Despite an increasing reliance on domestic workers, several Gulf countries, including Qatar, have failed to make key labor reforms to shore up protection of this vulnerable group, international human rights groups have said.
In a newly released report, the International Domestic Workers Network (IDWN), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and Human Rights Watch assessed different countries on their efforts to improve the working and living conditions of expat maids.
Countries across the MENA region were found to have made little progress in protecting maids from psychological, physical or sexual abuse, “Claiming Rights: Domestic Workers’ Movements and Global Advances for Labor Reform” found.
And not one of them have ratified the Domestic Workers Convention, an international treaty that defines domestic workers’ rights, the report stated. In a statement, Nisha Varia, senior women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said:
“Even though the Middle East and North Africa are home to some of the worst abuses against domestic workers, the pace of legal reforms in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Lebanon has dragged on for years with little to show. And even the proposed reforms fall short of international standards and the comprehensive protections other countries are implementing.”
Qatar’s state of affairs
Domestic workers in Qatar, which includes maids, cooks, gardeners and drivers, work some of the longest hours in the world, and earn about 40 percent of the average international wage, according to the UN.
Local media reports state that maids are increasingly in demand here, but have been in short supply due to the restrictions that countries are beginning to impose to protect their workers from abuse in Qatar.
In 2011, Qatar talked about passing a historic law to protect maids’ rights, which would allow them to sign contracts with their employers, file complaints with the Ministry of Labor and have set work hours, among other provisions.
But it has scrapped that plan in favor of a GCC-wide initiative to establish a domestic worker contract. Little movement has been made on that effort due to conflicts over giving maids one day off a week.
And the report states that even if such a contract is approved, it “is not an adequate substitute for including domestic workers in national labor laws with clear enforcement mechanisms.”
HRW concludes:
Organizing domestic workers in the Middle East has many challenges, both practical – in terms of limited time and mobility – and legal. In some countries, domestic workers are legally barred from forming their own unions or joining other unions, especially when they are also migrants. For example, Gulf Cooperation Council countries deny domestic workers the right to form unions to fight for their rights.
“Even though domestic workers provide critical services that families depend on – cooking, cleaning, and child care – we have faced discrimination and marginalization for generations,” said Myrtle Witbooi, chair of the International Domestic Workers Network. “That should end.”
Thoughts?
people need to learn either treat your maid, chef,driver etc with respect like a decent human being or just pick up after your own damn self
And the government needs to acknowledge that all citizens and residents are equal under the law. Lets keep it simple. At the moment they use the law to suit themselves.
They really need to bring the old-fashioned British army boxing day tradition to Qatar when masters and servants change places for the day. Now that would be fun to watch.
I smell another Qatari bash fest 😉
I would say get used to it because it will not ease up if human rights abuses continue in your country. There is only so much injustice someone can take before they can’t stay quiet.
So, basically you’re saying since there are people here who do things that are worse than “bashing the Qataris”, that makes it okay or not so bad. Good to know; the next time someone complains about how bad it is for the laborers, I’ll just say “hey, it’s better than what they had back home.”
Let’s see how many angry responses I’ll get from people who’ll twist my comment, as usual!
Mate my words are harmless, what happens in Qatar is.
Nor was anyone ” physically injured” by initial comment which you replied to. But let me ask you this; how many abused maids will be helped by all the Qatari bashing here?
It’s not the Qataris per se but those that do the abusing and those who are apologist for them and claim shock and horror that such things have been going on.
As well as the Qataris who fail to enforce their own laws and perpetuate laws that are continually cited by human rights organizations and abusive. Even if it is an expat abusing her maid in Qatar, the system and people that allow share in the responsibility.
Many people are physically injured and emotionally traumatised by how the law is applied in Qatar. With many voices asking for change I’m sure many maids will be saved. Lets not be quiet on the issue.
Well, to solve a problem, we need to understand: A) what the problem really is, B) What causes this problem, C) What are the viable options to deal with it.
