Routine Abuse of Domestic Workers Alleged in Lebanon
Related subjects: Asia / Pacific, Diplomacy & Politics, Embedded Video, Fair Trade, Gender Equality, In the Loop, Middle East, Rights & Freedoms Comments (0)
This report alleges widespread routine abuse of foreign-born domestic workers in Lebanon. Domestic workers are excluded from Lebanese labor regulations and does not monitor treatment in the home. It is reportedly common for employers of foreign domestic workers to illegally seize their passports upon arrival and forbid them to leave the home.
Physical abuse and non-payment are also common, and authorities have been asked to look into allegations that some domestic workers are held against their will for months or years, forbidden not only to leave the home but to return to their home countries. One woman interviewed said the woman for whom she worked smashed a plate against her face, breaking her nose, when she said she wanted to go home to Sri Lanka.
In such cases, domestic workers sometimes are able to access shelters, and to go through a process of paperwork, investigation and return to their home country, but employers are seldom prosecuted for such abuses. The ministry of labor has instituted a new uniform contract that all domestic worker agencies must use, guaranteeing some basic fair treatment, but not providing the enforcement or the labor rights enjoyed by other sectors.
CafeSentido Partner Sites: