Foreign Domestic Workers in Distress

Of all the things that TWC2 does, this is the closest to fighting fire. It often involves helping to get women out of dangerous or unacceptable situations quickly. TWC2 volunteers try to respond rapidly to the appeals for help that we receive.

The appeals come by different routes: a worker faces mistreatment and rings TWC2; a neighbour or another worker reports suspecting that a foreign domestic worker is being abused by her employers and is either prevented from using a ‘phone herself or is too frightened to do so; a TWC2 member calls to say that s/he has witnessed unacceptable treatment of foreign workers and wonders what can be done about it.

Each case is assessed and we decide how to handle it. Sometimes we deal with a problem with just our own resources. On other occasions, we turn to other organisations that we believe have the expertise or resources needed to help. These include other non-governmental bodies that work for the wellbeing of foreign workers, providing refuge or communicating with distressed women in their own language to give them the best possible advice. We also turn to the Ministry of Manpower whenever that is appropriate.

TWC2 did not set out, in 2003, to be a provider of emergency help. We concentrated on public education and advocacy - trying to achieve the kind of changes that would make mistreatment of workers less likely to happen in the first place - but we immediately found ourselves encountering appeals for help. We responded and we have done ever since. Even in 2004, when we were setting up the new society and our level of activity was comparatively low, we sustained this service. Two years later, we were dealing with an average of seven emergency calls a month, without a publicized help line.