The Embassy of Cambodia

In “The Embassy of Cambodia,” Fatou reads an article about an enslaved woman living in London whose experience closely mirror her own. Domestic enslavement still occurs, and “The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that at least 67 million people are employed as domestic workers across the world. […] Of these, the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery demonstrate that 1.4 million of the 17.3 million people in forced labour in the private sector, are exploited in domestic work” (“Domestic Slavery: What Is It? - Anti-Slavery International.” Anti-Slavery, 5 Dec. 2023). Many of these crimes go unreported because they happen within the domestic sphere, which is difficult to police and regulate. This experience is explored through Fatou, who has very few means to escape from the Derawals, especially since they confiscated her passport and did not compensate her for her labor. Additionally, the nature of domestic labor can conceal the truth of domestic slavery, as comforts like Fatou’s access to the family’s health center, her outings with Andrew, and her living with the Derawals create a façade of normalcy and freedom. It takes an outside article for Fatou to fully grasp her own domestic enslavement, which demonstrates its murkiness, making it even more dangerous to its victims.