The Philippines embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Copenhagen have been urged to look into a Danish labour union report that showed nine out of 10 au pairs claiming they are being abused by their host families are Filipinas.
Vice President Jejomar Binay published a statement on Sunday saying that due to the recent reports he would strongly urge the embassy in Denmark to investigate the present situation of Filipina au pairs in the country and ensure their rights were being correctly protected.
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas states that au pairs should be between the ages of 18 and 30, unmarried and have no children. It also describes them as being on a “cultural exchange agreement” living with an American or European host family for no more than two years.
Danish au pair organisation Fag og Arbejde revealed that some Filipina au pairs living and working in Denmark were in a similar situation to their counterparts in Hong Kong.
The Philippines temporarily stopped allowing au pairs to travel to Europe in 1997 because the DFA received reports citing maltreatment such as excessive working hours, discrimination, unfair compensation and sexual assault.
Binay expressed his gratitude to Fag or Arbejde for informing him about the situation as well as monitoring the au pairs’ working conditions.