SEAC is hosting a roundtable discussion bringing together activist, legal, and academic expertise to discuss the exploitation of Filipina domestic workers in the UK. Join us to hear from local NGOs and community organisations about the lived experiences of Filipina domestic workers and the legal challenges constraining efforts to address their ordeals of human trafficking and exploitation and to advance their claims to asylum in the UK. The discussion will shed light on the significant contributions of Filipina migrants in the UK, who represent a large part of the UK’s domestic workforce. The discussion will further explore the critical work that is being done to expand and protect domestic worker’s rights in the UK.
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Speaker and Chair Biographies:
A Filipino woman with lived experience of migration, Susan Cueva works with migrants, refugees and diaspora communities, listening to their stories and enabling them to navigate the government’s hostile environment against racialised communities. She worked in the trade unions and the GLA for many years campaigning against labour exploitation. Susan founded several grassroots community organisations including the Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, the Filipino Domestic Workers Association and the Southeast and East Asian Centre. Susan is also a Founder/Trustee of the Southeast and East Asian Women’s Association, a non-hierarchical collective of feminist women from East and Southeast Asian communities. Susan finished her post post-graduate degree at the LSE.
Nina Rivera is a community organiser working with migrant and trans communities of colour; a domestic worker and current Secretary of the Filipino Domestic Workers Association. Her pronouns are she/her.
Marissa Begonia, Director of Voice of Domestic Workers, is a proud single mother of three, a domestic worker and founding member and director of the self-organised group of migrant domestic workers campaigning for rights and welfare in the UK.
I traveled from the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom in search of decent living and a bright future for my children. Leaving my children behind who were just 3, 2, and 1 Year old was the most painful and difficult decision of my life but I had a dream for my children. I have been happily living with my 3 children in England since 2011 but I still have my father and sister in Manila so whenever find time, I would visit my family in the Philippines. I am the author of the award-winning story 'Cry of a Migrant' which became the window of the world to Justice 4 Domestic Workers now The Voice of Domestic Workers. I experienced abuse and exploitation at the hands of many abusive employers which made me realise that I wasn't alone in this vulnerable work condition which led me to the founding of The Voice of Domestic Workers previously known as Justice for Domestic Workers is an education and support group calling for justice and rights for Britain's sixteen thousand migrant domestic workers. We provide educational and community activities for domestic workers - including English language lessons, drama, art classes, and employment advice, and provide support for domestic workers who exit from abusive employers. and empower migrant domestic workers to stand up and voice their opposition to any discrimination, inequality, slavery, and all forms of abuse. I am also a proud Unite the Union Representative (Union Rep) for Migrant Domestic Workers, the biggest Trade Union in the UK, and I am happy to actively contribute in the process of forming the Domestic Workers Branch in Unite. I am also the Vice-Chair of the Domestic Work Sector of the European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism (EFFAT) 2021-Present. I am also overwhelmed to be recognised during the Ethnicity Awards 2021 as the Top 10 Outstanding Contributor to Communities for my positive campaign and awareness work for Britain’s over sixteen overseas domestic workers The Voice of Domestic Workers is campaigning for the reinstatement of the original Overseas Domestic Workers Visa that allows migrant domestic workers to change employers without restrictions, renew the ODW visa every year, and apply for settlement after and British Citizenship.
Alex Millbrook is a barrister who has worked with migrant workers for over 20 years. First in Hong Kong where she worked at, and later chaired an NGO, that gave free legal advice to migrant workers and secondly, since March 2017, as part of the legal team at Kalayaan.
She is a specialist in modern slavery law and in particular human trafficking and the NRM. She has also made representations and given evidence to the Low Pay Commission as part of a campaign to repeal the family member exemption to the Low Pay Commission, which has just come into effect. She delivers training and has represented clients on Criminal Injuries Compensation Board claims and helped clients with appeals to the First Tier Tribunal.
She studied modern history many years ago, including the history of nationalism in maritime south-east Asia and so has read the ‘Noli’. She is a keen runner and one of her most gratifying achievements in 2024 has been to give a client a new hobby and set of friends by introducing her to the joy and fun that is Parkrun
Dr Sharmila Parmanand is Assistant Professor in Gender, Development and Globalisation in the Department of Gender Studies, LSE. Dr Parmanand is also an Associate Academic at the LSE Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, co-convenor of the Development Studies Association Women and Development Study Group, and member of the editorial board of the Anti-Trafficking Review.