Over 250,000 migrant women are employed by private households in Lebanon to carry out household tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and caring for children and the elderly.
The right to freedom of movement forms one of the cornerstones of the international human rights regime and the Lebanese legal system. It is a right that everyone ought to enjoy regardless of race, national origin, residence status, religion or any other criteria.
This study aims to shed light on the industry that profits from the recruitment of women from South Asian countries into domestic work employment in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Bangladesh, Jordan and Lebanon.
In recent years, the “sponsorship system” (kafala) in Lebanon and in other countries in the region has been identified as a core problem leading to the exploitation and abuse of migrant domestic workers.
Human trafficking and its link to migrant domestic labor in Lebanon is a complex, sensitive, and challenging issue. It raises numerous questions and demands further exploration.
The study upon which this article is based analyzes the status of Arab women in general, gender relations in the Middle East, and the situation of Arab women with disabilities, based on available disability statistics from a few selected countries and the author's observations
This study, prepared by Dr. Ray Jureidini, identifies practices and patterns that are the key causes for women domestic migrant workers' vulnerability in Bahrain and provide alternative approaches for effective means for action.
