‘She Sleeps in the Dogs’ Cage and Eats with the Dogs’ Plate’: Victimization of Beninese Migrant Domestic Workers in Osogbo, Nigeria

Abstract

Experiences of extreme confinement, identity loss and fear characterize the lived realities of many Beninese women migrant domestic workers in Osogbo, Nigeria. This study employs a descriptive qualitative design to explore persistent violations of their fundamental rights and the broader structural conditions that sustain these abuses. Data were drawn from 32 interviews with migrant workers, police officers and a human rights advocate, providing both victim and institutional perspectives. Findings reveal multiple, overlapping forms of victimization, including physical abuse, unpaid labour, food deprivation, medical neglect and forced renaming that erases cultural identity and personal autonomy. Employers exploit the women’s undocumented status to enforce excessive workloads, surveillance and isolation, while sexual harassment and threats of deportation sustain a climate of silence and dependency. Most participants were unaware of their rights, which deepens their vulnerability and discourages reporting. Despite Nigeria’s Labour Migration Policy and its commitment to international conventions, weak enforcement and public indifference perpetuate systemic neglect. The study demonstrates how economic desperation, gendered subordination and institutional failure intersect to normalize exploitation within private households. It concludes by advocating for stronger monitoring mechanisms, gender-sensitive human-rights-based migration governance and community sensitization programmes to ensure dignity, protection and lasting justice for women migrant domestic workers in Nigeria.