On 3 March 2021, Kenji Kimura successfully defended his PhD thesis entitled 'Transnational Systems of Care and Women's Labour Migration: A study of Indonesian domestic workers to and in Malaysia'.
His thesis focused on the system of female live-in migrant domestic workers (MDWs) from Indonesia to and in Malaysia, which are respectively amongst the main sending and receiving countries of MDWs in Southeast Asia.
He argues that unless the rights of MDWs are guaranteed, it is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible for Indonesian live-in MDWs to maintain not only their own security and safety in the destination country but also the quality of caring relationships with their stay-behind children, husbands and family members at home.
Video and photos of the defence
