I had typed up this blog post while awhile ago after I returned from Taiwan this past spring, and I guess I never actually posted it. But since drafting this... I've learned that the young woman who worked at my grandparents left - not sure why although my family speculates due to her husband coming over to Taiwan and her wanting to be with him? I'm not really sure though.
Also on the topic of human trafficking, I recently read Somali Mam's story in her autobio: The Road of Lost Innocence. Oh man what a powerful story that gives a personal account of her experiences being trafficked and forced into prostitution. I highly recommend the read.
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Also on the topic of human trafficking, I recently read Somali Mam's story in her autobio: The Road of Lost Innocence. Oh man what a powerful story that gives a personal account of her experiences being trafficked and forced into prostitution. I highly recommend the read.
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This topic has been on my mind for awhile now, but the concept of trafficking beyond what I used to relate it to – sex trafficking of women and girls – is something I’ve become more and more aware of with what I saw in the Delhi airport. I think I blogged about it then: ….
So it’s a relatively common practice both here in Taiwan and other countries around the world for the wealthier to hire women from the Philippines, Indonesia, and other less wealthy countries to be their live-in maids, nannies, etc. I had heard about these women who come over to work and make money, but never thought much of it, until this trip to Taiwan. My grandparents have lived in the US for most, if not all, of my life, up until a couple years ago when they moved back to Taipei. They still had a house there so they are now living there on their own. They hired one of these young women who is from Indonesia. She is my age and has a young son in Indonesia. She is great! My grandmom is not the easiest to handle, but she does a great job with both her and my grandpa. She’s super cute, an awesome cook, and just a very thoughtful, considerate, and caring person.
So the big thing that irks me is that she was hired through an agency that takes a 50% cut of the amount my grandparents pay each month. I mean, this agency probably takes care of her transport here, working visa, etc., and she doesn’t have to worry about housing or food because she lives here and cooks and eats with my grandparents, but it just feels wrong that for all the work she does, she gets so little. It may go far in China and some other Asian countries, but Taiwan is not a cheap place. She left her family to come to Taiwan to make money and send it home. Maybe this is a lot of money relative to what these women can get in their home countries, but in my mind it just doesn’t feel right.
It just made me think of those men who were boarding that plane in Delhi to Riyadh to work on construction projects. Is this any different? I’m not sure how the contracts work for these women but I sure do wonder. What happens if she breaks it and goes home? Was her passport confiscated when she got off the plane, just like the men heading to Riyadh? I have no idea – I’m totally speculating and perhaps thinking about this in a very Americentric way and perhaps I should not be. Who am I to say that our way is right and their way is wrong. I guess my point is that there is no my way versus their way. I just feel there is a simple standard of treatment towards all humans that defines more of the “right” way – I don’t care where they are from or where they are going. Give people what they deserve, not what they are used to receiving based on where they hail from. Help them help themselves – empower them to succeed. What can we do to help? How about start a competing agency that does it “rightER”? An agency that makes money but helps these women at a more fair standard.
So it’s a relatively common practice both here in Taiwan and other countries around the world for the wealthier to hire women from the Philippines, Indonesia, and other less wealthy countries to be their live-in maids, nannies, etc. I had heard about these women who come over to work and make money, but never thought much of it, until this trip to Taiwan. My grandparents have lived in the US for most, if not all, of my life, up until a couple years ago when they moved back to Taipei. They still had a house there so they are now living there on their own. They hired one of these young women who is from Indonesia. She is my age and has a young son in Indonesia. She is great! My grandmom is not the easiest to handle, but she does a great job with both her and my grandpa. She’s super cute, an awesome cook, and just a very thoughtful, considerate, and caring person.
So the big thing that irks me is that she was hired through an agency that takes a 50% cut of the amount my grandparents pay each month. I mean, this agency probably takes care of her transport here, working visa, etc., and she doesn’t have to worry about housing or food because she lives here and cooks and eats with my grandparents, but it just feels wrong that for all the work she does, she gets so little. It may go far in China and some other Asian countries, but Taiwan is not a cheap place. She left her family to come to Taiwan to make money and send it home. Maybe this is a lot of money relative to what these women can get in their home countries, but in my mind it just doesn’t feel right.
It just made me think of those men who were boarding that plane in Delhi to Riyadh to work on construction projects. Is this any different? I’m not sure how the contracts work for these women but I sure do wonder. What happens if she breaks it and goes home? Was her passport confiscated when she got off the plane, just like the men heading to Riyadh? I have no idea – I’m totally speculating and perhaps thinking about this in a very Americentric way and perhaps I should not be. Who am I to say that our way is right and their way is wrong. I guess my point is that there is no my way versus their way. I just feel there is a simple standard of treatment towards all humans that defines more of the “right” way – I don’t care where they are from or where they are going. Give people what they deserve, not what they are used to receiving based on where they hail from. Help them help themselves – empower them to succeed. What can we do to help? How about start a competing agency that does it “rightER”? An agency that makes money but helps these women at a more fair standard.
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