4.8. Living Conditions

One of the repercussions of the range of tasks female domestic workers are forced to complete is the manifestation of physical ailments ranging from back pain to headaches to burns caused by exploding cylinders or while preparing the meals. The women’s exposure to household cleaning chemicals also appears to have some impact on their health. The presence of occupational health hazards could not be substantiated among men, though a few reported physical ailments such as back pains. In such cases, being denied proper medical care carries long term implications and as some pointed out, by the time they return home, it was deemed too late for any proper treatment to be received.

4.8. Living Conditions

Several common features were evident in the living conditions the women and men experienced. Unless working on an “out” visa, the men were provided accommodation by the sponsor. But these were not ideal. Men had to share rooms with at least 7 others with, at times, only a few bathrooms made available for all the residents in the dormitories. While facilities for cooking were made available, the midday meal at times was provided by the employer. As one employee succinctly pointed out, since they only worked the morning shift, the food consisted of a cup of tea and banana whereas in reality, the workers had to extend their working hours as the day progressed, but did not receive an additional meal.

‘‘Of those who went, I got accommodation. There were about six of us in a room this size [about 12x10 feet]. They give about Dh200 (United Arab Emirates Dirham) for meals but that was not enough. There were three Tamil boys from Batticaloa and they would eat separately and I would eat by myself.’’ - Kandy, male, returnee and prospective worker.

‘‘We were in one room, about six of us. There was air conditioning and two bathrooms. We would take turns to clean it. The place was good since we could cook and eat also.’’ - Gampaha, male, returnee.

‘‘We had to stay in large container boxes. I can’t tell if it’s a good thing or a bad thing to be honest. There were 20 ft. rooms for us inside that box. 8 of us stayed in one room. The bathrooms were outside. They normally provide food. If we want something else, we can make it. We have a kitchen where we can prepare our meals. I got all amenities like towels, soap, sheets and everything.’’ - Gampaha, male, returnee.

A majority of the women reported having a separate room for themselves but in some instances, only a mattress was made available and no cupboard or wardrobe to keep their clothes. A separate toilet with facilities for showering was also reported with the clear understanding that using any other bathroom (i.e. those meant for the family) would be frowned upon. In households where there was more than one domestic worker, the women shared with the other workers. Such sharing of rooms allowed women to build a stronger rapport with the other workers especially where mobility was highly restricted and interacting with people other than the employer and his/her family was non-existent.

‘‘They gave me food to eat, but problem was, they wouldn’t allow me to call home. There was a room for myself on the third floor. Shampoo and soap they would give. But I was only allowed one cake of soap a month. They would not buy me another one, if I finish that... When it was closer to go home, they reduced the food they gave me.’’ - Kurunegala, female, returnee.

Not all rooms had locks, but women were generally satisfied with the degree of security afforded. But in some cases, the rooms assigned to the women were located outside of the main house or they were required to sleep in the children’s room. A pressing concern was the availability of an air conditioner during the warm season.