Wails Inside Arab Homes: Examining the lived experiences and exploitation of returnee Ugandan migrant domestic workers from Saudi Arabia

Florence Munyonyo Asiimwe

doi:10.38140/ijms-2024.vol1.05

Authors

Florence Munyonyo Asiimwe Kyambogo University, Uganda https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6632-4100

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38140/ijms-2024.vol1.05

Keywords:

Lived experiences, migrant domestic workers, returnees, exploitation, Ugandan migrant

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the experiences and exploitation of Ugandan migrant domestic workers who returned from Saudi Arabia. The study followed a constructivist paradigm, an interpretive framework that focuses on individuals' understanding of the world and their creation of unique meanings. A qualitative approach was utilised, specifically employing a phenomenological case study design. Data was gathered through unstructured interviews with twenty-eight (28) migrant domestic workers. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. The findings regarding the lived experiences and exploitation of returnee Ugandan migrant domestic workers were visualised through concept maps created using NVivo version 10.0. The study discovered that the returnee workers' experiences were primarily related to their interactions with various individuals in their employers' households, including dealing with abusive employers, inconsiderate children and relatives, and challenging working conditions. Other experiences involved working in an unfriendly environment, carrying out difficult tasks, facing heavy workloads, experiencing occupational health difficulties, enduring physical abuse, inadequate rest, food deprivation, sexual advances, and false allegations. Consequently, providing legal protection for domestic workers in Saudi Arabia is crucial. Although progress has been made in addressing legal gaps, particularly regarding weekly rest days, more work remains. This includes implementing or expanding minimum wages and aligning working hour restrictions with those applicable to other workers. It is therefore recommended that Uganda and Saudi Arabia revise labour export laws to ensure that the rights of migrant domestic workers are respected.

References

Andrees, B., Nasri, A., & Swiniarski, P. (2015). Regulating labour recruitment to prevent human trafficking and to foster fair migration: Models, challenges and opportunities. Geneva: ILO.

Anjara, S. G., Nellums, L. B., Bonetto, C., & Van Bortel, T. (2017). Stress, health and quality of life of female migrant domestic workers in Singapore: a cross-sectional study. BMC women's health, 17, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-017-0442-7

Arowolo, G. A. (2021). Protecting the Rights of Migrants: The Challenges and the Prospects. JL Pol'y & Globalization, 105, 92-96.

Asiimwe, F. M., & Musinguzi, D. (2024). Analysis of push and pull factors influencing the migration of Ugandan domestic workers to Saudi Arabia. Interdisciplinary Journal of Sociality Studies, 4, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.38140/ijss-2024.vol4.01

Au, W. C. (2023). The Unheard Voices Behind the Closed Doors: An Investigation of Live-in Migrant Domestic Workers in Malaysia. In Employee Voice in the Global South: Insights from Asia, Africa and South America (pp. 159–182). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31127-7_7

Begum, R. (2016). Migrant domestic workers: Overworked and underprotected. Women Across frontiers, 4.

Blackett, A. (2011). Introduction: Regulating decent work for domestic workers. Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, 23(1), 1–46. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjwl.23.1.001

Boddy, C. R., (2016). Sample size for qualitative research. Qualitative market research: An International Journal, 19(4), 426-432. https://doi.org/10.1108/QMR-06-2016-0053

Boyland, J. R. (2019). A social constructivist approach to the gathering of empirical data. Australian Counselling Research Journal, 13(2), 30-34.

Brennan, D. (2014). Life interrupted: Trafficking into forced labour in the United States. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13096

Brewis, A., & Wutich, A. (2019). Lazy, crazy, and disgusting: Stigma and the undoing of global health. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Chhour, V. (2020). Trapped in forced labour and discrimination: Cambodian migrant domestic workers under the memorandum of understanding between Malaysia and Cambodia on the recruitment and employment of domestic workers. [Master Thesis, Lund University].

Choudhary, S. (2022). Discharge of contract by agreement. International Journal of Law Management & Humanities, 5(4), 272-274.Dela Cruz, M. C. N. (2023). In sickness, how do we part? due process issues in terminations of employment on the grounds of disease. Philippine Law Journal, 96, 170.

Dill, B. T. (2015). Across the boundaries of race & class: An exploration of work & family among Black female domestic servants. Routledge.

D'Souza, A. (2010). Moving towards decent work for domestic workers: an overview of the ILO's work. ILO Working Papers, (994305583402676).

Epstein, R. A. (2013). In defense of the contract at will. In Contract-Freedom and Restraint (pp. 233-268). Routledge

Fleury, A. (2016). Understanding women and migration: A literature review. Washington, DC, 55.

Freed, M. G., & Polsby, D. D. (1989). Just cause for termination rules and economic efficiency. Emory Law Journal, 38, 1097.

Henderson, S., (2020). State-sanctioned structural violence: Women migrant domestic workers in the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Violence against Women, 26(12-13), 1598–1615. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801219880969

Hussain, R. & Shimul, S. M. A. K. (2023). Women migrant workers and their transition across state boundaries: Labour exporting policies of Bangladesh and the reality. (IPS Working Paper Series No.3). Hong Kong: Institute of Policy Studies, Lingnan University. https://doi.org/10.14793/ipswp_03 Ikpesu, O. A. (2023). Migrant remittances, financial market development, and per capita real growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Accounting and Taxation, 15(3), 75-87. https://doi.org/10.5897/JAT2023.0567

Jureidini, R., & Hassan, S. F. (2020). The Islamic principle of Kafala as applied to migrant workers: Traditional continuity and reform. Studies in Islamic Ethics, 92.

