Each day, thousands of women leave underdeveloped countries like the Philippines to seek work as domestics in more prosperous places. What little money they earn they send home to their families. This crucial source of revenue to their country's economy has prompted the Philippine government to call these contract workers "modern day heroes."

Starting from the case of Flor Contemplacion, the Filipino maid hanged in Singapore for the killing of her abusive employer, this film shows the human and sometimes tragic side of this organized labor trade: failed marriages, family break ups, and exploitation and abuse at the hands of unscrupulous employers. The film also takes us to a shelter in Saudi Arabia where abused domestics seek refuge. These women will ultimately return home penniless.

The government of the Philippines sponsors training courses for young women to become nightclub dancers abroad, and facilitates their transportation. When it comes to human rights violations, however, the government is reluctant to pressure foreign governments for fear of losing revenue. This leaves women migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation.

National Women Studies Association, 1999