In our class, we have read numerous papers on varying feminist theories. The feminist theories we have covered include intersectionality, lesbianism, orientalism, and more. Additionally, we have read the book Unfree: Migrant Domestic Work in Arab States by Rhacel Parrenas. This book studies the livelihood of female domestic workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), providing evidence and showcasing how to measure good/safe employment in this line of work. In this op-ed, I want to focus on Kandiyoti’s paper on “Bargaining with Patriarchy” and how domestic workers in the UAE resist their subjugation and increase their opportunities/livelihood by bargaining with their employer.
In Unfree, Parrenas talks about how these domestic workers face a different kind of inequality. This inequality, dubbed by Parrenas as “unfreedom”, is different because these workers immigrate from the Phillipines to the UAE. The conditions at their home in the Philippines has them starting from a point of unfreedom, as there are no opportunities for success or a great life. This leads many women to having to leave their families and children behind in search of gainful employment. Since there are recruiting agencies who specifically seek these kinds of women in these kinds of situations who are sent to the Philippines, it is proposed to these women as a great option. They are told that they should pray to get a good employer.
In Unfree, Parrenas identifies three ways in which domestic workers are treated by employers. They are either treated like children that must be constantly watched over and told what to do, recognized as adults with needs and wants and provided with an actual livelihood, or completely disregarded and abused. While Parrenas tells us that abuse is not common and most of the women are either treated like a child or recognized as a human, she brings in the concept of “unfreedom”. Because these women travel from afar and have no way to control their life without repercussions or surveillance by their employer, plus the UAE and Philippine government essentially do nothing to protect these workers, even the nicest employer could turn on their employee at any time. Imagine that you are living in a strange place with a strange family, they treat you nicely and you do the work, and one day they tell you that they will no longer allow breaks, holidays, food, a bed, pay you on time, let you have your passport, or they start to emotionally/physically abuse you. And you can’t do anything about any of it.
Patriarchal bargaining comes into play here as seemingly the only route to combat this compromised position that the domestic workers face. Kandiyoti paints this picture that patriarchal bargaining is when women use the patriarchy to their advantage, using information and manipulation to gain power and opportunities. While Kandiyoti is mainly examining this theory within cases of “classic patriarchy” – a patriarchal system in which a woman is married off, has no possessions or wealth of her own because of this, moves in with her in-laws, and the one who assumes control over her is the mother-in-law – we can see it working throughout Parrenas exploration of how these workers navigate the system in the UAE.
One example of this kind of bargaining is when workers tell their employers that they know of other workers getting paid more, doing the same or similar things as them. In the book, there are several employers that Parrenas talks to who go so far as to boast how good of an employer they are, and if their employee came to them talking about pay in this way, they would likely increase their pay to maintain their status as a good employer. Other examples include employees bargaining with their employer about getting more days off, visiting family, and more.
This form of patriarchal bargaining that the domestic workers use in the UAE is important to note and follow for the same reason that Kandiyoti studied this in the first place – to showcase that women don’t just take injustice and inequality “lying down”. In fact, activism comes in many different forms in our daily lives, in ways that most people wouldn’t recognize. There is obvious power in a picket line and boycotting, but there is also power in using your current position to shift norms and allowances. Furthermore, many people simply aren’t in the position to throw away their financial stability (which their families back home also rely upon), so bargaining is not only effective, but less risky.
Written by: Lily Philbrook