The Two Faces of a Domestic Worker By Elvie Dumaliang

Congratulations to Elvie Dumaliang, a proud member of The Voice of Domestic Workers UK, for being selected as one of the finalists in the International Domestic Workers Federation’s (IDWF) Voices for Change Art Contest, held as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Elvie’s achievement is more than a milestone, it is a powerful moment of visibility for domestic workers whose stories are too often hidden behind closed doors.

By day, a smile for the world and for the family waiting thousands of miles away.

 By night, tears in a small, quiet room where silence becomes the only witness to a longing that never truly fades. This is the daily reality of so many migrant domestic workers. A life lived in two emotional worlds: one filled with strength and service, the other with unspoken grief and exhaustion.

“The Two Faces of a Domestic Worker,” Elvie’s remarkable artwork, captures this duality with stunning clarity and painful truth. In her piece, Elvie reveals what words often fail to express:

 the hidden emotional cost of migration, the weight of care work, and the unacknowledged courage that so many domestic workers carry within them. On the surface, domestic workers must always appear composed “I’m fine,” they say, even when the ache of separation and responsibility is almost too heavy to hold. They are the steady hands that care for other families, even as they ache for their own.

But behind that practiced smile is a story of deep loneliness, one that grows quietly, day after day. A story of responsibility that stretches a heart across oceans. A longing so profound that even a video call can’t bridge the distance. It is the story of caregivers who must give their best, even when their own hearts are tired and breaking. Elvie’s art gives shape and color to this invisible struggle. It honors the silent strength behind every smile, the strength that whispers, “I will keep going, even when it hurts.”

It recognizes the courage forged in sacrifice, separation, and uncertainty. And it celebrates the hope that sustains migrant workers through every challenge: hope for their children, their families, and a future built on dignity.Her work reminds us that behind every act of care is a story of resilience. Behind every sacrifice is a dream. Behind every domestic worker is a human being whose worth must be fully seen, valued, and protected.

Through #VoicesForChange, domestic workers like Elvie are reclaiming their narratives. They are transforming art into advocacy. Turning oppression into dignity, silence into storytelling, and private pain into a shared call for recognition, respect, and justice. This is more than art.

 It is testimony. It is healing. It is truth made visible and today, it is also celebration of Elvie’s voice, her resilience, her artistry, and the powerful message she carries for domestic workers everywhere. Congratulations, Elvie. Your voice shines through your art and the world is finally listening. To see the full list of winners and celebrate their incredible work, please visit idwfed.org

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