I may have more experience, but a Filipino [worker] gets 1,500 [AED per month] ($408). Why do I get 600 [AED] ($163)? I should get 1,500 too. The Philippines [government] says [to UAE] you have to give 1,500 or no more workers. But Tanzania [government]? No. They don’t do anything.
I woke up maybe 4:30 a.m. early in the morning, and went to sleep at 12 a.m. No break. Ironing, cleaning, cooking, looking after animals—two cows and ten goats, and cutting grass. No day off at all. All the time working like a robot.
[her employer repeatedly exposed his genitals to her and a fellow domestic worker]
Always doing that, just pulling down his pants. When we saw him, we would start running.
When I was working there I didn’t see anyone, no Swahili speakers, no neighbours, just this family. I just stayed in the house from day one until the last day.
[When Anisa migrated to Dubai in November 2013 she incurred agency fees]
Same medical check-up, same process for visa, and ticket. But this time they charged us money: 400,000 TZS ($250) to labor agents for preparation to go to Dubai.
In Dubai … I saw the agents beating domestic workers because they just returned and got tired. They said they don’t want to go work, and they [the agency] want to force them to work.
As told to researchers for Human Rights Watch
