Challenges Faced by Kenyan Workers Abroad
People have been forced to look for work elsewhere and everywhere as the economy becomes more difficult. Kenyans have been able to go across borders and look for work abroad. Despite the difficulties the employed people themselves have in their area of work, those who have been able to find employment in the Middle East consider it more as a relief for their family. The majority of people were able to find jobs as domestic employees in the homes of some of the wealthier middle easterners. Although it could seem like a fantastic idea to work abroad, there are a number of drawbacks that are rarely discussed with the general public. Most of the employees who are employed in these countries are mistreated to levels that are even considered as inhuman. The domestic workers can be deprived of their meals and sleep and expected to work at the same rate the whole day. Regardless of all this, they are also denied their monthly payment in most cases. It is easier to advise the individual to move out of their host's house and seek employment elsewhere. This is, however, impossible as most of these individuals have their terms of residence in this foreign land tied to their jobs. The chances of deportation are higher when they choose to resign and roam the streets seeking employment in other areas.
Discrimination Faced by African Women in the Middle East
The stakes are even higher for African women who go to the Middle East to seek employment. Even though the United Nations advocates for equal treatment of women in all societies, this is barely catching up in the Middle East states. Women in this region are struggling to have their rights heard. To make the case worse, the involvement of African women in the community has some disadvantages. The black woman is seen to be inferior to the Arab woman. Thus this is a basis that encourages the discrimination of the domestic workers in this region. Clearly, this is a form of racism on a different level. The domestic worker is highly discriminated and perform tasks that are not even entitled to their duty as domestic helpers. In one instance, an employee realized that she was much of a sexual release toy for her employer's sons rather than a household assistant. In some times, she was even raped by her employer. To make the issue much of concern is the side the law takes which favors the employer. The law dictates that anything that happens in the house of the owner should be dealt with within the household (Magnus, 1934). Thus, this makes it hard for such an individual to report the rape case as the employer can easily say that the employee is his wife who will put him on the side of the law resulting in no action being taken against the individual.
Emotional Labor and Lack of Protection
Under emotional labor, which most domestic workers are exposed to, the employees are forced to deal with their emotions no matter what they go through. Due to such and similar reasons, the employees are likely to face discrimination for their employees because they are less likely to be protected by the law. The employees have to present a good image whenever they are working. Thus it portrays a fake image that they are well, however, behind the happy face and the relaxed bodily expression, the individual might be hurting. This is also aided by the fact that this is an unregulated sector that has few laws that control the actions of the employers to the employees (Parreñas, 2001). In the case where labor standards are implemented in this line of employment, the employee will be in a position of receiving better payment and better treatment from the employer as they shall be given laws and a channel through which they can channel some of their grievances. This will also reduce the cases of mistreatment that the employees face as they shall be aware of how they should be treated. The employers will also be afraid of doing what they did earlier as the employees will have a registered part of the social worker council that represents these individuals.
Challenges Faced by Women Domestic Workers
Women domestic workers usually have the hardest part of being employed compared to their fellow male employees. The main reason being that male employees tend to have themselves work in areas where the residential women are not located (Peterson, 2007). This is because the employers perceive them as potential threats thus they a given duties that do not tie them to peoples' emotions. The female domestic workers, on the other hand, are deeply involved with the family and in most cases, they are taken as part of the family. The female domestic workers get themselves entangled in the family businesses that lead them to having an emotional attachment to their employers. In this case, it is usually necessary for them to get a way of dealing with their emotions. This might affect their behavior towards the work. Their position becomes their everything, regardless of what they undergo as their family because they are greatly attached emotionally to them.
Undervaluation of Domestic Work and Lack of Bargaining Power
The International Labor Organization has constantly blamed the undervaluation of domestic work to the skills needed for one to get involved in this sector (International Labour Organization, 2013). The effort that is put in their line of work is determined to be unlike the pay they receive. Even though there are no skills needed when coming into this line of work, there is a various position that required an individual to have skills. Being a butler or a chauffeur, an individual will need training and experience. However, these positions have been taken and regarded as male positions. For women, are left with the other duties within the house which are more strenuous. Additionally, by examining the duties performed by domestic workers, it is clear as Rubinow adequately points out that "washing clothes and preparing food is productive work when performed in the kitchen no less than when performed in the laundry or the restaurant (Rubinow, 1906). They are also left with the lack of bargaining power due to the lack of an association that stands by them. The lack of an association is majorly based on the idea of having the individual isolated from other employees giving them no chance of being in a position of discussing some of the issues they face in their line of work and how they can be contained. They are unable to discuss the wage issue which is the main driver for them seeking employment in this region. The main reason being the wage differential between Kenya and the Middle East. The individuals the salary that goes along with domestic work regardless of the effort they put in their work.
References
International Labour Office. (2013). Domestic workers across the world: Global and regional statistics and the extent of legal protection. Geneva: International Labour Office.
Magnus, E. (1934). The Social, Economic, and Legal Conditions of Domestic Servants: I. Int’l Lab. Rev., 30, 190.
Parreñas, R. S. (2001). Servants of globalization: Women, migration and domestic work. Stanford University Press.
Peterson, E. (2007). The invisible carers: Framing domestic work (ers) in gender equality policies in Spain. European Journal of Women’s Studies, 14(3), 265-280.
Rubinow, I. M. (1906). The problem of domestic service. Journal of Political Economy, 14(8), 502-519.
