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Danny Nguyen
Jennifer Geraci
Writing 39C
23 October 2016
Womens Imperative Role in Third World Economies
With an insurmountable amount of debt, many leaders of the Third World are forced to
limit the amount of funding towards their countrys health care, education and government
programs (Sassen 266). As a means to desperately pay off this debt, governments are
encouraging their women to become migrant workers for the First World. To justify the
righteousness in sending domestic workers abroad, we must explore the reasons why higher
authority has been allowing for the expansion of nannies, maids and sex workers in the new
economy. Migrant laborers have successfully produced a considerable market from their
remittances, which totaled $70 billion globally (Sassen 270) in 1998. Furthermore, some
countries Thailand especially play a crucial role in maintaining a financially lucrative sex
industry that exploits women through verbal and physical abuse. Take Siri for instance, a fifteenyear-old girl branded with Thailands prostitution label. She is forced to provide sexual services
to clients rebel and she faces unjust rape just after a beating. Even though Siris reality is
frequently experienced by Thailands prostitutes, sex working enables for a lucrative economy
which keeps money circulating. Money explains why Thailands government is doing so little to
save Siri (Bales 207). It is the labor women provide caretaking, housekeeping and sex working
that serves as a crucial fortune for Third World governments. While Third World governments

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are relying on womens labor to support their fragile economies, the lenient laws established
against migrant work and prostitution is an injustice towards the rights of women.
Countries from the Third World have
allowed their people to work abroad, expecting
these workers to send home remittances which
can be taxed. This is very true for countries in
poor economic standing, Argentina for instance,
and less so for countries experiencing economic
prosperity such as Indonesia. As a result, indebted countries are experiencing a rise in the
numbers of domestic workers while wealthier countries are not. Creating an interrelationship
between First and Third World, this social norm is encouraging women in the Third World to
leave their families and work abroad. Indonesia exists as more of a prosperous nation, projected
to be in the top three countries experiencing fast economic growth. After a history of allowing
for their people to work as a migrant laborer in other countries, the Indonesian government
plans to stop sending maids and migrant workers overseas by 2017 (Wardah). A plausible
explanation for the motive of decreasing migrant labor in Indonesia could be explained by a
graph released by the International Monetary Fund (Figure 1) which depicts the nominal GDP
growth projection of several countries. Indonesia places third of countries projected to have the
top GDP growth by 2017, right under India and just above Saudi Arabia. Due to Indonesias
growing economy, the Indonesian government is able to create more jobs for Indonesians
(Wardah) and withdraw from the migrant work business. As we will see, there exists a historical
correlation between rich countries and poor countries when it comes to migrant work. Rich
countries have the luxury of creating jobs for their people so that they will not have to work as

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migrant laborers in other countries. On the other hand, greatly indebted countries are
encouraging their people to work abroad as nannies and maids

Figure 1: Nominal GDP growth by several countries.

The top three are denoted by a dashed red outline.
Graph by the International Monetary Fund.

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While countries with strong economies send less migrant workers abroad (such as
Indonesia mentioned in the previous paragraph), countries from the Third World have proved the
contrary is true. We must investigate the Third World and its struggling economy as the
governments of some Third World countries rely on domestic workers to send home taxable
remittances. These remittances have a valuable economic impact. Saskia Sassens essay, Global
Cities and Survival Circuits mentions such a country, Argentina, which became the most
dramatic example when it defaulted on $140 billion in debt in December 2011 (Sassen 266).
Figure 2 illustrates Argentinas growing debt to GDP over the past years, which portrays
Argentinas historical and recent debts as one that is increasing at an alarming rate throughout the
years. To pay off such a large sum, the Argentinian economy relies on domestic workers to send
home taxable remittances. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), Argentina
claims to have approximately 1.2 million domestic workers in the country (ILO). Furthermore,
Figure 2: Argentina Government Debt to GDP. The graph
depicts Argentinas debt increasing since 2012. Graph by
the
last decade has witnessed a momentous paradigm shift with regard to immigration policy in
tradingeconomics.com.

Argentina, which enacted a new Migration Law in 2004. The law significantly advanced the
promotion of migrant workers (ILO). As a result, Argentina deems it necessary to encourage
domestic working due to their financial history of insurmountable debt. Be it propaganda or
other forms of promotion, information from Argentinas government is encouraging Argentinian
women to work as nannies and maids in other countries. In contrast to Indonesias prosperous
economy, Argentina views domestic work to be a necessary financial strategy.
Despite the growing exploitations that many migrant workers endure, the profitable
remittance tax they generate explains why Third World governments like Argentina are allowing
for the growing paradigm of domestic working. Essentially, economic benefit drives an approval
for such a paradigm. As lenient migrant labor laws are becoming a norm, it is the woman who

