Pre-departure Interventions for Migrant Domestic Workers

Gift and photo intervention

At the end of the baseline interview, domestic workers assigned to this intervention are given a pack of dried mangoes (a specialty in the Philippines) and are encouraged to give them as a small introductory gift to their employer’s family. They are also encouraged to show a family photo (including the domestic worker) to signal to the employer’s family that the DW is a human being with a family and a personal background too. This intervention also signals the DW’s good intentions for the relationship with the employer. Specific instructions provide guidance for avoiding cross-cultural misunderstandings (e.g., by showing a picture where family members are dressed too lightly).

The intervention is motivated by the observation that many former domestic workers report that they are treated very poorly by members of the employer’s household and that they are not respected as human beings. The intervention aims to affect the relationship between DW and the employer by changing the starting situation and thereby creating a different trajectory of the relationship. In particular, the intervention aims at portraying DWs as human beings with a family and friends in the Philippines.

Experience sharing

Experienced domestic workers share their experiences, problems faced, ways of coping with problems, etc. The information in the experience sharing intervention is grouped around 3 themes: work experiences (including hours worked, specific concerns such as the large size of houses to be cleaned and number of family members served, hours of rest/sleep etc.), relationships with the employer (including cross-cultural communications, salary issues, food issues, etc.) and relationship with the families left behind. This first-hand experience sharing is meant to increase the credibility of the content. This intervention tries to manage expectations regarding what the DWs will face when they actually work abroad and provide them with strategies to cope with potential problems.

Savings module

The new savings module to be evaluated is comprehensive and focuses only on a few messages. In terms of content, the module offers direct guidance on a) prioritizing and distinguishing between expenditures that are needs and those that are merely wants, b) creating a joint financial plan with their family prior to departure, including the amount and use of remittances, c) an exercise in making a budget with a template showing how much money should be saved to reach a specific savings goal after two years, d) the importance of keeping some savings in a bank directly under the control of the DW. The pedagogy is interactive, e.g. using role-play to illustrate how to deal with financial requests from relatives and neighbors, and asking DWs who have already had experience working abroad to share the financial results of their time abroad and lessons learned. A short comics-style handout that DWs can bring with them to use as a reminder is also provided.

Savings reminder

Regularly sent text messages encouraging migrants to save the targeted share of their income. Due to logistical challenges of updating cellphone numbers, this intervention is carried out only for a small subsample.

2014-05-26

2014-08-15

Gift and photo intervention: treatment of domestic workers by the employer, subjective wellbeing
Experience sharing: Managing expectations regarding conditions abroad leads to faster adjustment, better work performance, higher employer satisfaction, better treatment, higher sense of wellbeing
Savings module: increase in savings, involvement of the family in financial planning
Savings reminder: increase in savings

see analysis plan

Baseline interviews are conducted immediately before a mandatory pre-departure training for domestic workers. The training usually takes place a few weeks before departure. The assignment of the gift and photo intervention takes place during the baseline interview. The intervention is randomly assigned with 50% probability at the individual level and the randomization is independent of the randomization at the group level.

Group-level interventions (savings module and experience sharing) are randomized at the classroom level. Any class is either assigned to none or any of the two group-level interventions. No class is assigned to both.

Savings reminders are randomly assigned at a later point in time for the subsample for which a cellphone number is available.

see analysis plan

Randomization is done beforehand using a Stata algorithm based on available registration lists.

The gift and photo intervention is randomized at the individual level. A savings module and experience sharing by former domestic workers were randomized at the classroom level. Savings reminders are randomly assigned at the individual level at a later point in time for the subsample for which a cellphone number is available.

No

210 classrooms

2000 migrant domestic workers (1200 going to KSA, 800 going to Hong Kong)

Gift and photo 1000 individuals assigned to treatment, 1000 assigned to control
Experience sharing and savings module: 55 classrooms assigned to the savings module, 27 assigned to experience sharing (KSA only), 128 assigned to control

OWWA wave 2 PAP

OWWA wave 3 PAP

Wave 3 PAP registration with 3ie (June 2016)

Wave 2 PAP registration with 3ie (April 2015)