The set-up of "live-in" domestic workers and the lack of legal or other regulations pertaining to the nature and conditions of domestic work render the domestic worker vulnerable to exploitaiton of her labour, as well as abuse of her person.

The Issue

The specific forms of violence and abuse that women domestic workers are systematically subjected to, in their own countries as well as when they work overseas, are endemic in the isolated and "private" nature and structure of "domestic work". Live-in domestic workers, maids, helpers, whatever they are called are, as a rule, constantly at the beck and call of the employers and their families. Coupled with their precarious legal status, this puts them in a situation of near-slavery.

Many studies have been done by NGOs and GOs as well as the ILO of the conditions under which this growing "army" of Asia's women are conscripted to live and work. Not only bad to sub-human living and working conditions, but blatant injustice as non-payment of wages as well as criminal acts of physical, sexual and psychological violence against domestic workers, sometimes amounting to torture, and resulting in death, have been documented. (See newsreport 4).

Asian Migrant Yearbook 1999 compiled a list of known cases of domestic workers from the Philippines who have died while in service:

REPORTED CASES OF FILIPINA MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS WHO DIED WHILE WORKING ABROAD (1990s)

o Gloria Barlaan (Hong Kong), 42: died in fall from a flat on 28 September 1993.

o Maricel Lorico (Hong Kong), 18: died after leaping from a lst floor flat in November 1993

o Heidi Juperatum (Hong Kong), 26: was found dead with a?lt;/b>coat hanger twisted around her neck on 17 April 1994.

o Iluininada Cruz (Hong Kong), 37: fell from a 7th floor flat after having locked herself in the bathroom at her employer's house in June 1994.

o Marilou 0. Aromin (Hong Kong), came to Hong Kong in June 1986, and disappeared in 1994.

o Merlita Sultara (KSA), was killed by propane gas poisoning on 1 January 1996.

o Zalma Harid (Kuwait), was?lt;/b>killed by car accident on 11 November1996.

o Maria Immaculata Basit (KSA), died of asphyxia due to hanging on 20 December 1996.

o Marites de Cardo (Hong Kong), 37: said to have been strangled and sexually assaulted. Her body was found naked at her workplace on 8 March 1997.

o Jahalia Sahid (Kuwait), 27: was killed by a car accident on 10 February 1997

o Leonila Ferry Libunao (Italy) 40: was stabbed to death on 5 March 1997

o Asuncion Banaay Suzuki (Japan), 29: drowned on 1 June 1997.

o Grace Guinadan Coloma (Hong Kong), 35: died after jumping from a 12th floor flat on 13 June 1997, after the employer continually shouted at her.

o Esrelita Ramos Pepito (Japan), 24: was killed by a car accident on 4 July 1997.

o Marite Fetalino de Cardo (Hong Kong), 36: was killed due to unspecified reasons.

o Sofia Cansa (Kuwait), died of high blood pressure.

o Sofia Kanisa Rocaya (Kuwait), died of cardiovascular cancer.

o Noria Abad (Kuwait), died of encephalorrhagia on 23 September 1997.

o Chona Lasquites (Japan), was beaten to death.

o Babylyn Asia (Malaysia), cause of death unknown.

o Novelita Redulta (Italy), cause of death unknown.

o Imelda Ritua (USA), was beaten to death.

o Ely Rose Miguel (Taiwan), 30: was reported to have committed suicide.

o Concepcion Ortega Dagaraig (Qatar), 30; died of respiratory disease.

o Glenda Lorio (Hong Kong), 31: was found dead inside a manhole on 23 May 1999 by her alleged Nigerian ex-lover/employer who is now detained at the Tsim Sha Tsui Police station pending investigation.

(Sources: T.N.T. Newsletter of Kanlungan, no. 17, Apr-June 1997; Asia Pacific Mission for Migrant Filipinos; KASAMA, The Newsletter of SPAN (Solidarity Philippines Australia Network), Vol. 13 No. 2, April-June, 1999; AMC Infobank.)

The Rights concerned in this issue are as following:

UDHR: Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 12

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

ICPRMW: Article 10

No migrant workers or member of his or her family shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

Article 11

1. No migrant worker or member of his or her family shall be held in slavery or servitude.

Article 14

No migrant worker or member of his or her family shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home, correspondence or other communications, or to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation. Each migrant worker and member of his or her family shall have the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.