Our group conducted a survey with both people from the general public and also a few domestic helpers. We received a total of 55 responses for the General Public and 10 responses from the Domestic Helpers. The results for the survey with people from the general public are shown below:
For the survey for Singaporeans, a large portion of Singaporeans either agreed or strongly agreed that domestic helpers should be accepted into society. However, 12.7% of our survey population strongly disagreed, which represents a significant portion of people in Singapore that strongly opposed the idea of domestic helpers being integrated into society. However, most Singaporeans were receptive towards the idea of providing the domestic helpers with a day's leave after work and also allowing them to use public facilities. When asked whether domestic helpers were treated well, many Singaporeans agreed, but again, a significant portion of around 20% of our survey population disagreed or strongly disagreed. Thus, this shows that there is much more to be done for the cause of equality for domestic helpers in Singapore.
The results for the survey with domestic helpers are shown below:
From our results, we concluded that domestic helpers felt that they too, deserved equal treatment just like their employers. However, they chose not to have the privilege of using public facilities, instead citing interaction with friends as a better way to spend their time. They also felt that they deserved a day off each week in lieu of their hard work. ALthough may agreed that they were treated well, a signification portion of 42% indicated that they disagreed, which is a worrying percentage of domestic helpers.
Additionally, our group also conducted an interview from an expert's perspective. We interviewed Dr. James Leong, a General Practitioner. From the interview, we gleaned a few following points: Singaporeans may feel threatened by the competition for jobs by foreign domestic helpers and workers, spilling into their negativity. Singaporeans also need to become more accustommed to the way of life of foreign workers and their cultures and not think they are inferior due to their lack of education and skills. Singaporeans should also note that domestic helpers play an integral role in the family and Singaporeans should become more compassionate and understanding towards them. As Singapore slowly matures as a society, in time to come, Singaporeans must learn to be sociable and caring towards domestic helpers to ensure social cohesion.