by Diana Oosterbeek-Latoz
The new trend in child care for the past 10 years in the Netherlands is hiring nannies from the Third World. Officially they are called au pairs but in reality they are nannies and domestic workers blended into one, working day and night. They are usually young women. Most of them come from Eastern Europe, South Africa, the Philippines and most recently Latin American countries.
Bayanihan Foundation has been assisting Filipina au pairs in the Netherlands since 1993.2 Several factors make the au pairs vulnerable to different forms of abuse and exploitation. To name a few: they are generally not well informed about the regulations of the au pair programme; ignorance of their rights and welfare; ‘invisibility’ when they enter the country; prey to the exploitative practices of au pair agencies; and, inability of the Dutch institutions to give them immediate protection.
The problems that the Filipina au pairs faced before 2000 are the same problems they face until now: long working hours, heavy work, inadequate allowance, ill-treatment and disrespect from host families, non-helpful agencies, not enough free days or none at all. Bayanihan’s extensive and vast experience in assisting and working directly with Filipina au pairs in the Netherlands have led us to serious lobby and advocacy work on this issue. Bayanihan believes that the exploitation of au pairs and other problems that arise from it can only be addressed through concerted efforts of the various stakeholders and actors. Most important of these actors are the Philippine and Dutch governments, through their respective policies concerning the au pairs and the au pair program.
The au pair program is a valuable cultural exchange program for the youth, especially those from the global south, hence it should continue and be supported by both the ‘sending’ and ‘receiving’ countries. One of the most immediate steps that needs to be taken in this direction is the lifting of the unilateral ban on the part of the Philippine government and the concomitant establishment on the part of the Dutch government of a concrete system for monitoring, and penalizing abuses by au pair agencies and host families.
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