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News
Amnesty International released the report ’’Isolated and Abused: Women Domestic Workers in Jordan Denied their Rights’’ on 30 October 2008. The report details the cases of physical and sexual abuse, and emphasises the need to protect the human rights of workers.
According to the report, a majority of women migrants in Jordan come from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. It is estimated that 40,000 work in the country with valid work permits, with approximately 30,000 more undocumented. They work as live-in domestics, many of whom literally become ‘captives’ in their employer’s. Their passports are confiscated upon arrival, and there are numerous reports of workers that are locked in homes when their employers leave.
Their working hours are long16 to 19 hours per day, 7 days a week without holidays. In a 2005 survey by UNIFEM in Jordan, three out of four domestic workers indicated that they worked beyond their physical capabilities. Even with the completion of such demanding working hours, many women are often paid inadequately for their work or not paid at all. A backlog of payment for 3-4 months is not uncommon. In one case reported by Amnesty, an Indonesian woman was denied payment by her employer for 4 years. Such working conditions are more reminiscent of slavery.
In addition is the rampant occurrence of mental, physical and sexual abuse, including rape. Women migrant workers are more prone to suicide than the average Jordanian citizen. The situation of abuse has escalated to the degree that the Indonesian, Philippine, and Sri Lankan Embassies now run shelters for women migrant workers. Hundreds are staying in these shelters at any given time.
The Jordanian government has made some efforts to address the needs of migrants. In 2003, the Jordanian Ministry of Labour, along with UNIFEM introduced a ’’Special Working Contract for Non-Jordanian Domestic Workers.’’ However, it has become apparent that this working contract has been largely ignored by employers, as the rights of migrant women have continuously been violated. In 2007, the UN urged the Jordanian government to take more action. In July of this year, new amendments were added to the existing working contract.
It will take sometime before there are visible changes after the amendments take affect. Migrant workers leave their own countries in search of job opportunities to provide a better life for their families. Instead, they are met with utter disregard and abuse. It is time to bring attention to their plight, the rights of women and the rights of migrant workers.
Read the Amnesty International Report
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