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sacrificed her life to work abroad that suffers. Of the many domestic workers who originate from
the Third World, a hefty fraction of them find work in American households. Though for years,
domestic workers in America have experienced some sort of mistreatment. During Americas
Depression, many African American women lost their positions as domestic servants. They
were forced to convene on city corners in slave markets, hoping to be hired for very low-paid
day labor (Bloom). In the early times, these women have been subject to mistreatment.
Domestic servants have been granted low pay and poor living conditions as part of their
employee packages. As years progress from the Depression to present day, women who classify
as nannies and maids are not seeing much progress in proper treatment in global work places as a
result of the domestic worker stigma. In a recent event, Nina, an employer based in Athens,
admitted to denying her maid twelve consecutive hours off in a week (Anderson 111). On the
other hand, Juliette felt seriously depressed (Anderson 112) working as a nanny in Parma.
Similarly, Nora attested to the fact that her life was worse than before she left the Philippines to
work as a nanny, feeling as if she were on a dark road with no way out (Anderson 110). The list
of women experiencing psychological, emotional and physical abuse in societies today goes on.
In fact, much of this injustice is caused by employers who nannies are bound to. Domestic
workers have been experiencing a history of mistreatment, yet Third World countries are
continuing to encourage migrant labor. These governments are often blindsided by the wealth
generated by domestic workers such that the concerns of a nanny go unnoticed.
Prostitution by sex trafficking is also a popular Third World occupation that provides a
lucrative income for those running the business. As a matter of fact, the United Nations estimate
that 4 million people were trafficked in 1998, producing a profit of $7 billion (Sassen 268).
Thailands prostitution business has been booming over the years so much that the money

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generated from the industry has led the Thai government to establishing lenient prostitution laws
today. As a result, sex workers in this economy are the
ones who suffer. The prostitution industry in Thailand
dates back years ago, with sex tourism acting as a
catalyst for further growth. Significant amounts of
tourists from foreign countries come bearing money
with high expectations to have sex with Thai
prostitutes some even underage. As these
demeaning activities continue to occur, many
countries have adopted prostitution and sex tourism
as a strategy for economic development. (Sassen
269). Figure 3 displays the projected effect of tourism

Figure 3: Thailand: Direct Contribution of Travel

and Tourism to GDP. The bar graph shows the
significance of tourism throughout past and future
years. Graph by the World Travel and Tourism
Council.

for Thailands economy; by 2022, the tourism will have had more economic impact than any
other previous year. For any country, prostitution is an unethical method for economic
development. Encouraging prostitution leads a dangerous lifestyle for forced sex workers,
leaving them vulnerable to poor living conditions, beatings, rapes and sexually transmitted
diseases. Many girls who worked for a brothel was initiated by being drugged and then
attacked atop of being forced to submit at gunpoint (Sassen 221). Unsurprisingly enough,
plenty also experience overwhelming trauma. Though, the worst part occurs when a girl realizes
that it is clear she can never escape (Sassen 221). Being subject to life as a prisoner of an
abusive brothel is evidently an unjust and traumatizing lifestyle. Yet, the precious income
generated by sex workers which also exceeds the income generated by drug trafficking is of
too much importance for Thailands government to establish stricter laws against the exploitation

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of victimized prostitutes. This practice is becoming a growing issue of relevance to the girls who
suffer and to the sex tourists from countries like America who think it is okay to enable
prostitution.
Women who choose to work as nannies, maids and prostitutes are an essential pillar of
the Third World economies yet, lenient laws against migrant working and prostitution causes
women of these occupations to experience injustice. Countries that experience economic welfare,
such as Indonesia, are operating to prevent Indonesians from working abroad as nannies and
maids as a result of the common abuse that comes with the job. On the other side of the
spectrum, Argentinas government is encouraging Argentinian women to work as migrant
laborers because of the significant profits generated for their economy. It is a very common case
that a women working as a domestic worker is abused and mistreated. Little is done to stop this
epidemic, mostly because of the money generated from remittances. Similarly, women in the
Third Worlds sex working industry experiences inhumane treatment. Though, governments
interpret the business as too significant to their economy to establish stricter laws against sex
work. By not embracing these issues, the Third World will continue to be responsible for the
countless women who suffers. The suffering of a human being is not only wrong, but immoral
and should not be worth any amount of remittance tax and prostitution money.

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Works Cited
Anderson, Bridget. "Just Another Job? The Commodification of Domestic Labor." Ed. Arlie
Hochschild. Global Woman. Ed. Barbara Ehrenreich. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Argentina Government Debt to GDP. Digital image. Trading Economics, n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2016.
Bales, Kevin. "Because She Looks like a Child." Ed. Arlie Hochschild. Global Woman. Ed.
Barbara Ehrenreich. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Bloom, Ester. "The Decline of Domestic Help." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 23 Sept.

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2015. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.
ILO. "New Law Leads to New Life for Migrant Domestic Workers." Argentina. N.p., 16 Dec.
2014. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.
Nominal GDP Growth Projection by IMF. Digital image. International Monetary Fund. N.p., n.d.
Web. 8 Oct. 2016.
Sassen, Saskia. "Global Cities and Survival Circuits." Ed. Arlie Russell Hochschild. Global
Woman. Ed. Barbara Ehrenreich. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Thailand: Direct Contribution of Travel and Tourism to GDP. Digital image. World Travel and
Tourism Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.
Wardah, Fatiyah. "Indonesia to Stop Sending Informal Migrant Workers Abroad." VOA. N.p.,
25 Feb. 2015. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.