Discrimination Of Women In Madame Employer By Nyonya Majikan

Aside from different socioeconomic background, workplace also affects IDWs. Living in the employers’ residences creates a confinement to the migrant workers which often worsens their condition. Live-in maid’s workplace is free from public scrutiny. Thus, abuses and exploitation often go unnoticed. IDWs are known as timid and obedience (Loveband 5). Such characteristics apparently contribute to IDWs’ being silent and enduring abuses.

In most of IDWs’ narratives, these women are aware of the abstract borders laid between them and their employers. However, this does not mean that they can always find a way to bridge the two opposite poles per se. Some of them are feeling helpless. However, some are not. In some narratives, not all IDWs accept

In Nyonya Majikan (Madame Employer), Sorrita illustrates a brief dispute between an IDW and her female employer. The employer accuses her maid of not managing the shopping money well. Kuntari, the maid, argues that she has used her own money when shopping for her employer over the past two years because her employer did not give her enough. Kuntari’s employer would not believe her excuse and decided to do the shopping herself. Kuntari gladly accepts her employer’s decision and feels relieved even though her employer refused to pay back the money spent during the past two years. Not long after the incident, her employer realizes that the money she usually gave to Kuntari is not enough for the whole week. “Shamelessly, her employer gave Kuntari 50 HKD to buy chicken and noodles. Kuntari took the money quietly and started to count. ‘It’s not even the third day yet, ma’am has spent 350 HKD. She usually gave me 200 HKD for three days’” (Sorrita 83-4). Here, readers can see how IDWs stand up for themselves and refuse to take the blame for something they did not do. What Kuntari did indicates that she is able to find the middle ground. Instead of confronting the accuse, Kuntari lets her employer do the shopping. This letting-go strategy works and her employer finally realizes that the weekly money is apparently not

She realizes that Hong Kong already has good and solid rules and policies concerning migrant workers. Therefore, as migrant workers, IDWs should not accept being underpaid by their employers because it means the employers are breaking the law (Insani and Raihan 27). Insani admits that she has no difficulties to find a new employer because she has filed all her employment records well, which includes the letter of recommendation from the previous employers. She implies an awareness that IDWs should be knowledgeable about the rule and regulations concerning migrant workers as well as keeping a good record of their employments. This, to some extent, hinders IDWs to be exploited by both the employers and the recruitment agency. In a similar vein, Susanti notes that IDWs’ lack of understanding to the rules and regulations concerning migrant workers results in their vulnerability of labor exploitation particularly to IDWs who have just started their first contract (119). Problem with communication is also prominent in IDWs’ relationship with the employers. The language barrier, oftentimes, becomes a problem that leads to abuses and violence (Insani and Raihan 14; Susanti 79). Therefore, to avoid and minimize the risk of labor exploitation and injustice, IDWs have to