The Maid Trade
A life of servitude in Singapore
Agencies supplying maids to countries like Singapore have girls queuing through the door. We discover that a life of servitude is a far cry from the escape these girls hoped for.
Young women from the poorest Asian countries learn what's expected of them. "No boyfriend - OK? You are not allowed to go to church, temple, mosque etc. You are not here for a vacation, you are here to work". Rape and abuse is common, and 43 women in the past 2½ years have met a mysterious death. Even if employers are found guilty of abuse, agencies are reluctant to let the girls go home. Covered in bruises, one laments, "I want to go home, but I am in debt to the agency. So I have to stay here". The Singapore government earns more in tax per maid than the maids themselves earn, and all too often their fate is ignored.
Produced by SBS Australia
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