Bringing agency back in: Indonesian migrant domestic workers in Saudi Arabia

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Nurchayati

2011 Asian and Pacific Migration Journal Vol. 20 Issue 3-4 Article Cited by 7

Abstract

This article highlights how, in pursuing their goals, Indonesian female migrant workers exercised their agency by coping with the challenges of life and work in Saudi Arabia. Due to the lack of legal protection of their rights in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, many such workers suffer various forms of exploitation and maltreatment by actors who took advantage of them. This study examines how three Indonesian domestic workers in Saudi Arabia adapted to an alien environment, overcame problems in the workplace, and negotiated with their employers. This study reveals that these women were not passive victims of the existing social system; they were capable of exercising their agency.

Affiliations

Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia