Celebrating International Women's day - Lisette's story

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is Accelerate Action.  

Accelerate Action is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources, and activity that positively impact women's advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation. 

This year, to celebrate some of the amazing women we have met, we are sharing the stories of three women who have shown resilience, triumphing over adversity, and standing up to their exploiters by reporting them to us. 

The names of the women have been changed to protect their identity. 

The GLAA work hard to ensure that workers understand their rights so they do not find themselves in situations that may leave them open to exploitation. Unfortunately, for some women, they are exploited before they enter the UK. 

Our second woman to share her story, Lisette, talks about her experience, and how she came to the GLAA and accelerated action. 

Lisette’s father had paid around £28,000 to an agent who had said there was a position working Monday to Friday 9am until 5pm at a care home in the UK. She agreed to the position and arranged to come to the UK with her husband and two small children. The working hours meant that her husband would be able to work night shifts elsewhere. 

She said: “When I arrived in the UK, the hours I was assured where not available. Instead of working 37 hours a week, I was working 12 to 15 hours per week. My hours were sporadic, so some days I had one hour in the morning, one hour in the afternoon and one hour in the evening. It made it impossible for my husband to work, as there was no consistency in my shift patterns. After paying bills, we had just £100 per month left to feed myself, my husband and two children. It was awful.” 

When she addressed this with the company, she was told that the reason her family is here is because of the sponsorship that they have offered her, therefore her family must work around the hours given. She was also threatened with deportation if she complained. 

Lisette said: “My dad had paid so much for us to come to the UK, and when he heard what was happening, he went back to the agent and asked for his money back, saying that they had not delivered what had been promised. He was told that the company I directly worked for no longer had the money. I was so upset when we realised what had happened, and shocked to learn that the agent and the company were potentially working together to profit from this crime. I was close to ending my life, had it not been for my husband. I decided to leave the company at that point and with the help of the GLAA, I am actively looking for an alternative sponsor without the fear that I will be sent back home.” 

Through Justice and Care the GLAA Victim Navigator provided the family with a supermarket voucher and helped to find local foodbanks. 

Lisette was able to accelerate action by reporting her experience to us, and following this her husband was able to secure employment and she is in a safer position.  

There are several signs you may notice that may indicate a person is being exploited or forced to work against their will. Here are some of the most common signs:

• Scavenging for food or eating leftovers 
• Working excessively long hours with little or no breaks and rarely any days off 
• Not socialising or having little interaction with others   
• Not being dressed adequately for their role (e.g. no warm clothing or no PPE)   
• Being in fear of the authorities   
• Having injuries 
• Showing signs that their movements are being controlled. 
• Showing fear or anxiety 
• Low wages 
• Talking about paying excessive fees for entering the UK 

If you know of a business operating outside the law, exploiting workers, gaining an unfair or illegal advantage, or you have any information, then you can call 0800 432 0804 or email us at contact@gla.gov.uk