en.v & ILO | Women's Circle Project
Transforming Minds, Shaping Communities: Leveraging Design As A Tool To Challenge Assumptions Of Female Employers Of Domestic Workers
In the complex MENA region labor landscape, the Kafala System intricately binds foreign workers to specific employers, which may lead to distressing outcomes like mistreatment, social isolation, family separation, and economic inefficiency.
In the face of this challenge, the Women’s Circle project was born in collaboration between the Kuwaiti NGO EnV Earth and the esteemed International Labour Organization’s FAIRWAY project.
While addressing a serious topic, the toolkit's design, Blue Hat’s team aimed to evoke emotions rather than be overly technical. It strived to convey a positive message without becoming overly literal to avoid sensitivity, reflecting tenderness and a connection to the humanized experience while maintaining the privacy of the individuals depicted, acknowledging the frustrations they face.
The design, incorporates poetically abstracted elements from nature and symbolism, such as representing individuals with a younger self or a flower, to emphasize that workers are not machines but humans deserving of respect and privacy. This thoughtful approach was applied to the creation of the toolkit along with a set of cards to be used during the workshops.
The design work yielded remarkable results, with an impressive 100% of attendees acknowledging that it fostered a braver space to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Much like a ripple effect, there was a profound transformation within the mindset of participants, to the extent that they now engage with these conversations daily, leading them to share and implement what they had learned with friends, coworkers, and family members.
By equipping individuals with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to become trainers themselves; The Women's Circle Project equips individuals to facilitate these conversations within their own communities, offering hope for a more compassionate future that upholds the human and labor rights of all parties involved.