For the maids, as I understand it by law now each maid is required to have a contract signed by both the maid and the employer which, among other things, states that should the employer not wish to have the maid in their employment anymore, the employer shall have no objection to the maid finding employment elsewhere. That’s a good start.
Other good steps would be:
1) Each of the embassies to create a hotline for the maids to call if they are facing any problems with their employers, and the various embassies should be in contact with the authorities in such cases.
2) Black listing abuse employers would be a good move, either by the government or the embassies.
3) Orientation for new maids prior to them leaving their home countries to have realistic expectations of how things are like here and what to do if they run into trouble
4) Monthly visits by embassy representatives with newly arrived maids to ensure things are going well for them
I can think of many more, but again, I don’t know how feasible these suggestions are.
Im all for keeping it feasible, simple and equal.
Why do maids needs need a different system put in place from the greater community?
If a Qatari can go to the police and report abuse with the confidence their words will be listened to why can’t a maid do the same thing?
If she can’t there is fundamentally something wrong with the law and enforcement system.
Does this contract also state that if the maid no longer wishes to work for the employer they can leave for another post?
Not sure about that part; probably not. However, in most such cases that I have seen when you have a maid that no longer is willing to work, the employer tends to just let her go, as it’s not worth the headache of having a maid who does poor work (becasue she simply doesn’t want to be there).
But that would be a good thing to add to the contract. Maybe the maid can give her 3 months notice that she will leave to work for a different employer.
I’m sure that’s what you say anyway. Seems to be the pervasive sentiment with the local population. I watched that video of the Saudi guy beating a laborer because, lol, he thought he was trying to attract his wife. One day one of these guys will fight back. Then another, then another until you will wish that your compatriots had realized how good they had it. To think that type of behavior is isolated to Saudi would be naive. Treating human beings as such is common decency and money doesn’t give anyone the right to act otherwise. Not does it buy class.
As usual, your reply has little to do with what I’m saying.
But to what the article says.
it is not only Qataris who abuse their maids, it is also a lot of expats, included Europeans who would never dare to do it back home because they know they cannot do it. They would be denounced at the police and they would have consequences. These people make me even more sick! You bash those who abuse, independently from their nationalities
Which makes enforcing international standards/law even more urgent for Qatar. By denying the problem exists, it makes them look guilty no matter if it’s fair or not. If they would proactively fight against labor abuses, that would also benefit them (provided they are not abusers themselves of course).
bingo!
I’m European, worse, I’m a Brit. I couldn’t afford a maid, nor do I work with other -Europeans/Westerners – who could afford a maid.
Maybe it’s a money thing??
no it is not a money thing; it is a matter of respect. If you can afford a nanny, good enough. But that person is in your house, helping you with your children. Why should she be mistreated? Especially because she works with children, harmony in the house is fondamental. You don’t beat her or deprive of food, or shout and calling them “animal” or have racist behaviour toward them. After all, they have a life far from their families, I would not like to be in their shoes…
Of course it is respect, no argument there.
Of course you could. Most Westerners I know have help in the home here in Qatar, and often a cleaner back in the UK
Of course I could? Methinks your employer is not the same as mine, no I could not!
No, that’s over at qatarsucks.com. Here people have conversations. On that note, I should have been in bed hours ago. Night night all.
Sadly, Doha News closed the comments on the “Airlines Story” before I could reply to yours and some of the others. Here’s a nice quote from you, ” If they want access to our market, then it is our rules. End of story.” Please remember that the next time you the other “fair minded” people here wish to complain about our rules and laws!
And I take it that applies to driving, how you treat workers, the kafala system, etc etc.
So glad you could get that in the discussion of a closed story. Congrats.
Yet another miss; the topic of laws and rules is part of the maids story, hence why I quoted him here.
The only problem is with Qatar rules they are unevenly applied.
Very enlightened way to justify human rights abuses. Since your country wants access to American markets and trade, does that mean you will embrace this philosophy and stop criticizing the US for anything it does?
David, where in my comment did I try to justify maid abuse? Twisting my comment yet again? How about for a change you go troll some other Qatari!
