Dreamseekers: Indonesian Women As Domestic Workers in Asia

by Dewi Anggraeni

When the women come to recruitment agencies to work as domestic helpers overseas, they begin building the foundation of their dreams of a better future. During their training following the recruitment, their dreams assume colours and shapes. They leave their homeland with high hopes and aspirations. Arriving at their destinations, the workers quickly realize that no amount of training can prepare them for the shock of the cold, foreign world which confronts them. Those who are placed with considerate employers have generally happy working lives. Those who are placed with employers who expect ready-to-use service from their domestic helpers have a long and rocky road to navigate. With very little bargaining power and negotiating skills, as well as social prejudice from many parts of the community, these women's dreams can easily turn into nightmares. In Indonesian Women as Domestic Workers in Asia , veteran journalist Dewi Anggraeni uncovers the hidden world of domestic helpers from all points of the employers, the agents, the governments, the NGOs, and most importantly the workers themselves. This first-hand account of the struggles and successes of these women is described in vivid detail, and Dreamseekers is a must-read by anyone interested in the plight of these remarkable women. About the Author Dewi Anggraeni, a native of Jakarta, is a journalist and novelist now residing in Melbourne. She is the Australia correspondent for Tempo and regular contributor to the Jakarta Post . Her works have been published in Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, the USA, the UK, and Malaysia. Dewi has also published seven books, the latest being Who Did This to our Bali and a novel, Snake , (2003, Indra Publishing). She has also contributed to various anthologies and collections of essays including "Journey to my Cultural Home", in Weaving a Double Cloth (2002, Pandanus Books).

Genres: Gender

268 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

Dewi Anggraeni adalah penulis fiksi dan nonfiksi, yang tinggal bersama sebagian keluarganya di Melbourne, Australia. Tulisan tulisan Dewi, dalam bentuk buku, artikel, kolom, dan esai terbit dalam dua bahasa, Inggris dan Indonesia, di Australia, Indonesia, Inggris, Hongkong, Malaysia, Korea Selatan, dan Amerika Serikat. Sebelum pemberedelan Tempo pada 1994, Dewi adalah koresponden Tempo di Australia. Sesudah itu ia bekerja untuk Forum Keadilan dan The Jakarta Post. Pada 1998 Dewi kembali menjadi kontributor Tempo yang memulai penerbitannya lagi.

Karya-karya fiksinya dalam bentuk buku antara lain Snake, Journeys through Shadows, Neighbourhood Tales, Stories of Indian Pacific, Parallel Forces, dan The Root of All Evil. Buku- buku nonfiksinya adalah Mereka Bilang Aku China: Jalan Mendaki Menjadi Bagian Bangsa (versi bahasa Inggrisnya Breaking the Stereotype: Chinese Indonesian Women Tell Their Stories), Dreamseekers: Indonesian Women as Domestic Workers in Asia, dan Who Did This to Our Bali?

Breaking the Stereotype ditulisnya dengan dukungan logistik nonmoneter dari Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Stories of Indian Pacific dengan bantuan dana dari The Australia Council for the Arts, dan Journeys through Shadows dengan bantuan dana dari Arts Victoria, Australia. Sedangkan Dreamseekers didanai penuh oleh International Labour Organisation (ILO). Pada saat ini Dewi sedang menulis novel.

Reviews

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of the realities of domestic workers from Indonesia.

[aldo zirsov · Rating 3 out of 5]

hasil hunting buku Minggu 3 Mei 2009