Kandilige, L., Teye, J. K., Setrana, M., & Badasu, D. M. (2023). ‘They'd beat us with whatever is available to them’: Exploitation and abuse of Ghanaian domestic workers in the Middle East. International Migration, 61(4), 240-256.

Karim, M. R., Islam, M. T., & Talukder, B. (2020). COVID-19? s impacts on migrant workers from Bangladesh: In search of policy intervention. World Development, 136, 105123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105123

Khan, A., & Harroff-Tavel, H. (2011). Reforming the Kafala: Challenges and opportunities in moving forward. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 20(3-4), 293-313.

Klein Solomon, M., & Sheldon, S. (2018). The global compact for migration: From the sustainable development goals to a comprehensive agreement on safe, orderly and regular migration. International Journal of Refugee Law, 30(4), 584–590. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijrl/eey065

Menegatti, E. (2016). Protecting migrant domestic workers: The international legal framework at a glance. ILO.

Moyce, S. C., & Schenker, M. (2018). Migrant workers and their occupational health and safety. Annual review of public health, 39, 351-365.

Muigua, P. D. (2020). Exploited, poor and dehumanised: Overcoming the resource curse in Africa. Journal of cmsd, 15(1) 9. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3833657

Murphy, C., Doyle, D. M., & Murphy, M. (2020). ‘Still Waiting’ for justice: Migrant workers’ perspectives on labour exploitation in Ireland. Industrial Law Journal, 49(3), 318–351. https://doi.org/10.1093/indlaw/dwz023

Namaganda, A, N. and Laiboni, N., 2019. Women’s labour migration on the Africa-Middle East corridor:” experiences of migrant domestic workers from Uganda. Global Alliance against Traffic in Women (GAATW).

Nampewo, Z. (2021). The illusion of greener pastures: Violence and justice for female Ugandan migrant workers in the Middle East. Strathmore Law Journal, 5, 11.

Naufal, G., & Genc, I. (2020). Labour migration in the gulf cooperation council: Past, present and future. Asianization of migrant workers in the Gulf Countries, 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/23477989211028748

Ndreka, A. (2019). Return migration and re-integration of returnees challenges in the origin country. Research in Social Change, 11(3), 4–24.

Paoletti, S., Taylor-Nicholson, E., Sijapati, B., & Farbenblum, B. (2014). Migrant workers' access to justice at home: Nepal. Migrant Workers' Access to Justice Series (Open Society Foundations), 14-22.

Parreñas, R. S. (2021). Unfree: migrant domestic work in Arab States. Stanford University Press.

Phillips, M. J. (2023). Towards a social constructionist, criticalist, Foucauldian-informed qualitative research approach: Opportunities and challenges. SN Social Sciences, 3(10), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00774-9

Putul, S. J., & Mia, M. T. (2020). Exploitation of migrant workers in Malaysia and protection under domestic laws. In Proceedings of the international law conference (iN-LAC) (pp. 125-131).

Ricard-Guay, A., & Hanley, J. (2020). The challenge of addressing both forced labour and sexual exploitation. The Palgrave International Handbook of Human Trafficking, 287–302.

Santos, V. D., Rodrigues, I. O., & Galvaan, R. (2019). “It is not what I planned for my life”. Occupations of live-in domestic workers. Cadernos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional, 27, 467-479. https://doi.org/10.4322/2526-8910.ctoAO1873

Sarkar, S. (2020). The new legal world of domestic work. Yale Journal of Law and Feminism 32, 1.

Silvey, R., & Parreñas, R. (2020). Thinking policy through migrant domestic workers’ itineraries. American Behavioral Scientist, 64(6), 859-877. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764220910253

Spitzer, D. L., & Torres, S. (2023). Migrant family separation, reunification and recalibration. In Handbook on Migration and the Family (pp. 286-300). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Sullivan, H., & Stewart, M. (2006). Who owns the theory of change?. Evaluation, 12(2), 179–199. https://doi.org/10.1177/135638900606697

Truluck, E. (2023). Using Islam to Protect the Rights of Migrant Workers: Bringing Kafala into Sharia Compliance in Saudi Arabia. UCLA J. Islamic & Near EL, 20, 155.

Varia, N. (2011). Sweeping changes? A review of recent reforms on protections for migrant domestic workers in Asia and the Middle East. Canadian Journal of Women and the Law. 23(1), 265–287.

Women, U. N. (2017). Women migrant workers’ journey through the margins: Labour, migration and trafficking. New York: UN Women.

World Health Organization. (2022). Caring for those who care: guide for the development and implementation of occupational health and safety programmes for health workers. World Health Organization.

Wright, C. F., & Clibborn, S. (2019). Migrant labour and low-quality work: A persistent relationship. Journal of Industrial Relations, 61(2), 157–175. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022185618824137