Justice for Erwiana and All Migrant Domestic Workers

http://www.onebillionrising.org/events/obr-4-justice-hong-kong/

We dance, we rise and we call for justice.

Women of Hong Kong unite for the One Billion Rising to call for justice for Erwiana Sulityangsih and for all migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong.

The world was shocked with the pictures of Erwiana – wounded, battered, bruised and abused. Thousands have protested and have been continuing to exert pressure on the Indonesian and Hong Kong authorities to ensure that Erwiana gets justice as well as the support and compensation she deserves.

Erwiana is a picture of injustice. Women migrant domestic workers are pictures of injustice that prevails in Hong Kong.

The living and working condition characterized by social exclusion in Hong Kong for women MDWs is ripe for abuse and exploitation.

Forced to live inside households, many MDWs are made to work long and unreasonable hours, are not usually provided with suitable accommodation and privacy, are deprived of sufficient food and water, and are deprived of social interaction outside of the household. This mandatory live-in policy also forces well-meaning employers and households to adjustments that they are not prepared for.

On top of this policy, the New Conditions of Stay or Two-Week Rule binds many MDWs in abusive conditions. With their job security at risk, many MDWs whose rights as women and as migrants are being violated do not readily seek redress for fear of being unemployed for a long period of time.

This is especially true for MDWs who are trapped in debt due to illegal and onerous charges of recruitment and financing agencies. Practices that hostage MDWs and force them to pay huge amounts are either sanctioned by policies of sending governments or are allowed to continue with impunity due to weak prosecution or rules that are prohibitive for victims to file and pursue complaints.

The condition of women migrant workers is not alleviated by governments of sending countries who do not provide sufficient and effective on-site support for MDWs in distress. Instead of protection, labour-sending governments are more concerned with protecting the profit of recruiters, collecting the biggest amount from government fees, and securing the labour market even if it means the modern-day slavery of women MDWs.

However, the worst form of violation of rights of women MDWs still stem from their being forced to leave their families behind to work overseas just so they can survive. The worsening condition in their home countries that is mainly due to economic and social policies that serve only a few forces millions of mothers, sisters and daughters to brave overseas work that is full of abusive practices and policies.

Thus we rise for Erwiana and for all MDWs. Thus we rise for the rights of MDWs and an end to forced migration.

This is the kind of justice that women migrants together with all migrants and concerned people in Hong Kong will continue to work for.