the needs and goals of women abroad.   

Women migrant domestic workers (MDWs) remain to be at the core of care work amid vulnerable working conditions, confined in their employers’ homes and subject to meager wages. This is the everyday lived reality of approximately 8.5 million women around the world as of 2024, and Hong Kong, for one, is no stranger to this.

Women MDWs constitute 5% of Hong Kong’s population. A closer look into statistical data shows that women MDWs comprise 98.5% of all MDWs in Hong Kong, 55% of which are from the Philippines and 43% from Indonesia. 

Although deemed viable to the local economy, women MDWs are seen as mere “tools,” as around 340,000 of them have been facing the brunt of low pay, insufficient labor protection mechanisms, eroding accountability of employers, and a punitive policy framework in Hong Kong.

Sringatin from the Jaringan Buruh Migran Indonesia (JBMI, or Network of Indonesian Migrant Workers) illustrates more of the conditions, struggles, and hopes of women MDWs in Hong Kong in an interview with APMM.

Perilous paths: Lacking “care” in care work 

In recent years, the economic crisis has taken its toll on women MDWs in Hong Kong, exacerbating long-standing challenges and creating new ones. From soaring prices of basic necessities to visa discrimination, women MDWs find themselves trapped in a cycle of vulnerability and exploitation, all whilst trying to make ends meet.

One of the most pressing issues faced by MDWs is the increase in the price of basic daily needs. The cost of living continues to rise, while wages remain stagnant or even continue to decrease. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), migrant domestic workers receive a minimum monthly wage of at least $600 — insufficient to sustain personal needs in their destination country whilst sending back money to their families at home.

Visa discrimination further compounds the job security of women MDWs, in particular through their vulnerable and precarious employment contracts. 

“We must immediately leave Hong Kong when the contract is terminated and must return to the country of origin to wait for the processing of a work visa,” Sring laments. 

In accordance with Hong Kong's two-week regulation, domestic workers are forced to depart from the city within a two-week period if they become unemployed – a policy that discourages them from leaving abusive employers out of fear of facing deportation. They are also often prohibited from changing employers or jobs, facing accusations of job hopping that further restricts their mobility and economic opportunities within and outside of Hong Kong.

The lack of adequate support from representatives of sending countries further exacerbates these difficulties faced by MDWs. Services provided are often limited, and worse, fail to address the concrete problems and needs of migrant workers. The lack of legal safeguards for women MDWs, as Sring points out, leaves them without essential assistance and guidance in navigating their precarious situations. 

There also exists systematic overcharging and confiscation of documents, as well as the system of placement of migrant workers through private businesses and recruitment agencies. Many MDWs and their families find themselves trapped in debt bondage due to exorbitant recruitment fees, with no recourse for complaint or compensation from government authorities.

Beyond these, MDWs have been actively asserting their rights, but have since been met with greater injustice. Intimidation tactics have been employed against victims and their families that create an environment of fear and insecurity, further silencing those who seek justice for women MDWs. They continue to face severe limitations on their freedom of expression and political participation – the state’s desperate and unjust move to stifle their freedoms and continue the cycle of labor exploitation.

Paving the way forward: Ensuring a safe and just migrant domestic work
To address the challenges faced by migrant workers, Sring asserts that it is crucial to implement empowerment programs to strengthen the resilience and organizational capacity of women MDWs, as well as other sectors of migrants and workers around the globe. These programs are aimed at enabling workers to navigate difficult conditions and advocate for their rights effectively. 

As important, Sring points to the crucial aspect of fostering cross-sector solidarity at local, regional, and international levels to strengthen the struggle against precarious and inhumane MDW work. She adds that policies and programs should put prime importance on women, particularly through “expanding welfare services for both migrant workers and our family members.”

These can be supplemented by further collaborating with non-governmental organizations specializing in supporting grassroots initiatives, particularly through providing invaluable resources such as educational opportunities, financial aid, and platforms for advocacy in local, national, and global spheres.

With these suggestions, Sring hopes that women MDWs and peoples across the globe can inch closer towards creating a more enabling environment where one can thrive and assert their rights.

Hopes and aspirations: Visions of a better society for MDWs

Like any other migrant worker forced to leave their family and navigate terrains of precarity in a foreign land, Sring has her own share of visions of a world without forced migration.

At the heart of it, she says that it is her utmost desire “to return to our home country, gather with family, and get sustainable work with decent wages in our country.” 

Women MDWs, forced to work abroad to provide for their family, are also confronted with significant losses. Mothers, for example, are separated from their children whilst raising and taking care of other people’s kids. They are deprived of their right to be with their families and see through their kids’ developmental stages.

Beyond her personal life, Sring asserts that migrant work should be “free from all forms of discrimination and violence, whether discrimination due to visa status, race, religion, employment, and women [gender].” This hopes to address the perilous paths that women MDWs face, as earlier elaborated on by Sring.

Of equal importance is building a system that can provide safe spaces for migrant workers to organize and mobilize politically. Sring notes that political freedoms are essential for them to be able to freely express themselves and find ground in a world that is rather harsh to women and migrants combined. Ultimately, she hopes to continue building and expanding women MDWs’ access to a justice system that is oriented towards fulfilling victims' rights.

Stories of struggle and resistance continue to paint the reality of women MDWs’ experiences in Hong Kong, and in a feminist militant spirit, they are set to fight and resist.