The vulnerability of migrant female domestic workers and their employers in the host country – Some findings from Malaysia’s Klang Valley

The intensification of globalization, on the one hand has opened up opportunities for women to seek work involving international migrations. It also has, on the other hand, given rise to various forms and degrees of vulnerability for migrant women workers, especially those low-skilled migrant domestic workers (MDW) in the recipient country. The vulnerability of Indonesian MDW in Malaysia has now become an increasingly sensationalized issue in Indonesia. This article presents some findings from a Klang Valley study pertaining to the empirical relationship between the MDW’s performance, employer’s satisfaction and the MDW’s bargaining/negotiating ability with the vulnerability of Indonesian MDW at the workplace in Malaysia. The study had combined two main approaches of primary data gathering: (1) a quantitative method comprising questionnaire administration of 150 Malaysian employers and 150 Indonesian MDW working in Malaysia; and (2) a qualititative method comprising the focus study of 20 specific cases of Indonesian MDW and intensive interviews with representatives of the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the NGO Migran Care and an Indonesian migrant workers recruiting agency. Findings and analyses of the quantitative study reveal a contrasting degree of MDW vulnerability at the work place where it was low according to the employer samples, but moderate according to the MDW samples; a significantly negative correlation between employer satisfaction as well as MDW negotiation ability with MDW vulnerability; and that employer satisfaction was the single most influential factor in MDW vulnerability. Findings from the qualitative study point to the prevalence of varied situations where it was the MDW who acquired substantive empowerment to the detriment of their employer’s bargaining power. These anomalous situations reflect the negative influence of factors such the MDW family and relatives in Indonesia, the MDW relationships with fellow Indonesian migrant workers community in Malaysia, and the MDW personal lifestyles in Malaysia which signified their values and moral crises. The overriding implication of this study is that the empowerment of the Indonesian MDW requires a comprehensive and integrated approach which is not confined to technical know-how but also moral, values and attitudinal aspects.