Talk:Au pair

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A How-to guide?

Some of the information on specific countries read like how-to guides, which Wikipedia is not. See the example of Italy specifically. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.55.116.194 (talk) 05:03, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

uniforms

Do some people force their au pair to wear a uniform, like a maid or a servant boy? If, which kind of clothes are the au pairs forced to wear? Skirts or blouses for girls and white shirts with ties for boys? (OK, I know most au pairs are girls, but some are also boys). (unsigned)

I don't think so. The normal relationship between an au pair and her host is more equal than a uniform would suggest. I think you are thinking more of the sort of au pairs that you might find on other internet sites! --JimmyTheWig 16:33, 27 July 2005 (UTC)

Maybe someone who has been or is a a real (not thoose on the Internet sites) au pair, or hosts or had hosted an au pair can answer this question? Again: If, what kind of uniform? (unsigned)

We are currently looking for an au-pair. My wife used to be an au-pair. So I think my comments are at least partially informed. I am not aware of au-pairs wearing uniforms. --JimmyTheWig 08:21, 28 July 2005 (UTC)

I am looking for the family for au pair. My e mail : ostapenkon@mail.ru

The au pair shouldn't be forced to wear a uniform, because she (or he) is not to be a servant - but a part of the family, an equal. There are however some that will force them to wear uniforms as well as treat their au pair like a servant or even like a slave in different ways. This is very unfortunate.

I'm an au pair currently in Norway. I'm not forced to wear a uniform, nor are any of the au pairs that go to my language class. The laws are very, very strict in this country pertaining to how au pairs are treated. http://www.udi.no/templates/Tema.aspx?id=4661 That link is to immigration services in Norway, specifically, the au pair page. There should be a link to the contract, ect as well from there to verify what I've said. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.202.51.143 (talk) 07:45, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Agreed. Many of the sections for each countries also read like adverts for those countries and au pair agencies. It's very dubious indeed. Kald høst (talk) 09:43, 20 September 2015 (UTC)

Gender

This article is very gender neutral. Do you ever get male au pairs? If so, then can someone find some stats? Squire55 (talk) 22:06, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

The rising number of au pairs in countries like Norway has been linked to what's called "feminisation of migration", a general trend in current, global migration patterns. Don't have specific sources on this at the moment but it's a well established term in studies on migration. A quick search should yield some reliable sources confirming this. (Other factors also matter of course, such as the wealth gap between host countries and the origin countries of the workers. Political factors include the governments of the Philippines and Indonesia, among others, have focusing considerably on export labour in recent decades.) Kald høst (talk) 09:42, 20 September 2015 (UTC)

China

Is there any reason why China is listed in the Europe section? TRiG (talk) 05:30, 8 December 2013 (UTC)

Risky side of au pair work offers

• Hong Kong domestic workers treated as ‘slaves’[1]
• “Be aware of au pairs and maids who are forced into sex slavery,” Ludwig said. “If something across street looks odd, something is probably going on.” Amnesty International brings awareness to human trafficking [2]
• According to Britain's Guardian newspaper, al-Koronky has since returned to Khartoum and maintains Nazer was an au pair, not an unpaid slave. [3]
• British couple face claims of keeping their au pair as a 'slave' in France [4]
• "Today’s slaves are predominantly female and usually work in private households, starting out as migrant domestic workers, au pairs or “mail-order brides”. Most have come voluntarily, seeking to improve their situation or escaping poverty and hardship, but some have been deceived by their employers, agencies or other intermediaries, have been debt-bonded and even trafficked. Once working (or married to a “consumer husband”), however, they are vulnerable and isolated. This creates ample opportunity for abusive employers or husbands to force them into domestic slavery." - PACE Recommendation 1663 (2004) - Domestic slavery: servitude, au pairs and “mail-order brides” (2004)[5]
• In Ireland: "Au pairs 'treated like slaves' as job market dries up" [6]
• Exploited and Far from Home, Some Au Pairs Are Mistreated [7]
• Philippines had a ban on au pairs to Europe because of the numbers of confirmed reports of slavery (reprint of a dissertation published in a Netherlands magazine[8]
• Many working Au-Pair women in Norway complain of being treated as slaves.[9]
• Recently the Philippine have lifted the ban on Norway and Denmark [10] 97.85.163.20 (talk) 07:19, 1 April 2014 (UTC)

This is a very important point. It raises the question of whether this article on au pairs should be more closely related to the one on domestic workers. Though many au pairs enter countries as au pairs, they are treated as domestic workers. Maybe this should be stated very early on in the Wikipedia article? Kald høst (talk) 09:45, 20 September 2015 (UTC)

Australia - the CAPAA constantly contradicts the NOPV by deleting information about AAPFA

It is just unacceptable that the CAPAA, a trade organisation, allows the text for Australia constantly being changed in a way of removal of the reference to the APFAA. The CAPAA only represents au pair agencies and has said in a public hearing to consist of 5 or 7 members. This cannot be representative. The APFAA is an association of hosting families, therefore without any commercial interest. The APFAA has adopted international accepted standards, however, families do not suggest that agencies need to be involved in the matching process.

Removing the information about the AAPFA on a continuous basis with the only benefit to support the commercial interest of those members of the CAPAA should be banned.

It is worth mentioning that the heading for Australia had been introduced by an AAPFA family and it is just sad to see that CAPAA seemed to have started a deletion and changing information contest to push the interests of the AAPFA families out of the way for their own profit but not for the benefit of au pairs.

NPOV please — Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.170.94.101 (talk) 13:38, 12 October 2015 (UTC)