Lebanon

Invisible victims in Lebanon

Date: 01/12/2011 - 15:47

Lebanon is home to 1.2m foreign migrant workers out of which the domestic migrant worker(DMW) population is estimated at 400,000 and almost all female. The incremental growth in domestic workers hasbeen due to a combination of Lebanese views on social status and feminism where household chores are viewed aslowly and unw

Lebanon: UN calls for protection of domestic workers

Date: 18/10/2011 - 07:35

The U.N. expert on slavery Monday urged the Lebanese government to introduce legislation to protect some 200,000 domestic workers in the country, warning that many are living in servitude.

During a news conference at the end of her first visit to Lebanon in the role, Gulnara Shahinian said that while the government has taken some positive measures, much more still needed to be done.

Interview with Ethiopian Migrant & Filmmaker Rahel Zegeye

Date: 04/10/2011 - 09:07

Rahel Zegeye is a domestic worker in Lebanon, but that is not all she is: this is precisely the filmmaker’s message in her rising film “Beirut,” which delves into the personal lives of six fictional Ethiopian migrants.

Click here to read the interview

Source: Migrant Rights

Picture: Janie Shen / African Women in Cinema Blog

The experiences of an Ethiopian migrant and filmmaker in Lebanon

Date: 06/09/2011 - 07:58

Rahel Zegeye from Ethiopia, talks about her passion for filmmaking and her desire to tell the experiences of Ethiopian migrant workers in Lebanon, where she lives and works.

Janie Shen of Migrant Workers Task Force has this to say about Rahel Zegeye: "A very talented and unique woman, she is most probably the one domestic worker in Lebanon (or the world?) who has put all her savings and free time to filmmaking."

Migrant Workers' Rights in Lebanon: The Need for a New Mentality

Date: 01/07/2011 - 07:24

It is estimated that there are some 50 to 100 million domestic workers worldwide. The vast majority of these workers are young girls and women, and a large percentage of them are migrants. They serve as nannies, housekeepers, cooks, and caregivers who are most densely concentrated in the Middle East and Asia. Since they are often excluded from workers' and laborers' rights schemes, they often suffer from unpaid wages, excessive hours, little time off, and a high frequency of physical and sexual abuse, making them some of the most exploited workers in the world.

Human trafficking? Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon

Date: 08/04/2011 - 14:12

Within the realm of the human rights debate in Lebanon is the issue of migrant domestic worker rights. Lebanon has a population of 4 million people and employs 200,000 migrant domestic workers to do everything from basic household cleaning and nannying to in-home elderly and disabled persons care. This means that there is approximately one Filapina, Sri Lankan, Bengali, Malagasy, Ethiopian, Eritrean, or Nepalese worker to every 10 Lebanese persons!

Forum tackles steps needed to boost rights of migrant domestic workers

Date: 12/11/2010 - 14:05

Landmark steps to incorporate domestic workers in national labor unions got under way Thursday in meetings between United Nations representatives and regional trade-union leaders.

Lebanon: Judiciary failing to protect domestic workers

Date: 21/09/2010 - 08:19

Lebanon's judiciary is generally failing to hold employers accountable when they violate the basic rights of migrant domestic workers, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government should adopt a plan to ensure that these workers can rely on Lebanese courts to protect their rights, Human Rights Watch said.

Middle East countries agree to improve protection of Indonesian workers

Date: 14/04/2010 - 12:05

Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have agreed to improve protection of Indonesian migrant workers employed in the Middle East countries.

Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar had visited the four countries and discussed efforts to protect Indonesia’s migrant workers, Secretary of the Directorate General for Workers' Training and Placement, Abdul Malik Harahap, said Tuesday.

LEBANON: Alarming trend of domestic worker deaths persists

Date: 09/11/2009 - 10:01

BEIRUT: At least six domestic migrant workers are believed to have committed suicide in the past month in Lebanon. But rather than being anomalies, their deaths are the most recent in an alarming trend. According to Human Rights Watch, more than one female migrant worker dies a week on average, and many more are injured trying to escape harsh working conditions in the country.