Minor domestic help in Bangladesh: Invisible slaves

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They get a roof over their heads and give their childhood for it. The children of poor families in Bangladesh are often forced, even at a young age, to work as household helpers for wealthier families. Some of them are brought there by relatives, others are abducted on the street and forced to work.

Many of them only get food and shelter for their work. No money, no privacy, no fixed hours or breaks. And worst of all: no perspective.

In 2013, researchers from the University of Dhaka investigated the situation of underage home helpers in Bangladesh. Among other things, they found that nearly 75 percent of children have to work every day. A separate room had only a quarter of the children, most had to sleep in the living room, in the kitchen or even on the veranda.

Much has not changed since then apparently. Photographer Marco Giannattasio portrayed household helpers in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. He has met traumatized children who have been partially abused and beaten, injuring themselves.

"Invisible slaves"

He called his photo spread "Dhaka's Invisible Slaves", Dhaka's invisible slaves. One has to choose this feminine form of translation because Giannattasio's research has only involved girls who have worked as household servants - or what he calls them - as slaves.

Although there are probably boys in similar situations, but that is rare. The study by the University of Dhaka also came to this conclusion: Domestic child labor was clearly dominated by women. This is related to the social view that girls are considered to be particularly suitable for housework and boys are more likely to work outside the home.

His story is therefore a purely feminine, says Giannattasio. "These girls are treated like objects, as part of the furniture." On the other hand, most of the time they are the landladies who would abuse the girls.

Giannattasio has also documented positive things: NGOs are committed to the children. They try to influence the landlords so that home helps are at least reasonably well treated. And they organize lessons so the children can learn to read and write. But also so that they are allowed to be a child and dance, sing and play together.

Read in the photo gallery the shocking reports of some affected girls:

photo gallery

11 pictures

This article is part of the project Global Society, for which our reporters report from four continents. The project is long-term and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

What is the project Global Society?

Under the title Global Society, reporters from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe will be reporting on injustices in a globalized world, socio-political challenges and sustainable development. The reportages, analyzes, photo galleries, videos and podcasts appear in the Politics Department of SPIEGEL. The project is long-term and will be supported over three years by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

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SPIEGEL ONLINE has already implemented two projects in recent years with the European Journalism Center (EJC) and the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: The "Expedition The Day After tomorrow" on Global Sustainability Goals and the journalistic refugee project "The New Arrivals" Several award-winning multimedia reports on the topics of migration and escape have emerged.

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