I call them like I see them. Your post reads like a justification of the system and an attack on those who criticize it. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make them a troll. (Although someone who has to resort to name-calling, has essentially admitted defeat in the argument).
I admit nothing; again putting words in my mouth. As for the trolling part, well, you said it yourself, “I call them like I see them”!
Like I said, name-calling is the last resort of a man who’s lost the argument.
Well, a bash fest is unfair, for sure. Just like anywhere else, a minority of people puts the country in a bad light, and everybody gets the blame. When you guys are fed up with this, go tell the abusers.
I don’t like when my own country is criticized for the actions of a minority (think headscarf for a hint). I don’t go tell the world to give me a break (Well, as a rule, the world should be give me a break no matter what, but that’s a different matter), but I oppose those people at home.
People are critizing your country because the people who are being abused are not being empowered by your law makers or enforcement agencies. The government are not seen to be doing anything to stop the abuse. Until action is seen, abusers are named, injustices remedied, I think you are going to hear much of the same.
You probably have my country mixed up with another one, but that’s ok 🙂
Whoops 🙂 I read another one of your comments and started questioning my response
Shouldn’t you focus on the message and ignore who the messenger is? Isn’t it an Ad hominem to say to someone you’re (local, expat, man, woman, straight, gay, etc.) therefore, your point is invalid?
Titoclo fullmoon07
• 8 hours ago
−
Which makes enforcing international standards/law even more urgent for Qatar. By denying the problem exists, it makes them look guilty no matter if it’s fair or not. If they would proactively fight against labor abuses, that would also benefit them (provided they are not abusers themselves of course).
This comment said enough about this person’s intentions. I didn’t feel the need to continue.
@hohum: yes you are right!
I agree with you and I am not saying something different, but I just wanted to highlight that is not only Qataris the ones mistreating. It’s from many nationalities and this includes expatriates of all kinds. Shame on all of them, shame on the fact that laws are not enforced. And even if “verba volant, scripta manent” (Latin for “Words fly, written documents remain”), that written law has to be enforced for sure, otherwise it is like not having it!
I’m all for any thing which prevents and stops abuse to anyone in Qatar. Until Qatar is seen as doing something, forget amazing, expect criticism.
amen!
Or that you are local and, therefore, your point carries more weight. I agree.
True, but it’s a minority that the authorities allow to violate the laws and go unpunished. This makes the whole country culpable.
The state maybe, I would not say “the whole country” though. I am convinced that there is a sizeable amount of the population who treats their workers rather fairly and are appalled at the abuses from some of their countrymen. It’s easy to forget that most citizens don’t have their say in how things are run, and cannot openly push for change without fearing repercussions (or at least not in any fashion that Westerners could relate to, wasta works in mysterious ways… 🙂 ). And if we could always go back where we come from if we don’t like it here, locals surely can’t.
They will have to figure this out, somehow.
If the majority are truly appalled then they have a responsibility work to change it. But what I see is a small minority being vocal but making very little headway, and a larger group complaining but really doing nothing about it (and still profiting from it). SImply enforcing the existing laws would be an enormous step in the right direction.
David, most people don’t care, that is the sad truth. Most people want to work here then go home when they are ready. Expats really cannot change anything in their host country, wherever that may be- they don’t have the legal right to for a start, and many are afraid to cause ripples in case it washes back over them. Morally, I agree, we are all responsible- some of us try to just keep the issues alive through pages like these. Qatar is changing fast, no country has ever embraced change quickly, so the country should have a lot of respect for it’s efforts to take on new ideas outside its cultural heritage. The fact that these issues are being reported daily and are subject to open debate suggests to me that changes will be made. Just HURRY UP Qatar
Wow, folks have been busy!
That’s a good point though that is often forgotten, that most Qataris lack the flexibility and options that many people commenting on this post take for granted – for them Qatar is it – and that they have to think of their futures and relationships within a small and gossip filled society.
