The ILO discusses the situation of women migrant workers in Lebanon with foreign diplomatic representations

The ILO organised last Friday May 17th , a round table discussion on ways to address the recurrent problems facing migrant workers especially in relation to trafficking, exploitation, illegal recruitment, low wages and inhumane working conditions. The round table also focused on ways to enforce laws and conventions ratified by the Lebanese state and how to raise migrant workers’ awareness about their rights.  The Deputy Regional Director/DWT Director Mr. Frank Hagemann participated in this event which was organized within the framework of the Action Programme for Protecting the Rights of Women Migrant Domestic Workers and which is funded by the EU ane the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC and which was attended by diplomatic representations of the Egyptian, Sudanese, Philippine and Indonesian embassies, and representatives from the media and human rights organizations.

Hagemann pointed out to the fact that the ILO presented to Lebanon a law proposal which, if endorsed will contribute to protecting the rights of women migrant domestic workers and regulating employment through employment offices in order to ensure transparency and fairness to both employees and employers.

The National Project Coordinator of the Action Programme for Protecting the Rights of Women Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon noted that the embassies who took part in this event agreed to sharing information with the ILO on complaints originating from migrant workers which she noted will shed more lights on this problem.

Source: Al-Akhbar, Al-Mustaqbal 18 May 2013