FAQs
TWC2 is asked many questions about its views and the issues that concern us. Here we offer some answers that we hope will be helpful.
Most foreign domestic workers and their employers get along quite well, particularly once the awkwardness of the first few days of the working relationship is over. We think it is important not to lose sight of that fact, as, in what follows, we will necessarily focus on problem areas.
This should be a developing part of our website. More questions and answers will be added, and those already included will be revised and updated. In making revisions, we'll try to take account of comments and suggestions, as well as incorporating the results of our TWC2's own research and discussions.
Most foreign domestic workers and their employers get along quite well, particularly once the awkwardness of the first few days of the working relationship is over. We think it is important not to lose sight of that fact, as, in what follows, we will necessarily focus on problem areas.
This should be a developing part of our website. More questions and answers will be added, and those already included will be revised and updated. In making revisions, we'll try to take account of comments and suggestions, as well as incorporating the results of our TWC2's own research and discussions.
1. How many foreign domestic workers are there in Singapore?
There are around 170,000 (2007). That's about one for every six households in the country. In 2002, there were 140,000.
2. Where do they come from?
The majority, by far, are from the Philippines and Indonesia; smaller numbers come from Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
3. Why do women from these countries seek employment as domestic workers in Singapore?
Most are trying to support their families. Their earnings go towards paying for the education of children, brothers and sisters, buying land, extending a family home or simply enabling a family to pay its bills. A few manage to save up money towards starting a small business when they return home.
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4. Why 'foreign domestic workers'? Why don't you just say 'maids'?
'Maid' has come to be a word that brings to mind a person who does work of a very low status, for historical and cultural reasons. Ideas on such things change over time, and descriptive words reflect this: the term 'domestic servants', for example, is no longer used
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5. What are the main complaints made by foreign domestic workers?
They vary to some extent, according to nationality. A survey of 115 Indonesian domestic workers who had worked in Singapore and which was conducted in 2005 recorded complaints about 24 different problems.
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