Asian and Pacific Migration Journal
Volume 13, Issue 1, 2004, Pages 11-38

A clean bill of health: Filipinas as domestic workers in Singapore (Article)

Iyer A.* , Devasahayam T.W. , Yeoh B.S.A.
  • a National University of Singapore, Singapore 119275, Singapore
  • b National University of Singapore, Singapore 119275, Singapore
  • c National University of Singapore, Singapore 119275, Singapore

Abstract

This paper describes foreign domestic workers' (FDWs) vulnerability in Singapore. Due to the lack of regulatory laws mandating employers to pay health care costs and FDW ineligibility for national plans given their transient contract labor status, FDWs depend on employer generosity to provide for this need. Presently, the state's interest only includes particular aspects of FDW "health." The argument here is that the discourse of perceiving FDWs as sexual 'bodies'and transmitters of other infectious diseases is a metaphor for how the state perceives them - useful to Singapore for economic gains as long as they do not bring on costs.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Southeast Asia Singapore [Southeast Asia] Eurasia domestic work health care migrant worker Asia
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-3242687691&doi=10.1177%2f011719680401300102&partnerID=40&md5=a044b3f5615394678a4470fed6b3fa50
DOI: 10.1177/011719680401300102
ISSN: 01171968
Cited by: 11
Original Language: English