....... When she landed in Dubai last fall on a flight from Nairobi, Vivian said she had expected to begin work immediately as a maid, but instead her recruitment agent drove her to a house on the outskirts of the city and locked her in a cramped room with 15 other women. She was held there for several weeks, sleeping on the floor, until the agent found her an employer by advertising on Instagram, she said. Her photo had been uploaded onto her agent’s account, which was examined by The Washington Post, along with personal details such as her weight, nationality and date of birth.

.....Many of the Instagram posts gave the women’s full names and passport numbers, which could pose a privacy risk for them but also made it possible for eight maids to be located and interviewed for this article.