For most of my life, I worked as a trader, buying and selling goods from different places. But some years ago, I was forced to stop my activity and take care of my husband when he fell ill. At that time, a family social protection benefit helped to ease my financial burden and allowed me to pay for school supplies and other basic needs for my children. Thanks to a recent increase in the benefit, I have also been able to grow my small fruit stand business.

My name is Astou Gningue. I am 73 years old and the mother of 10 children. I currently live in Pikine, in the Dakar region of Senegal and have done so for 51 years.

When I was much younger, I lived in a village. There, I used to raise goats and sell them. I also bought fabrics and sold them.

Later, when I married and came to Dakar, I continued the same activity. I used to go to Rosso, near Mauritania, and to Gambia to buy goods and fabrics and sell them back home.

I carried out my commercial activities because a wife must also help her husband to run the household. She cannot just sit back and expect everything from a man.

Some years ago, my husband became ill. He could no longer work, and my children were still very young. Then, all the burden fell on me.

A social protection benefit transformed our daily lives

During my husband's illness, I shuttled back and forth between the hospital and home. I couldn't leave him alone and therefore I had to stop my commercial activities.

My life was hard when I stopped working. I spent all my time worrying about feeding my children.

I started running a small business in front of my house, using the money I had saved from buying and selling fabrics. I would go to the market to buy fruits and other goods to sell.

I looked after my husband, and I managed as best I could to look after my children.

After my husband had been sick for some time, he was admitted to hospital. When he was discharged, he returned home. A year later, he passed away.

Before receiving the family social protection benefit, I was in great difficulty. Long before that, I was financially independent, but when my husband became ill, I stopped working and things became complicated. Senegal (June, 2024)

Then one day, my son fell ill. I had to take care of him and could not work, I had no money. That's when one of my neighbours came to tell me that a family social protection benefit was available.

I went to the post office early in the morning. I waited in line until the afternoon, without getting paid. The next day, I went back to the post office at 4am and that day I received the social protection benefit.

That day, the family benefit was a great help.

One day, my son fell ill. I had to take care of him and could not work,  I had no money. That's when one of my neighbours came to tell me that a family social protection benefit was available.

At that time, I had children who were students, and I had to pay for their schooling. Thanks to the social protection benefit, I was also able to buy school supplies for them.

Studying is very important in life. When I was young, I really wanted to go to school, but our locality didn't have a school.

The fact that I didn't go to school hurts me now. I run a women's association and, as I'm not educated, others must write for me. But I don't know if people faithfully translate what I say.

The social protection benefit has really helped. It allows me to build up my capital and better manage the extra expenses for my children. Senegal (June 2024)

After I received the family social protection benefit, I went to the market and stocked up on more mangoes and other fruit to resell. With the benefit, I have strengthened my activities.

Since I was a young girl, commerce has always fascinated me. I love to work. I got this passion from my parents, who worked all the time. They taught me that work is the only way to support yourself and be self-sufficient.

My mother farmed and raised sheep, goats, and cattle. I inherited my mother's culture of hard work. She worked until the day she died. I instilled these values in my children, without exception, both boys and girls.

Since I was a young girl, commerce has always fascinated me. When my husband passed away, it would have been difficult if I wasn't used to working. Senegal (June 2024)

I know a few recipients of the family social protection benefit. 

Every Monday, as women beneficiaries, we get together to exchange ideas. We talk about the family benefit and how we use the money that we've received.

Recently, I received an increase in the family benefit. Now, we no longer receive 25,000 CFA francs (US$42). We receive 35,000 CFA francs (US$58) and it makes us even stronger. Thanks to the benefit increase, I've doubled the quantity of goods I buy.

I'm very happy with this increase because we now have more purchasing power. It has transformed our daily lives.

Thanks to the benefit increase, I've doubled the quantity of goods I buy. I'm very happy with this increase because we now have more purchasing power.

I've been through some very difficult times.

Today, some of my children work in commerce. One of my children works for the national electricity company and another one works at the town hall. The others are unemployed.