That being said, I’d like to think that General Morrison had it right when he said, “…the standards that you walk past is the standard that you accept” (2:30 in the link below). If that is true, then an awful lot of people in Qatar (local and expat alike) turn a blind eye to the non-enforcement of Qatar’s laws. We often forget how incredibly difficult moral courage is, and that Qataris have no history of Rosa Parks, Emmeline Pankhursts, or Nelson Mandelas to draw upon for inspiration, so critics need to keep this in mind.
http://www.news.com.au/national/lieutenant-general-david-morrison-wins-praise-over-handling-of-sex-scandal/story-fncynjr2-1226664121435
Unrelated to this topic, but can we hire this guy to give leadership 101 lessons? We can draw up a list of his pupils, though narrowing it down would be difficult.
When your country allows slavery, people will tend to criticize it. Strange, isn’t it?
Exactly. It may not be published or in the news but the whole world gets to know about all the abuses and ill treatment sooner then later
Feel free to spin and twist my comment as you like David, that seems to be what you do best lately.
Kind of hard to misinterpret what your wrote. I provided an extension of your line of argument. If you don’t like how it sounds, then reconsider your argument. Don’t blame the audience.
Funny, you never seem to care how Qataris, whom you believe to be the ones most capable changing the laws here, view your comments.
You know, I beginning to think I’m the one who’s like Chamberlain for even bothering to engage with you on any level. The only statements that you like from me are the ones where I criticize the government here. Anything besides that is often interpreted by you to mean that I’m defending “human right abuses here”.
Sorry you feel that way. For a long time I liked the vast majority of your posts; it’s only lately I’ve disagreed with them. Probably because there have been more human rights stories.
btw–I don’t think Qatar will change its stances on human rights without outside exposure and pressure. Without foreign pressure to support those South Africans who wanted change, aparteid would have lasted even longer. That’s why I support Doha News for regularly drawing attention to this very important issues, and why I disagree with those who constantly try to deflect this issue by pointing out the mistakes of other countries as means to distract or excuse the situation.
It’s relentless now the negative publicity for Qatar and it’s reputation (whether the allegations are true or not) takes a bit hit.
I wonder what the Qataris think now. Was the World Cup really worth it?
Only one word for people who complain about GCC countries “Please resign your job and go back to your place of origin”. GCC countries have there own rules if your not able to adapt them please vacate no one stop you from leaving this place. To make things clear I am not a Qatari.
That would be fine if GCC countries were not trying to be seen as important international players. There are international regulations, if you don’t like them, go back to your place of origin and stop getting involved in international affairs.
In this specific case,: if you want domestic help from abroad, then you should comply with international standards. If you don’t, you will be called out for it. Or you should hide it better than that 🙂
typical useless predictable answer….
That’s okay, we don’t expect any better from you :p
As has been stated, this is a valid mindset if you truly pursue an isolationist government agenda. The problem is that Qatar doesn’t. People don’t complain as much about Saudi or Iran, because they truly just want to pursue their own policies and be left alone. Qatar invites scrutiny by putting itself on the world stage. If you want World Cup, then reform your labor laws. Qatar needs to realize that they can’t have it both ways. Sepp will lose the next FIFA election, and unless Qatar makes and enforces dramatic labor reform laws, the next FIFA president will strip Qatar of the World Cup, and he will be seen as a world hero for it. I don’t think Qataris realize that the clock is ticking. They’ve got about 18 months to fix labor laws or they will rightfully lose World Cup. Will they realize in time?
People want to bomb Iran, not just complain. And complaints about Saudia Arabia treatment of expats as well as its own citizens are seen in the international press all the time.
So because Saudis do it it’s OK here?
!!!!!!
I wonder what Islam says about treating servants.
It does state that if your female slave sings that is really bad and you should stop her
“servant” is a Medieval word!
I am not a native English speaker so no idea about it.
What happens if my owner, sorry sponsor denies me an exit permit? So even if I don’t like it I can’t leave even if I want to
“Please resign your job and go back to your place of origin” – that is 12 words, not 1?
🙂
A fair point? Except that the ‘great and the good’ of the GCC nations take themselves away to the capitals of the West and, very ostentatiously, conduct themselves in a manner that is contrary to “there (sic)” rules! Clearly they don’t like their ‘own’ rules? They are truly peeved about UK labour laws for instance, which their maids are subject to, however!
