Rima Jayanti has not had formal training in detective work, but with her sharp eye and gut instinct, her task is to spot Indonesian women at Jakarta’s bustling airport in danger of being sent abroad to a life of domestic servitude.
Making her rounds, the 23-year-old quickly points out groups of women likely heading abroad to work as maids.
“We can tell from their appearance — sometimes with a bit of instinct too — who are the potential victims and where they are going,” Jayanti said.
Domestic helpers going to the Middle East tend to wear an Islamic headscarf, be middle-aged and elusive when asked about their plans, she said.
Women traveling to Taiwan or Hong Kong usually have short hair, wear sneakers and are younger.
About 2.3 million Indonesians work as maids in wealthier countries in Asia and the Middle East.
Jayanti is part of a team of “maid detectives” from Jakarta-based rights group Migrant Care, tracking down potential victims of human trafficking, and offering advice to others leaving of their own free will on how to look after themselves.
They have had some small successes since they began work last year. They rescued one woman who had been brought to the airport by a maid agent, only to discover that she was about to be sent to Saudi Arabia against her will.
Women often approach a maid agent to help them secure a placement abroad and handle the paperwork. While most work within the law, some have been accused of trafficking.
“Some women do not know where they are going and what type of job they are getting into, making them vulnerable to human trafficking,” Migrant Care advocacy program manager Mike Verawati said.
Maids make up more than one-third of the 6 million Indonesians working abroad, attracted by promises of higher salaries.
Last year, migrant workers sent home about US$9.4 billion in remittances, according to official data.
Stories abound of maids being sent abroad against their will, enduring horrific abuse and living in slave-like conditions.
A Hong Kong woman was convicted last year of beating her Indonesian maid, denying her food and confiscating her passport.
Jakarta last year summoned the Saudi Arabian ambassador after two Indonesian maids were executed in the Gulf state within a week, one for killing her allegedly abusive employer.
Complaints of mistreatment of Indonesians in the Middle East and the ensuing diplomatic rows prompted Jakarta to announce in May last year a permanent ban on maids moving to the region. Maids already working there were allowed to remain.
Groups like Migrant Care and the National Advocacy Network of Domestic Workers have criticized the ban.
They say it restricts women’s rights to employment and puts them in greater danger by driving underground an industry that already has a dark side to it.
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