Some of them are also ill: my eldest son and the youngest. To this day, I continue to care for my children and receiving the family social protection benefit lightens my load.

In April 2023 Senegal increased family social protection benefits for 316,000 households with children by increasing the budget of the country’s main social assistance programme by 40%. The budget increase was financed through the reallocation of subsidies on petroleum products and electricity.

To prevent social tensions during its roll-out, accompanying measures for the transport sector and households previously benefiting from the electricity subsidies were implemented to maintain the purchasing power of workers and families.

The ILO was instrumental in achieving this policy change thanks to consistent advocacy as part of the Improving Synergies between Social Protection and Public Finance Management Programme (SP&PFM), funded by the European Union. The reduction and reallocation of energy subsidies was one of the key recommendations of the programme following analysis of fiscal space.

SP&PFM was a four-year programme (2019-2023) that aimed to strengthen the design and financing of national social protection systems. It was funded by the European Union and implemented jointly by the ILO, UNICEF, and the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors.

Interview with Stéphane Devaux, EU delegation to Senegal

Senegal adopts recommendations from the SP&PFM analysis of its fiscal space

International Symposium on Improving Synergies between Social Protection and Public Finance Management - Panel 2: Advocating for investing more and better in social protection

Improving Synergies between Social Protection and Public Finance Management Programme

Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors

Astou Gningue, a mother of 10 children living in Senegal, sells fruit and other products to support her family. A social protection benefit has helped her to support her family’s basic needs when she could not work and enabled her to grow her business.

When I was very young, my parents passed away due to HIV. Some years later, I learned that I was also positive. I have faced stigma from society for my status. But I want people to understand that this is a manageable condition, and we can lead the same lives as everyone else. We shouldn't face discrimination.

I am 23-years old, and I was born and raised in Surat, India.

When I was about four, my dad passed away. It was only identified that he had HIV at the last stage of his illness, so he was never able to receive treatment.

Around a year later, in 2006, my mom also died. She had started receiving treatment for HIV after my dad tested positive, but she wasn't able to recover. Since then, I have been living with my maternal grandmother and uncle.

After my parents passed away, I wasn't immediately tested for HIV. It was a few years later, when my uncle asked for everyone in the family to get tested and that was when I discovered my status.

Everyone in the family tested negative, except for me. I was positive.

My HIV status won't prevent me from achieving my career goals

When my father passed away, none of his relatives came to the hospital to visit. They said they didn’t want to touch his body for fear of contracting HIV.

I am still in contact with my father’s side of the family, but they don’t ask me to come and visit. The stigma is there.

But people can get a disease at any time in their lives. Everyone faces problems. So, why should we live in fear?

HIV already has positive in its name, so why should we see it so negatively?

Even though I don’t remember much about my parents, I know my mother said that I should make my parents and my family proud.

Thanks to my sewing work, I can cover my own expenses with what I earn. I am also able to contribute to supporting the family. Surat, India (2024)

Since 2014, I’ve been receiving treatment for HIV through a non-profit community organization, The Gujarat State Network of Positive People – or GSNP+.

Back in school, I was absent a lot. During part of my treatment, I would get admitted to hospital for 10 - 15 days to ensure that there were no side effects.

At the time, the school called my uncle to ask why I was taking so much leave. We trusted them and told them about my HIV status. But they used it against me.

My school coach told my entire class about my status. After that, I faced derogatory comments from my classmates.

But some friends were supportive. They reminded me that I had done nothing wrong. I had contracted HIV at birth and so I shouldn't take people’s chatter to heart.

After school, I wanted to earn and become independent. But the school didn’t have anyone to guide us properly on what to do after graduating.

I have always been interested in arts and I wanted to do something creative. Two years ago, I was able to take skills development courses. With support from ILO and UNAIDS, I received training through the GSNP+ and studied computer literacy and sewing skills. 

The sewing course lasted for around six months. It started with basics on how to operate a sewing machine, how to cut fabrics and draw. Then we learnt how to create a finished product.

Now, I work from home sewing for friends and neighbours. With what I earn, I can cover my own expenses and help to support my family.

If a few of us have an open HIV status, then we can provide peer-to-peer counselling and guide each other on how to get the right information and resources. If the youth work together, it will benefit all our community. Surat, India (2024)

About a year ago, I decided to be open about my HIV status.

Before that, I was in a relationship with someone who was HIV negative. I was under pressure to not disclose my status to his family and, in the end, he refused to marry me.

I realized then why it's important to have an open status. I didn’t want to hide something like this. I wanted to live freely.

The right to life and personal liberty are in the Indian constitution. This is applicable for every citizen, even if you have HIV or another issue. So, we shouldn't face discrimination.

In our constitution, Article 21 guarantees the right to life, and this applies to every citizen. It doesn’t mention that you can’t live your life equal to others if you have HIV, so why should we face discrimination? Surat, India (2024)

During my training, I met other people of my age living with the same diagnosis. It helped me to feel less alone. It gave me motivation to know that there are others in the same situation.

For the last two years, I have been a volunteer with the GSNP+, as I want to support my community.

Many young people are hesitant to share their issues with older members of the community, so it’s helpful for them to have a volunteer who is closer to their own age.

We ask them if they are facing any challenges and offer to visit their families to help them explain things to them.

Now that my status is open, other people are also willing to come forward and speak to me as they feel that I can understand them better.

In the future, I want to join the Indian police service or IPS. I’m currently studying online for the civil services exam. That is the goal I have set for myself.

I have already attempted the civil services exam once. Around that time, my grandmother had just become paralysed and when I didn't pass the exam, I was really depressed. I wanted to give up.

I spoke to the staff at GSNP+ about how I was unable to move on mentally. They gave me a lot of support and I managed to start prepping for the exam again.

The ILO office in India has supported the development of a National HIV and tuberculosis (TB) policy in the world of work. It has created training and advocacy tools to implement the policy and combat HIV-related stigma and discrimination in line with the ILO Recommendation No. 200 (R 200) under different phases of the National AIDS Control Programme, since 2001.

Under the Joint UN programme of UNAIDS (Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, 2018-2025), the ILO is focusing on promotion of voluntary HIV and TB screening and livelihood promotion for vulnerable groups.

Under the current phase of the ILO’s project in collaboration with the Gujarat State Network of Positive People (GSNP+), 550 people were identified who are HIV positive, come from families affected by HIV, or are members of the LGBTQ+ community. The programme helped them to build their skills in various trades and link up with employment agencies.

With a focus on voluntary HIV testing and counselling, Indians living with HIV are diagnosed early and put on life-saving anti-retroviral treatment (ART). There has been a significant decline in new HIV cases since 2010 (around 44 per cent), but still, 65,000 new HIV cases were detected in 2023.

Interview with Nandini Kapoor Dhingra, Policy and Strategy Adviser, UNAIDS India

National AIDS Control Organization, India

Gujarat State Network of people living with HIV (GSNP+)

The ILO Global HIV Discrimination in the World of Work survey

Reducing HIV testing and social protection coverage gaps amongst migrant workers through workplace intervention in Gujarat, India

Having an income reduces HIV stigma and discrimination – VOICES story from Zambia

VCT@WORK: Voluntary, confidential HIV counselling and testing for workers

Reena Mistry, 23, aspires to join the Indian civil services. She also works as a volunteer with youth and lives with HIV. She became financially independent by training as a seamstress through a project implemented by the ILO in collaboration with UNAIDS.

As a migrant domestic worker, I was abused by my employers. Now, I raise awareness so that other Indonesian women have the knowledge to protect themselves from exploitation. No woman should have to endure violence at the hands of their employers, like I did.

My name is Win Faidah and I am from East Lampung in Indonesia. I am 40 years old, and I am married and have two children. Since graduating from middle school, I have been a domestic worker.

After I got married, my husband's relative suggested that I should go abroad as a migrant worker. He told me that I could earn a lot of money and have a good life. At the time my mother strongly disapproved and prohibited me from going.

