After reading so many articles in English about the death of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, I started wondering who are we raising awareness of? The international community or the Lebanese population? Do housewives or General Security officers read The Daily Star and the Guardian and the LA Times?
In addition to a “target” problem, there’s also a lack of “solutions” on the table.
Why doesn’t the General Security (in charge of all foreigners in Lebanon) create a special team of women officers (or department – but I doubt it is feasible without a law) dedicated to following up on the situation and living conditions of female migrant domestic workers in Lebanon? Why doesn’t the GS do spot checks in the homes of employers, just like its standard investigations of foreigners applying for residency? Why doesn’t the media put pressure on the GS or even the Internal Security Forces (Police) to do their job?
Human Rights Watch suggested developing a government strategy for “combating the practice of forced confinement, providing a labor ministry hotline for the workers, appointing labor inspectors, and improving working conditions and labor law protections.”
We must put the pressure on government bodies to force respect of fundamental human rights in Lebanese homes.
This was originally posted on Ethiopian Suicides, and posted here with permission
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November 11, 2009
In the words of an Ethiopian woman who was once working as a maid, “the only way to prevent this from happening is to prevent these workers from coming here in the first place.” This indeed is not a “solution” but it gives you a sense of the hopelessness that people have in this situation, especially those who have experienced it. Most don’t envision a valid solution in the future as are talking about millions and millions of all kinds of workers here from over a dozen countries, some of which don’t even have a formal representation in the region.
Yesterday I told my friend who does photography work documenting the lives of migrant workers, even if someone assembled a team of 6,000 people whose mission each day is to tackle this issue, we would STILL have a problem. It’s such a widespread concern where it isn’t only one abuser, but millions of sponsors, thousands of companies, and dozens of states are guilty of and tend to do little to nothing about. The problem is that we don’t even know who to target. The government? To change the law? And if they do, how do we ensure it gets implemented, and specifically by whom? Bahrain changed it, and yet abuses take place here on a daily basis, from murder to rape to runaway maids who find themselves in prison cells as opposed to shelters.
We need to know where to start – but I think documenting this abuse and making it as accessible as possible, is definitely a good way to increase the awareness necessary for action. For decades this information wasn’t being made available to the public, causing a huge number of people to deny it is actually as bad as it is. Aside from also refuting this denial, so many people who are now aware wish to help and have no idea where to begin. Media? Shelters? Protests? NGOs?
I suggest we make a list of what the average person can do, and what corporations should do as well as their commitment to “social responsibility.” We have to let people know where to begin and ways that their actions can translate to real differences.
November 11, 2009
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