Women domestic workers emerge from the shadows to fight abusive employers | Global development | The Guardian
▻http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/feb/18/women-domestic-workers-fight-abusive-employers-hong-kong
When I first started working with domestic workers in New York City in 1998, many women I encountered were Filipina who had first worked in Hong Kong, then come to the US with their employers. They described Hong Kong as the “city of modern slavery”, but also as home to a vibrant movement of domestic workers organising for their rights and dignity. It was a striking duality.
The recent case involving Indonesian domestic worker Erwiana Sulystyaningsih – whose former employer was found guilty on 10 February of a series of charges against her – reflects both realities. The abuses she suffered – beaten , starvedsleep deprived – sound like brutality from another era. And yet, Hong Kong domestic worker advocates say this type of violence is rising.