Plight of Domestic Workers in Kuwait !

I agree, Genesis. Laws are being changed, but more needs to be done in the GCC both in new legislation and, more important, enforcement.

I also agree that these workers' home countries need to do more; however, most of them are coming from underdeveloped nations with levels of corruption that far exceeds anything here. They are all much poorer and rely heavily in the money these workers send home, so like many of the workers themselves these governments are unlikely to speak out for fear of losing income. And ultimately it is countries like Kuwait and Qatar whose reputations are harmed by this; after all, a domestic worker in Nepal being abused is not going to grab headlines (rightly or wrongly). I think it will take some seriously bold vision and leadership from a GCC country roughly along the lines that britexpat described above.

But the problem is these judges have a soft heart for their retarded brethren. Even after committing serious crimes these criminals are free in the streets after 1year of 5star prison & 1k dinar fine. Just like it happens all over GCC

government need to torture people who do torture, this is the only way to learn, to feel the pain.

There have been many collaboration between National human Rights Committee(NHRC) & Ministry of Labor lately to tackle the issue of domestic workers abuse

For over two years now, Pan Arab satellite TV channels have aired series of awareness Ads called (those who don't show mercy will not get mercy)

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Unfortunately , no matter how much is said or done. some people mindset can't be changed

I think the domestic workers countries of origin must implement strong conditions of contracts for lower paid citizens working abroad.

life is horrible!!...

You become a vessel of another country when you no longer can defend yourself. The other country will provide you protection & for that protection. That country takes your money & resources. Basically you become their biatch

upheavalagain: what is a "vessel country"?

Stupid vessel country with full of stupid rules & no human rights

Sometimes the leaders need to change the general mentality by passing progressive laws. Think of all the progressive, quality decisions that have been made in recent years by the ruling elite of Qatar regarding education, infrastructure investment, etc. Had they not had the vision, I seriously doubt such changes would have been made.

We can talk on and on in circles, but like Oryx said unless the "mentality" changes, nothing positive will come out of it.

As for the "mentality" changing, that's another topic.

Photograph looks like a slave auction from the 19th century. Very sad.

Brit--great ideas. To that I would add that no worker should at any time be deprived of carrying either their passport or medical card by his/her employer (two things that are practiced as a matter of routine in the GCC).

I have also seen great arguments against the sponsorship system in general--replacing with a visa scheme run by the government.

Heartless people with no value for human life.Why no fatwa to ban domestic maids. Let them do own work. The Prophet(PBUH) use to clean and wash his clothes and help wives in house work. One of the best act is to free slave was his message, to be gentle with weak, oppressed & old. African & Asian countries should ban overseas employment of domestic help and provide means of employment at home.

They have labour laws here????

The door man at my accommodation works 7 days a week. Isn't there a law against that? Or is there? My contract requires me to work 6 days a week, but I knew what I was getting into when I signed it. What, exactly, are the labor laws here and who is exempt from them?

Thanks that is why I am on QL a lot :)

I am trying a tip my mum gave me at the moment

1 can schwepps ginger ale - heat the liquid in microwave

Pour in packet of lemsip......(which is paracetemol and other stuff)

Lets see if it works cos I have been looking like a zombie.

Sorry for the flu hijack!

Oryx: I'm sorry to hear about your flu. Hope you feel better soon!

I know I had 2 phones and was single quite a while ;) LOL

case of judging others by your own behaviour??? maybe??

sooooo sad...!!!!!

Oryx: having a phone leads to having a boyfriend?? Wow! I didn't get that memo!

you are absolutely right, a friend of mine (a local) went and bought an expensive piece of jewellery for the maid as a farewell gift.

asdasdzxc

I am really grumpy...I have had flu for four days.... just be so lucky that you - you pathetic tosser - are hiding behind a computer somewhere. Cos I would love to take my bad mood out on you.

Get lost stop spamming

I don't think they are.... As there is a good friend of mine (lebanese) who has an Ethiopian house maid and her maid gets treated really well and is very happy.

I have seen Egyptians Sudanis Palestinians Jordanians oh lots treat there maids badly. If it were just one race it would be easy to fix.

And what is Lebanese anyway? A mixture of religion and races.....

@ Oryx i wonder why most LESBANESE are like that, lol

Unacceptable behaviour of employer.

