Exploitation and violence against women migrant workers in Nabatieh and houseworkers committee celebrate mothers' day and women's day next Sunday at UNESCO

African Koaci website reported that six African migrant women workers are being subjected to physical abuse in Nabatyeh and are being detained against their will.  TV station LBCI had also reported from the same source information about calls received from two of the six workers who indicated that they were beaten after attempting to flee the houses where they work.  The same sources confirmed that one of the workers was beaten more than once by the employment agency run by an individual called Safi Kamal whom, according to the women workers, "runs a mafia".  LBCI noted that Safi beat one of the workers twice after she asked to leave her employers' house who abuses her and after he found a cell phone in her possession.  She also added that Safi forbids her from traveling.
In an interview with LBCI, Safi refuted the allegations that migrant workers were beaten but noted that this is simply to teach women to be "polite" before they are sent to their employers' houses to work.  He also denied that the work conditions were harsh or that migrant women workers are forbidden to move outside their employers' houses or make phone calls.
LBCI conducted a call to Safi on the next day with the caller pretending to be an African worker asking about some of her entitlements and whereby he responded that "there are no holidays, no outings and no phone calls".  He also confirmed that the worker should be completely submissive and totally scared from being "returned" to the employment office.  To be noted that the Public Prosecution has now initiated an investigation on this matter.
On another vein, the committees of women migrant workers affiliated to the National Federation of Trade Unions and employees in Lebanon will be celebrating next Sunday international women's day and mothers' day with the slogan "for equality for all women... for equality for all workers". The group will organise a cultural event at the UNESCO palace which will include dancing, handicrafts, and preparation of traditional cuisine.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Akhbar 21 March 2014