‘I Do Not Feel Free’: The Women Trapped in Domestic Work in Egypt

They hear about the abuse and know they will be working illegally, but young women still travel to the Middle East to work as domestic workers.

To help understand why, photojournalist Jihad Abaza documented the lives of three migrant women working for a family in Egypt.

CAIRO – Linda* has missed two of her sisters’ weddings. She has not seen her nephews grow up.

When she speaks to her father on a video call, she notices that he is aging, and she hopes he doesn’t die before she can see him again.

She has been away from him and…