Why do females migrate to work as maids? Essay -- Immigration, Domesti

Why do females migrate to work as maids? In general woman will migrate to work as domestic workers for one of three reason. (i) limited or no jobs in their country of origin (ii) the income in there country of origin is not enough to sustain there family; and (iii) to get away from a volatile family situation. Women see working as a maid in another country as way to solve these problems and ways to support there families back home. However the question has arisen once these women from lesser developed nations arrive in the rich developed nations does working as a ‘maid’ offer greater independence or does it just lead to more oppression and exploitation? This essay will demonstrate using the United Sates of America and the United Arab Emirates as a case study,that there is no conclusive answer to the question posed; rather it depends on the country and the individual circumstances of each person. Does the employment offer them greater independence in the US? Domestic workers experience in the United Sates varies dramatically depending on the visa-status of women and the work arrangements in place for the domestic worker. In general Live in maids in the US are the most devoid of independence and control of their lives, and often work long hours without a day off. On the other hand live out domestic workers to some extent has more independence and freedom of their lives, but this is dependent on the worker being legally allowed to work and remain in the US. The common conception of a ‘live-out’ maid is that they are empowered and have control of lives, however in the US some women working as ‘maids’ are objectified and treated as commodity to be sold at auction. May women are exploited through labor agencies in the ... ...hem to help their families back home and improve their own financial situation. Another benefit from working in the UAE is that generosity is a social value within the UAE. Employers give tips to their employees, give them money to buy gifts and electronic once their contract ends for their families back home, and the domestic workers get to travel over summer with their employer (ilo report p.34). It could be argued that domestic workers in the UAE do have some sense of agency like the workers in the US, but no where near the same extent. Arguable the domestic workers have agency due to the fact that they had a choice whether or not to go work in UAE and they independently earning money for there family. Nevertheless they lack agency in terms of their freedom of movement thought and sexuality since they are ‘enslaved’ to their employer to the end of their contract.