En daarom werk ik, 14 jaar later: Asia

Asia (19 years old) has been slaving away as a housemaid from early morning till late at night. She works 10 hours a day now, often seven days a week, in a sewing sweatshop. She has been married to Masum (24) for a year. According to her, they have a ‘love marriage’, even though a dowry was paid for her, ‘Two hundred euros plus clothing and gold.’ For the time being they are not thinking about children, says Asia. ‘We are saving for a plot in Borishawa, the village where my parents-in-law live. We will stay for another four or five years, and then we are going to the village, to build a house. If we have kids now, we won’t be able to fulfill our dreams.’