I heard of a couple of instances in Saudi Arabia, where a maid escaped frfom her employer.. Confused and lost she turned to a fellow expat taxi driver for help and passage to the embassy. The taxi driver kidnapped her and she was raped and abused.. :O(

Yeah true Lincoln, but at least a warning from US will make a HUGE difference coz this vessel country can't talk back.

Ahhhh well that you shouldn't let house maids have phones because then they might get a boyfriend blah blah etc.

Then they start relating stories about how someone let a maid have a phone and then this driver took her number etc

It is seen as unwise and imprudent because then only haram things will come of it.

What it is really it keeps them isolated from

a. any social network

b. practical help

So they can be 24/7 at beck and call....

Also any maids who have been 'checked upon' by authorities have been done so with the family present!!! mmmmm

This isn't "sad". It is typical for the Muslim countries in the Gulf and therefore it is perfectly okay. Otherwise the USA would have done something. Like removing the "dictators" from power, as they did with Saddam Hussain. And - is it wanted by the people? No. They want it like this. They have had dictators since the beginning of times, and that's all they know.

Kuwait is a vessel state of US. I think US should step in and do the justice

Oryx: what did the ladies in your class have to say about it?

Good proactive ideas.

Number 3 is often difficult as maids are often not allowed telephones here. I have seen the ladies in my class discuss this and i had to pretend to have superglue on my teeth.

Their 8 year olds can have phones but not the maid!

It will end when one person will look at another person as an equal and not with master/slave mentality.

Lebanese with a Brit passport told me how he makes 'these' people 'respect' him. The don't look at him in the face, they listen and they obey.

Really wish they could rip his Brit passport off him and give him one for the Congo.

I did a little volunteer work in Saudi Arabia regfarding this issue..

Firstly, the worker coming to work takes out a low cost insurance through the government. This will pay for his return airfare if things go wrong. Alternatively, in the case of maids/drivers, the sponsor deposits teh money with the embassy.

Secondly, all workers are registered with the Embassy and are contacted periodically by embassy staff to see if they're OK.

Thirdly, there should be an emergency hotline for workers to call their embassy.

Lastly, the Embassy must work with local ministry of labour to resolve issues regarding their citizens..

ohhh easier said than done. their remit is to improve economic ties in qatar. they do go to the airports and try and find stranded citizens - but limited staff and money.

Labour camp on site office there is 1 bathroom to every 25, but 200 Wk that is a bit too much.

What happened to the 6 hour rule in Ramadan. I know a lot of low paid staff working 10-12 hours during Ramadan.

When will this exploitation end?

brit: I think you are on the right track, but how could the Embassy staff get involved in such a plight?

Wow! First snessy and now you! I just can't keep up with the trends.

Sorry for the hijack. I'm just waiting for the pics to download.

Khawaga that is our company's driver :o)

Personally I have a white driver who lives in a separate individual apartment :o)

WK: you have a driver? How posh!!

I have always said that the Embassies have to take more responsibility for the plight of their citizens..

The problem is that they are more interested in securing the foreign currency income..

Exploiting the vulnerable is disgusting and is failure on the part of the home country government, government where they work but most of all those who employ them.

What about the Ethiopian maids who work here? There is no embassy in Qatar to run to. :(

I feel sorry for the maid who lives next door to me....and another neighbour has smuggled a maid from the compound to her embassy due to abuse.

Our driver lives in an accomodation where 200 of them share ONE bathroom and everyone has to leave for work by 6:30 AM...

* Posted for those who are always asking why labourers don't take bath everyday.

These things not just happened in Kuwait...even in Qatar such craziness is exist,

since I knew the story from a friend that working in human resource company and last year he was attending some trial in human rights court.

The pictures is breathtaking....and hearing directly from the victims is unbearable.

Exploitation of humans by humans is so beautiful...

Wait for the ones who will come and say that they are dying of hunger in their home countries so it's better for them to live like this.

This is so sad....

Nepal has banned women from working as a housemaid in all GCC countries but somehow women reach there taking various routes like crossing the free border to India and boarding flights to GCC.

People know the risks but are still willing to take it. So the problem is never solved.

You are right .. The Prophet said that an employer must pay their employees “before the sweat dries from their forehead.” and should feed him the same food he himself is eating.

Well said.

those pics were worth a thousand words... nuff said :-(