However, when I was pregnant with my first child, the relative came back to our house, encouraging me to work overseas. This time I accepted so I could provide for our family's needs.

After three months training in Jakarta I was flown to an Asian country to work. When I left Indonesia, my baby was nine months old.

I still cannot stop the tears when I relive the devastating memory of my experience as a migrant domestic worker. (2024)

On arriving abroad we were given documents about how to treat employers, clean the house and other tasks. It felt like I was taking a school exam. A week later we discovered that none of us had passed the test, so we would return to Indonesia.

Back in Indonesia we stayed in a remote house in the woods. We weren't allowed out and we couldn't contact our families.

I pleaded with the agent to send me home. But he refused. He told me that we would be taken to another Asian country to work. He said: "If you want to go home you need to pay the company IDR20 million (US$1200).” I had no choice but to work.

I regularly share my experience as a migrant worker and advocate in the village and even in areas like Malang in East Java. I want to inspire other Indonesian women. (2024)

In the new country I was taken to a three-story house to work. My main duties included taking care of the house and my employer’s elderly mother.

For the first two months the working conditions were tolerable. But they soon got worse. I was rarely given food and the employer's mother started beating me.

One day, I learnt that the neighbour’s domestic worker was from the same province of Indonesia as me. She warned me to be careful and told me that the previous domestic worker had run away.

She said: "I will help you to escape. I will find you a good employer. Otherwise, you could die here."

No day passed without torture. My eyes were blindfolded, my back and chest were burnt with an iron.... I thought I was going to die, and I was ready to die.

Three months later I escaped from the house. I vividly remember that night. I packed my belongings and around midnight I climbed over the back gate to where my neighbour’s domestic worker was waiting to take me to my new employer.

My new employer was a stay-at-home mother with four children. Her husband was a contractor. They lived in a three-bedroom flat. I didn't have my own room but I didn't mind as they treated me well.

However, after a few months, my employer's husband began flirting. I felt uncomfortable and scared. I told my employer that I missed my daughter and wanted to go home, but she refused.

Then one night, while I slept in the kitchen, I felt hands touching my body. I woke up and saw my employer's husband. The next day, I told my employer about the incident. But her husband denied the allegation and instead accused me of flirting with him.

When my employers abused me I could not contact anyone as I did not have a mobile phone. I tried to heal by myself. My employers never took me to a doctor. (2024)

After that no day passed without torture.

My eyes were blindfolded, my back and chest were burnt with an iron. My head was hit by a hammer and my hair was shaved. My fingernails were cut with pliers, and I was splashed with boiled water. I was beaten and punched.

During this time my employer's husband sexually assaulted me four times. I thought I was going to die, and I was ready to die. 

I tried to tend to my wounds alone with products such as toothpaste. But when my body began to deteriorate and the wounds started to smell, my employers wrapped me in a blanket and threw me in an isolated area near a palm oil plantation.

With the support of Yunita Rohani from the Migrant Worker Trade Union, I followed training programmes at the Migrant Worker Resource Centre (MRC) in East Lampung, under the ILO’s Safe and Fair programme. (2024)

I was rescued by a local citizen who called the police. For a month, I was treated in hospital and then I stayed in a shelter during the trial. It was long and hard, but I was relieved that my employers were sentenced to eight years in prison. The agent in Indonesia was also sentenced to three years in prison.

With the help of the Indonesian Embassy, I could finally return home. When I arrived, my mother shed tears saying that she could feel my pain. My husband welcomed me with open arms, despite the assault that I had experienced.

Unlike my family, my community treated me like an outcast. They mocked me about the assault, saying that it was my fault. I felt devastated and ashamed.

I was blessed to meet Yunita Rohani, a field officer at the Migrant Worker Resource Centre (MRC) from the Indonesia Migrant Worker Union (SBMI). With her support I joined training programmes of the MRC in East Lampung district, as part of the ILO’s Safe and Fair programme.

I learnt about gender equality, the prevention of gender-based violence for women migrant workers, women's leadership, and trade unions.

Most importantly, I learnt to voice my aspirations and make myself heard.

I used to wonder why I didn't die after all that I had endured. Now, I realize that I survived so I could tell my story and empower other women migrants.

The training helped me become stronger. I now actively share my experiences at trade union meetings and at the MRC at local and national level. I want to inspire Indonesian women to work abroad through a legal process. They must prepare themselves with adequate knowledge so that they can speak up if they face problems.

Nowadays, I help my sister by taking care of her toddler. Both of my younger sisters are migrant workers. I'm happy they have good experiences and can support their families. I hope no other women migrant workers endure what I experienced.

I used to wonder why I didn't die after all that I had endured. Now, I realize that I survived so I could tell my story and empower other women migrant workers.

I hope that the public never forgets our contribution to the national economy as migrant workers. We risk our lives to work abroad.

June 21 marks the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the ILO’s Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), the first international treaty to recognize the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.

Sixty-one percent of Indonesian migrant workers are women. Women migrant workers are primarily in the care and domestic work sectors, which have lower levels of labour law protection in both Indonesia and destination countries. Consequently, migrants are at greater risk of discrimination, violence, harassment, abuse and exploitation.

The Safe and Fair: Realising Women Migrant Workers’ Rights and Opportunities in the ASEAN Region programme was part of the European Union-United Nations Spotlight Initiative to End Violence against Women and Girls from 2018-2023.

Safe and Fair was implemented through a partnership between the ILO and UN Women, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the objective of ensuring safe and fair labour migration for all women in the ASEAN region (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

In Indonesia the project pioneered the establishment of one-stop migrant worker resource centres (MRC) that provide services to women migrant workers and their communities. In East Lampung, the MRC is jointly operated by the district government, Women Solidarity Sebay Lampung (SP), and Indonesia Migrant Worker Union (SBMI). 

The services include pre-employment information, psychosocial counselling and training on safe migration, the elimination of violence against women migrant workers, human trafficking, women’s leadership and gender equality.

Online and offline public campaigns have raised the awareness of 69,034 women migrant workers about women’s labour migration, the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work, gender equality, reintegration support, and trade unions.

Safe and fair migration through Migrant Workers Resource Centre

The Indonesian One Stop Services (LTSA-MRC) model recognised as a good practice in the UN Global International Migration Review Forum in 2022

Tens of thousands of women migrant workers are empowered by Gender Responsiveness-One Roof Integrated Services Centres

Tripartite Forum on Migration empowers women migrant workers as agents of change to safeguard their labour rights

C190 - Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190)

As a migrant domestic worker, Win Faidah was abused by her employers. Now she works to raise awareness so that other Indonesian women have the knowledge to protect themselves from exploitation and violence in the workplace.

I empower migrant domestic workers by sharing my experiences

Voices is the International Labour Organization’s multimedia storytelling platform that highlights first-person stories of people at the heart of the world of work.

Through video, photo, audio and text these stories reveal the value, passion and dignity that work brings to our lives – reflecting the human-centred approach of the ILO’s Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work .

Some show the critical work that the ILO is carrying out on a range of issues, from child labour to skills training to employment creation and more. Others feature people who, through their work, are making a difference to the lives of the most vulnerable populations.

The emphasis will be on compelling stories with strong visuals and characters who take readers on a journey.

In addition to multimedia features, Voices also includes a regular blog and podcasts on the future of work, with experts and change-makers in the world of work. All content will be available in English, French and Spanish.

People are at the heart of the world of work. Through Voices we aim to promote the ILO’s mandate of bringing social justice and decent work to all women and men.

Director,  ILO Department of Communication and Public Information

Our new Voices platform will bring to life people's stories and the very important issues they raise in a way that is accessible and memorable.

First-person perspectives on the world of work

About the Voices platform

Voices is the International Labour Organization’s multimedia storytelling platform that highlights first-person stories of people at the heart of the world of work.

More stories from ILO Voices

A social protection benefit transformed our daily lives

Astou Gningue

My HIV status won't prevent me from achieving my career goals

Reena Mistry

I empower migrant domestic workers by sharing my experiences

Win Faidah

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