Impact of foreign domestic workers on the fertility decision of households: evidence from Hong Kong

A potential solution to low fertility is the employment of foreign domestic workers (FDWs), who substitute child-rearing and housework duties, thus reducing child-rearing costs. Recent studies argue that the flow of low-skilled foreign workers into the childcare sector influences fertility choice. However, these studies mainly use the availability of FDWs in the local area as the causal inference and focus on Western countries, making it difficult to identify individual direct effects or generalize the findings to other countries. To bridge this research gap and examine the impacts, this study uses household data from the Hong Kong census. Employing ordinary least squares, the inverse probability weighted regression adjustment, and the instrumental variable approach, we find that households that employ live-in FDWs give birth to more children. Moreover, the heterogeneous analysis reveals that women's greater proportional contribution to household income has a positive impact on households' fertility response after employing the FDWs.

Clinging to a knife’s edge: the Live-in Caregiver Program

Since the 1900s, Canada has heavily relied on foreign domestic workers. This program has evolved over the years into what is currently known as the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). It is rooted in our colonial history and has reproduced power imbalances between employers and caregivers. Challenging dominance is a difficult task given that immigration policies perpetuate inequalities through the denial of social, economic and political rights to caregivers. I selected this topic based on my experiences as a live-in caregiver with this program. This study uses anti-colonialism and feminist thought to examine the experiences of three former LCP workers. Through narrative interviewing, the findings indicate that the live-in requirement of the LCP has contributed to the abuse, exploitation and marginalization of these caregivers. The study concludes with a discussion of the ways in which the structure of the program can be modified to prevent further exploitation and human rights violations.

Clinging to a knife’s edge: the Live-in Caregiver Program

Since the 1900s, Canada has heavily relied on foreign domestic workers. This program has evolved over the years into what is currently known as the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). It is rooted in our colonial history and has reproduced power imbalances between employers and caregivers. Challenging dominance is a difficult task given that immigration policies perpetuate inequalities through the denial of social, economic and political rights to caregivers. I selected this topic based on my experiences as a live-in caregiver with this program. This study uses anti-colonialism and feminist thought to examine the experiences of three former LCP workers. Through narrative interviewing, the findings indicate that the live-in requirement of the LCP has contributed to the abuse, exploitation and marginalization of these caregivers. The study concludes with a discussion of the ways in which the structure of the program can be modified to prevent further exploitation and human rights violations.

“We also deserve help during the pandemic”: The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses particular challenges for migrant workers around the world. This study explores the unique experiences of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong, and how COVID-19 impacted their health and economic wellbeing. Interviews with FDWs (n= 15) and key informants (n= 3) were conducted between May and August 2020. FDWs reported a dual-country experience of the pandemic, where they expressed concerns about local transmission risks as well as worries about their family members in their home country. Changes to their current work situation included how their employers treated them, as well as their employment status. FDWs also cited blind spots in the Hong Kong policy response that also affected their experience of the pandemic, including a lack of support from the Hong Kong government. Additional support is needed to mitigate the particularly negative effects of the pandemic on FDWs.

Cervical screening in foreign domestic workers in Singapore

Introduction: Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with about 85% occurring in low-middle income countries (LMIC) and an age-standardised incidence rate of more than 15 per 100,000. It is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening. In Singapore, 18% of the foreign domestic workforce hail from Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and India. However, there is no data on preinvasive cervical disease and cervical cancer in foreign domestic workers (FDWs) and the aim of this pilot programme is to determine the baseline screen positive rate of high-grade intraepithelial in this population. Methodology: A total of 322 FDWs were offered HPV screening through the Helping Our Helper (HOH) pilot programme. Data from this pilot program was analysed and reported using simple descriptive statistics. Results: Out of the 322 FDWs who registered for HPV screening, 68.6% participated. There was a 22.2% screen-positive rate; 10% of those who screened positive for high-risk HPV had histologically confirmed high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. This result is similar to other data on cervical cancer screening in Singaporeans. This pilot project screened less than 1% of the eligible FDWs in Singapore. Discussion: The findings of this pilot program suggest that there is public health value in providing cervical cancer screening to FDWs. Improving cervical cancer screening by increasing awareness and including routine cervical cancer screening as part of the employment medical examination should be studied. Keywords: Cervical cancer, CIN 2, colposcopy, HPV, HSIL, LSIL

Personal Determinants of Burden Among Indonesian Female Caregivers of Older Adults in Taiwan

Introduction Families increasingly employ foreign domestic workers (FDWs) to care for older loved ones. Caregiver burden reflects FDWs’ difficulty adapting to work demands. We test hypothesized associations between burden and six personal characteristics: children, marriage, education, Chinese proficiency, eldercare experience, and non-eldercare experience. Method In total, 299 Indonesian FDWs in Taiwan completed the Zarit Burden Interview. Exploratory factor analysis identified the dimensions of burden. Multiple and multinomial regressions related the variables to overall burden, burden dimensions, and burden severity. Results Four dimensions were found: personal strain, role strain, dependency, and guilt. Children were negatively associated with burden, role strain, dependency, and guilt. Chinese proficiency was negatively associated with severity and guilt. Eldercare experience was positively associated with severity and personal strain. Marriage was non-monotonically related to severity. Conclusion Caregivers whose earnings benefit their children may be more likely to thrive in Taiwan. Language training may boost caregiver performance and host family satisfaction.