Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Lebanese wife of Hannibal Gadhafi tortured Ethiopian domestic worker
Luxury, horror lurk in Gadhafi family compound, by Dan Rivers, CNN Correspondent, Tripoli, Libya
(...)
At first I thought she was wearing a hat and something over her face. Then the awful realization dawned that her entire scalp and face were covered in red wounds and scabs, a mosaic of injuries that rendered her face into a grotesque patchwork.
Even though the burns were inflicted three months ago, she was clearly still in considerable pain. But she told us her story calmly.
She'd been the nanny to Hannibal's little son and daughter.
The 30-year-old came to Libya from her native Ethiopia a year ago. At first things seemed OK, but then six months into her employment she said she was burned by Aline [Skaff*].
Three months later the same thing happened again, this time much more seriously.
In soft tones, she explained how Aline lost her temper when her daughter wouldn't stop crying and Mullah refused to beat the child.
"She took me to a bathroom. She tied my hands behind my back, and tied my feet. She taped my mouth, and she started pouring the boiling water on my head like this," she said, imitating the vessel of scalding hot water being poured over her head.
(...)
* Aline Skaf is a Lebanese actor born in 1980 in Sebaal in Lebanon.
Full article:Luxury, horror lurk in Gadhafi family compound, by Dan Rivers, CNN Correspondent, Tripoli, Libya
(...)
At first I thought she was wearing a hat and something over her face. Then the awful realization dawned that her entire scalp and face were covered in red wounds and scabs, a mosaic of injuries that rendered her face into a grotesque patchwork.
Even though the burns were inflicted three months ago, she was clearly still in considerable pain. But she told us her story calmly.
She'd been the nanny to Hannibal's little son and daughter.
The 30-year-old came to Libya from her native Ethiopia a year ago. At first things seemed OK, but then six months into her employment she said she was burned by Aline [Skaff*].
Three months later the same thing happened again, this time much more seriously.
In soft tones, she explained how Aline lost her temper when her daughter wouldn't stop crying and Mullah refused to beat the child.
"She took me to a bathroom. She tied my hands behind my back, and tied my feet. She taped my mouth, and she started pouring the boiling water on my head like this," she said, imitating the vessel of scalding hot water being poured over her head.
(...)
* Aline Skaf is a Lebanese actor born in 1980 in Sebaal in Lebanon.
Full article:Luxury, horror lurk in Gadhafi family compound, by Dan Rivers, CNN Correspondent, Tripoli, Libya
Monday, August 29, 2011
«بيت المهاجرين»: مساحة خاصة بأبناء الجاليات المنتهكة حقوقها في لبنان
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| بريا تطلّ من شباك «بيتها» |
حياة العاملين المهاجرين إلى لبنان صعبة، ومليئة بالانتهاكات. فالمعاناة تبدأ من رميهم بكافة أشكال العنصرية اللبنانية، ولا تنتهي عند الضرب والتعنيف والتعذيب والحرمان من أبسط الحقوق الإنسانية، كالترفيه عن النفس. فيواجه أبناء الجاليات النيبالية، والبنغلادشية، والهندوسية، والسريلانكية، والأثيوبية، والفيليبينية، وغيرها من أصحاب الجنسيات المهدورة الحقوق في لبنان، مشكلة في إيجاد مكان يجمعهم ويحضن بعضاً من نشاطاتهم.
ولكن، يبدو أن تلك الحال تمضي إلى تغيير، مع افتتاح مركز خاص يحضنهم في منطقة النبعة، يحمل اسم «بيت المهاجرين ـ Migrant house، يقع إلى جانب المدرسة الأرمينية الإنجيلية.
وفي الحادي عشر من أيلول المقبل، يُفتتح المركز بتمويل من «حركة مناهضة العنصرية»، وبمساهمات فردية وبمعاونة بعض الممولين الدوليين، وهو «يُعدّ ليستقبل المهاجرين/ات وعاملين/ات أجانب/يات في الخدمة المنزلية
ولكن، يبدو أن تلك الحال تمضي إلى تغيير، مع افتتاح مركز خاص يحضنهم في منطقة النبعة، يحمل اسم «بيت المهاجرين ـ Migrant house، يقع إلى جانب المدرسة الأرمينية الإنجيلية.