When they can set an appropriate example, maybe you can protest
Oh so true.
Lots of recent cases in the US of GCC nationals being arrested or sued for human trafficking and labor abuses by the maids they take with them. Shockingly, torturing someone for requesting a day off is not allowed in the US. Who would have thought?
if you get your passport…
… some people do not adapt, do not complain, they want to go back to their place of origin, and are not given an exit permit…. could there be something wrong with those “rules” you just mention? I am not Qatari either, but I would like this to become the best country in the world, precisely because it is my home. Could “complaining” be a form of constructive progress?
“No one stop you from leaving this place”
Thank God there is Hell for those people who treat other humans like animals
Is there a Hell, really? I’m not as sure as you are, I’m afraid.
Siberia would be perfect…
Siberia, would be good
Most don’t share that belief, hence the importance placed on justice in this life.
Its more like the abuse of this poor and helpless group of workers is carried out with official government backing as the government turns a blind eye to all this abuses against this workers. Treat them with respect and dignity as they are not slaves and they need to be paid decent wages for their hard work away from their families. Its scandalous how some of the richest people and countries on earth try to pay the least to this workers and sometimes don’t even pay them at all. Keeping them locked up like birds must end as they also are human beings like all of us
The alternative countries left for agencies then are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Kenya and Ethiopia. Although getting household workers from Bangladesh and Ethiopia is cheap, many families do not prefer them.
A parent seeking domestic help said that the problem with Indian and Bangladeshi housemaids was that they were very old. …. Looks like its the attitude problem with the employers as everybody gets old some day
Oh the horror.
It’s pretty much a hypothetical question and it is one that could never really happen unless you had a regional war or the GCC economies were to collapse completely.
However, if it were to happen that most expats were to leave, the 2 most important outcomes would be: 1) Each expat would finally realize how good or bad living in their respective GCC country was. Those who decide to come back will do so fully aware of things here are, and should be less complainy (not a word, but you know what I mean).
2) For Qataris and other GCC citizens, they’ll finally see what it’s like if most of the expat work force were to leave. Many business would have to shut down, no more domestic help, etc. The bad part is that the gulf economics would be dealt a serious blow, one which will take a lot of time to recover from. The good part, especially concerning the absence of domestic help will be that people will come to finally realize that: A) How privileged they were to have those hard working cheaply compensated house staff. B) Among other things, it’s possible to walk into the kitchen and get a glass of water yourself 😉
And collapse they will, once all those hydrocarbons run out
‘Little movement has been made on that effort due to conflicts over giving maids one day off a week.’
You don’t really need to read much more than this to see the general level of contempt for domestic staff in the region as a whole. It’s astonishing on so many levels; these are the people who do so much to make the life easier of the employees, but yet the level of respect they receive is often inversely proportionate to the help they give. It seems to me that many families treat domestic staff as a right, not a privilege. The quote above shows how they are treated like machines, apparently detached from supposedly normal human expectations of treatment like days off, holidays, fair pay and access to their own families back home. I often wonder in the malls on a Friday how many of those miserable looking maids having to trail round behind their slave-mistresses have had a choice about whether to work on the Friday….maybe some have and have chosen to do it for extra pay, but I somehow doubt it in most cases. The whole mindset towards domestic staff in the region is utterly contemptible. What would Mohammed say?
We had friends arab friends over for Iftar one night and they brought their maid to cook and help with their child. I insisted she be able to sit with us and eat. Isn’t that what Ramadan is supposed to be about? I was voted down so I ate with the maid. What WOULD Mohamed say about that?
They are Workers. Forget the word Domestic. Every worker is entitled to protection and respect for their labour, whether they are running QP or bringing up some family’s children. The problem seems to me to be that the attitude to those who work in our homes is disrespectful. You would not treat a colleague that way, why would you treat someone who you bring into your personal environment less? Hard for an expat to grasp- please explain ( I know someone will….)
You cant pay them like beggars and expect them to work wonders and miracles for you