Housemaid abuse is concern of new Qatar report

MAIDS CONCERN: The National Human Rights Committee in Qatar has raised concerns about the treatment of housemaids in its latest annual report. (Getty Images - for illustrative purposes only)

The National Human Rights Committee in Qatar has voiced concern over the treatment of housemaids and construction workers in its latest annual study, it was reported on Monday.

It also gave examples of discrimination against women, citing Qatari women’s inability to pass on citizenship to their children or husbands.

The report said there was concern over abuses committed against housemaids who work long hours and are denied a weekly holiday, Gulf Times reported.

“Housemaids are sometimes subject to physical and sexual violence and may resort to prostitution if failed to find a job or transfer sponsorship,” said the 2008 annual report, a copy of which was obtained by the paper.

The report said that the Labour Department did not receive any complaints from housemaids whom, it said, were compelled to file their cases in courts.

“With the lengthy procedures in courts, this group’s rights are being abused,” it said.

The committee, which was established in 2003 to promote human rights in Qatar, received 1,031 complaints last year.

The report comes as Qatar embarks on its first national survey on domestic workers.

The survey will be completed soon and the findings will be announced by the end of this year, Qatar Foundation for Combating Human Trafficking, the organisers of the study, said.

Mariam Al Malki, director of the Foundation, said the survey aimed to identify the problems of domestic workers in the country and seek solutions.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Women Rights?
Posted by Concerned Woman, Dubai on Monday 29 June 2009 at 12:55 UAE time


I am concerned that the Labour Department's defense is that as they have had no official complaints it can't possibly be happening. They don't seem to understand that many of these women live in utter fear of their employers and have no freedom to pop down to their local Labour complaints office to register a complaint. You have to make the facility available for people to use it! Are there any confidential hotlines?

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