【家庭看護與現代奴隸的距離】 Addressing Modern-Day Slavery: Advocating for Southeast Asian Domestic Workers' Rights in Taiwan

台灣的人權成績在國際間可說相當亮眼，在不同的調查報告中，都能獲得前二十的排名。但是我們還有哪些可以努力的面向，讓你我更為台灣的民主社會制度感到驕傲的呢？

GNA 三月份的月度活動，藉由三月八號國際婦女節，我們把焦點轉向經常被忽視但又不可或缺的台灣東南亞女性家務移工。儘管他們對台灣社會做出了不可估量的貢獻，但這些婦女仍然容易受到歧視、剝削和虐待。

在台灣，估計有22萬5千名家務移工，大多擔任兒童、老人和障礙人士的照顧者。然而，這些照顧者被排除在《勞動基準法》的保護範圍外，這讓他們沒有工作條件的保障，且容易受到移工仲介的壓榨，可能因此背負著債務和過高的費用。由於這些工人所忍受的低工資、歧視和缺乏自由，或可將家務移工比擬為現代奴隸。

然而面對這麼龐大的制度性問題，我們究竟可以做些什麼呢？好在，台灣已經有了許多倡議的先驅者，其中包括創立於 1999 年的台灣國際勞工協會（TIWA），他們長年關注並推動移工權益。且讓我們邀請 TIWA 的研究員靜如，他將與我們分享台灣家務移工面臨的挑戰，以及如何透過倡議《家事服務法》改善家務移工的權利和工作條件。

邀請您參與我們的活動，一起探索可以如何支持這群勇敢的婦女，了解她們面臨的挑戰，並一同尋求解決方案。在活動的最後，我們將會有個參與討論時間，分享彼此在這場演講中學習到的，並基於我們的學習與觀察，試著提出可以怎樣踏出簡單但重要的一步。無論你是誰，都可以成為這場運動的一部分，讓我們為台灣的東南亞家務移工帶來真正的改變！

關於講者：

吳靜如為現任台灣國際勞工研究員，也是全國關廠工人連線成員之一。從研究生時期，靜如已在移工圈涉入十幾年，曾擔任過研究助理，也曾在政府與非政府組織工作。

Jasmin Ruas 來自菲律賓，是三個小男孩的母親。至今已經在台灣擔任家務照護者有十年。他同時也是桃園市家庭看護工職業工會 （DCU） 的新任理事。
桃園市家庭看護工職業工會是台灣第一個菲律賓照護者的工會，由菲律賓女性照護者執行運作。在工會裡，女性領導者試圖為家務照護者賦權，以爭取自身工作條件和生活尊嚴。工會的存在不只有助於成員降低被剝削的可能性，同時也確保了成員能夠保持身體上的健康。桃園市家庭看護工職業工會因而也成為處於弱勢工作情況成員的支持系統。

🔸 活動語言: 中文​
🔸 活動日期: 2024年3月27日 (週三)
🔸 活動時間：19:00 - 20:30
🔸 活動地點: 台北，活動地址會另外以郵件發送。 
🔸 活動報名表: https://forms.gle/RdsQEJJpEqbsejNw8  

March 8th marks International Women's Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

For our March GNA monthly event, we will turn our focus to the often overlooked but indispensable Southeast Asian domestic workers in Taiwan. Despite their invaluable contributions to society, these women are still left vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation and abuse.

With an estimated 225,000 domestic migrant workers in Taiwan, many work as caregivers for children, the elderly and the disabled. However, these caregivers are excluded from the protections of the Labor Standards Act, leaving them without guaranteed minimum working conditions and susceptible to mistreatment through the Labor Brokerage System, which burdens them with debt and excessive fees. The migrant worker system is often referred to as modern-day slavery due to the low wages, discrimination, and lack of freedom endured by these workers.

Join us for an event to learn about the challenges faced by women domestic workers in Taiwan, discover how migrant worker labour unions are mobilising to advocate for the Household Service Act, calling for improved rights and working conditions. During the event we will actively engage participants in an open discussion to explore ways in which we can collectively contribute to bringing about meaningful change for Southeast Asian workers in Taiwan.

Speakers:

Jing Ru Wu is a researcher at Taiwan International Workers’ Association (TIWA) and a member of the consultant group for national toll workers self help organisation. Jing Ru has been involved in the migrant workers' circle for decades, since they were a graduate student, either as a research assistant, working inside the government system, or working for non government organisations.

Jasmin Ruas, a filipina, a mother of 3 boys. Currently working as a Caretaker/Domestic Worker for 10 years now in Taiwan. A newly elected Union Director/President of Domestic Caretaker Union (DCU), is the first local union in Taiwan for Filipino Homebase Migrant Domestic Caretaker. DCU is empowered by its founding members, who are all Filipino women migrant domestic caretakers. The women's leadership of their union is a representation to empower women domestic workers' ability to fight for their working conditions. DCU supports women to mitigate the risk of exploitation, as well as prioritising the well-being and health of its members.

🔸 Language: Chinese
🔸 Date: 27th March 2024 
🔸 Time: 19.00 - 20.30pm
🔸 Venue: Taipei - The address will be sent via email confirmation.
🔸 RSVP: https://forms.gle/RdsQEJJpEqbsejNw8 
Kindly confirm your attendance by filling in the google form.