Dyadic transnational social protection: eldercare and domestic worker migration

This paper challenges the usual individual-focused view of social protection by introducing a care dyad framework that treats migrant domestic workers (MDWs) and their elderly employers as one analytical unit. Using Singapore as a case study, it shows that the welfare of both groups is intertwined and shaped by transnational resource environments, even though the older adults themselves are not migrants. The study argues that support for care dyads extends across borders because the employers' dependence on MDWs links their wellbeing to systems in both sending and receiving countries. It also highlights that while scholarship often centres MDWs' resource environments, a dialogical approach is needed to prioritise mutual wellbeing and recognise the shared social protection needs of both parties. The analysis also delves into the roles of state and non-state actors, including social enterprises and non-governmental organisations, in both migrant-sending and receiving countries. It highlights their potential to co-construct and expand hybrid resource environments. The limitations in state-provided social protection underscore the necessity for non-state interventions to bolster support for both MDWs and their employers, promoting a more integrated approach to transnational social protection. But the regulatory oversight of the state remains important to ensure equitable practices.