A study of Kenyan Female migrant Domestic workers in Saudi Arabia
Authors
Bonuke, Wilbur Matoke ; Jumwa, Alice
Term
4. term
Publication year
2015
Submitted on
2015-05-29
Pages
133
Abstract
This thesis examines the experiences of Kenyan female migrant domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, a large but weakly regulated segment of the Gulf labor market. Motivated by persistent reports of exploitation—such as workdays of up to 20 hours without weekly rest, unpaid or underpaid wages, restricted mobility, confiscation of documents, and physical and sexual violence—the study seeks to identify the sources of these harms, why migration continues despite known risks, and what role international labor standards can play. It focuses on women recruited through both legal and irregular channels via private employment agencies and on how work inside private households, exclusion from standard labor protections, and the Kafala sponsorship system heighten vulnerability. Using a deductive qualitative design, the study draws on in-depth interviews and observations to document patterns of abuse and situates them within the international division of labor, gendered divisions of work, and the global commodification of care. While the excerpt does not report specific findings, the thesis organizes interview themes and links them to theory to identify root problems and inform policy debates on safer recruitment, oversight of private agencies, and stronger protections for domestic workers in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf.
Dette speciale undersøger erfaringerne hos kenyanske kvindelige migrant-husarbejdere i Saudi-Arabien, et stort men svagt reguleret segment af arbejdsmarkedet i Golfen. Motiveret af vedvarende beretninger om udnyttelse—såsom arbejdsdage på op til 20 timer uden ugentlig hvile, udebleven eller lav løn, begrænset bevægelsesfrihed, konfiskation af dokumenter samt fysisk og seksuel vold—søger studiet at belyse kilderne til disse overgreb, hvorfor migrationen fortsætter trods kendte risici, og hvilken rolle internationale arbejdsstandarder kan spille. Analysen fokuserer på kvinder rekrutteret gennem både lovlige og ulovlige kanaler via private rekrutteringsbureauer og på, hvordan arbejde i private husholdninger, udelukkelse fra almindelige arbejdsbeskyttelser og Kafala-sponsorordningen øger sårbarheden. Med et deduktivt kvalitativt design bygger specialet på dybdegående interviews og observationer for at kortlægge mønstre for misbrug og placere dem i relation til den internationale arbejdsdeling, kønsopdelt arbejdsdeling og den globale kommodificering af omsorg. Uddraget gengiver ikke specifikke resultater, men specialet organiserer interviewtemaer og kobler dem til teori for at identificere grundlæggende problemer og informere politiske drøftelser om sikrere rekruttering, tilsyn med private bureauer og bedre beskyttelse af hushjælpere i Saudi-Arabien og det øvrige Golfområde.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]
Keywords