Home Employees within the Gulf Open Up About Labor Circumstances on Tiktok
Female domestic workers, who are often isolated, are particularly vulnerable to abuse, according to right-wing groups.
As their already minimal freedoms are further restricted by the pandemic and their isolation increases, domestic workers steadfastly use TikTok to tell the world how they are being treated, even though it could be dangerous.
Some women simply use the posts to let off steam. Others try to publicize their often poor working conditions, often with a fatalistic sense of humor. Her audience, many of them foreign workers too, say scrolling through funny videos is a way to alleviate loneliness and take a short break from stress, anxiety, or depression.
“Many are suffering here,” said Merygene Cajoto, 35, a Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia who is setting up posts to more than 18,000 followers. “The way they express their depression and stress through their work is done through TikTok. Friends send me videos and advice. It’s kind of a hotline. “
Ms. Dama started posting on TikTok about a year ago, documenting the struggles of workers like you in the Middle East. Before the “Don’t Got It” video went viral, she had fewer than 20,000 followers. After it came out, that number increased by about 5,000 in a matter of days, and it is now over 32,000.
Often characterized by sarcasm, their videos analyze some of the serious problems faced by domestic workers in the Gulf.
In another video, Ms. Dama puts on a headscarf to imitate her Saudi employer. Her boss accused her of stealing money because, according to Ms. Dama, she “came out of poverty at home”.
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