ILO FAIRWAY Programme and en.v tackle complex attitudes of employers of domestic workers through experimental project

The Women’s Circle project is a research-informed initiative developed by FAIRWAY, en.v and a Fulbright scholar to address the relationship between female employers of domestic workers and female migrant domestic workers in Kuwait through facilitated community dialogue. Ultimately, the project aims to shift employer mindsets, leading to improved relationships and increased fair treatment of workers.

The pilot phase included qualitative data collection (from both Kuwaiti employers of domestic workers and domestic workers across various backgrounds and geographical areas), the design and implementation of a Training of Trainers with 9 women employers who want to effect change in their communities, and the hosting of six "women circles" across various groups.

Following the implementation of the first round of women circles, FAIRWAY and en.v designed a toolkit with input from both our trainers and circle participants, so that other women could also initiate and facilitate these kinds of conversations within their own networks.

The toolkit - available in both English and Arabic - includes facilitation notes, all of the activities and materials required, and an additional resource guide. The approximate time to hold a circle is 3 hours, and the recommended size of a circle is between 3 and 5 women. Due to the nature of the conversation, intimate groups can allow participants to engage sympathetically and openly with themselves and one another.

The project was designed from a place of compassion – to step away from the traditionally adversarial narrative that frames many advocacy campaigns and often produces a “fight or flight” response among their intended audience and with a view to supporting transformative change, firstly within the individuals who participate in them, and eventually across their networks and communities.