by Dave Agboola

While I agree that housemaids are being discriminated against here in Nigeria, this does not determine who is somebody or nobody as there is a discrimination of such everywhere, even worse than that of Nigeria.

No doubt, the recent article published by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani titled In Nigeria, You’re Either Somebody or Nobody has raised much dust. Many Nigerians reacting to the piece have questioned Adaobi’s stance on copying the Whites in portraying us as bad people rather than accentuating the positive sides of Nigeria as expected from a patriotic Nigerian. While Adaobi took it that far in not presenting the good image of Nigeria, it appears the title is somewhat extreme; also some reactions it received do not seem to get the message she is passing across.

[READ: Adaobi Nwaubani: In Nigeria, you’re either somebody or nobody]

Adaobi presents to us in the piece a vivid picture of the Nigerian society where domestic help situation is day-by-day increasing coupled with the ill that besets the system. To better explain this, she used her own story while growing up to tell us that indeed Nigeria as a nation does not help in that the rich discriminate against the poor using the house owner – housemaid relationship as a premise – thus, you are either somebody or nobody. This assumption of hers – of what makes you somebody or nobody – is somewhat confusing and unfounded. While I agree that housemaids are being discriminated against here in Nigeria, this does not determine who is somebody or nobody as there is a discrimination of such everywhere, even worse than that of Nigeria.

Worldwide, the treatments meted out to house helps are mostly unimaginable. For instance, the treatment of domestic workers in Singapore who come from poorer countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and even China is highly appalling. These maids’ conditions are so pathetic that they are imprisoned by their bosses, restricted from doing anything or having a personal life, no days off; and they are verbally, physically,  and sexually abused to mention a few. The housemaid business is so rampant there that one time shopping centres have been completely taken over by agencies that hire maids. It’s such a big business with a large majority of Singaporeans having the disposable income to hire help.

The majority of domestic workers in China, Mexico, India, and other populous developing countries, are people from the rural areas who are employed by urban families. In Guatemala, it is estimated that eight percent of all women work as domestic workers who hardly have any legal protection. As enshrined in Guatemalan labour law, domestic work is “subject neither to a working time statute nor to regulations on the maximum number of working hours in a day”. Legally, domestic helpers are only entitled to ten hours of free time in 24 hours, and one day off per week. But very often, these minimal employment laws are disregarded, and so are basic civil liberties.

The story is the same in the UK, maybe even worse. Members of Justice for Domestic Workers (J4DW), a support group run by domestic workers for domestic workers, last year gathered at Syracuse University to discuss labour issues and human rights with so many of them sharing the untold hardship in the hands of their bosses in  Britain.  In fact, a new system has been established which prohibits migrant domestic workers to change employer, a key feature of the previous visa. Their visa too can no longer be renewed while in the UK, and are legally required to enter and leave the country at the same time as their employer. This is sheer wickedness and modern slavery of its highest order.

In the piece, Adaobi likewise mentioned USA as “a more civilized place than Nigeria”. This is more or less an erroneous assumption going by what obtains in the country regarding house maids compared to that of Nigeria. In the United States, domestic workers are excluded from many of the legal protections afforded to other classes of worker, including the provisions of the National Labour Relations Act. In fact, a California bill formerly known as AB 889 which nearly offered legal protections including mandatory overtime pay and breaks was vetoed in September 2012 by Gov. Jerry Brown. So where is the civility?

Indisputably, the issue of housemaid is a disturbing and mind-boggling one, not only in Nigeria but also everywhere. Nevertheless, housemaids in most homes in Nigeria get better treatment if compared to what obtains in some of those countries mentioned earlier. Based on this, Adaobi appears not to have done her homework very well before coming up with such piece – not even with her submission of what determines who you are.

Besides, while the fact that the piece was written by a Nigerian should be appreciated – not an Amanpour of CNN or a BBC person telling us what is wrong with our system, we should not forget that she would have done well if such an article had been published in one of Nigeria’s national dailies – not New York Times. With this, maybe the piece could have achieved a bit of positive responses.

Nonetheless, honestly, not all house-helps are treated badly; but the fact remains that the way some are treated as slaves is atrocious, which calls for us admitting that this discrimination exists. Consequent upon this, this should be a clarion call to everybody out there who has a help or knows someone who has a help to ponder on the kind of relationship that exists between them and their helps. We should not forget that those who use under-aged persons for work too are not doing the right thing even though the victims do not mind.

Overall, it is hoped that this article by Adaobi will help us think and start to condemn employers who treat their employees like dirt, not only housemaids!

————————-

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.