The Invisible Impact of Frozen Conflicts: A Case Study of Foreign Domestic Workers in Cyprus

Abstract

Foreign domestic workers are vulnerable everywhere in the world but are particularly so in frozen conflict societies. The article describes their poor living and working conditions in the Republic of Cyprus and argues that these have been exacerbated by the social consequences of the frozen conflict on the island. It focuses on three social consequences of the frozen conflict, namely that it has deprioritised the feminist agenda, normalised nationalist narratives and created a skewed understanding of human rights. Combined, these explain why protecting the rights of foreign domestic workers in Cyprus is even less of a priority than elsewhere.

Keywords: frozen conflict, foreign domestic worker, Cyprus, feminism, nationalism, human rights