وفي الحادي عشر من أيلول المقبل، يُفتتح المركز بتمويل من «حركة مناهضة العنصرية»، وبمساهمات فردية وبمعاونة بعض الممولين الدوليين، وهو «يُعدّ ليستقبل المهاجرين/ات وعاملين/ات أجانب/يات في الخدمة المنزلية
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Abboud urges tourism venues to adopt anti-discrimination policies
تعميم على المؤسسات السياحية بالمساواة في استقبال الزبائن
أصدر وزير السياحة فادي عبود تعميما يحمل الرقم 20، طلب فيه من جميع المؤسسات السياحية على انواعها كافة اعتماد المساواة في استقبال الزبائن دون تمييز لجهة العرق اوالجنسية والاشخاص ذوي الحاجات الخاصة المتمتعين بالاهلية القانونية.
أصدر وزير السياحة فادي عبود تعميما يحمل الرقم 20، طلب فيه من جميع المؤسسات السياحية على انواعها كافة اعتماد المساواة في استقبال الزبائن دون تمييز لجهة العرق اوالجنسية والاشخاص ذوي الحاجات الخاصة المتمتعين بالاهلية القانونية.
August 27, 2011 - The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Tourism Ministry urged over the weekend all tourism-related establishments to adopt an anti-discrimination policies.
In a circular – number 20 – issued Saturday, Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud urged to all tourism-related venues to cater to all customers without any form of discrimination, whether in terms of race, nationality or those with disabilities, reported the National News Agency.
(...)
Friday, August 26, 2011
New Wikileaks cables out: a wealth of information on the situation of domestic workers in Lebanon and the region
When searching for Lebanon related cables in the newly release batch of cables on Wikileaks (http://www.cablegatesearch.net/search.php?q=Lebanon), we can find a lot of information on the situation of domestic workers in Lebanon and the region, in the various US embassy reports written in the countries source of migration.
This is an extract from cable "Ethiopia: Trafficking In Persons Report (part 1 - Overview And Prevention) - Origin: Embassy Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) - Cable time: Fri, 16 Mar 2007"
(...)
-- From late 2005 to early 2006, Lebanon (refused to grant visas) to Ethiopian nationals. However, thousands of Ethiopians illegally crossed the border in pursuit of work (and/or as victims of trafficking). Over the last 14 months (since Lebanon has lifted their visa ban against Ethiopian nationals), the amount of trafficking to Lebanon has increased.
-- IOM officials cite Yemen as a significant transit point, for young Ethiopian girls (average age 14-15) being trafficked to Djibouti. A recent impact assessment concludes that many of these trafficked girls in Djibouti have HIV/AIDS.
-- There are no reports of trafficking of Ethiopians to the United States. A few years ago, IOM reported that approximately a dozen clients claimed that a smuggler was charging up to 80,000-100,000 birr (USD 9,050- 11,312) to smuggle them into the United States. Since then, there is little to no information available about these routes. Yemen and Lebanon have been identified as some of the most popular destinations for trafficking and smuggling.
(...)
This is an extract from cable "Ethiopia: Trafficking In Persons Report (part 1 - Overview And Prevention) - Origin: Embassy Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) - Cable time: Fri, 16 Mar 2007"
(...)
-- From late 2005 to early 2006, Lebanon (refused to grant visas) to Ethiopian nationals. However, thousands of Ethiopians illegally crossed the border in pursuit of work (and/or as victims of trafficking). Over the last 14 months (since Lebanon has lifted their visa ban against Ethiopian nationals), the amount of trafficking to Lebanon has increased.
-- IOM officials cite Yemen as a significant transit point, for young Ethiopian girls (average age 14-15) being trafficked to Djibouti. A recent impact assessment concludes that many of these trafficked girls in Djibouti have HIV/AIDS.
-- There are no reports of trafficking of Ethiopians to the United States. A few years ago, IOM reported that approximately a dozen clients claimed that a smuggler was charging up to 80,000-100,000 birr (USD 9,050- 11,312) to smuggle them into the United States. Since then, there is little to no information available about these routes. Yemen and Lebanon have been identified as some of the most popular destinations for trafficking and smuggling.
(...)
Monday, August 22, 2011
مكتب لتعليم الخدمة... والعقليّة اللبنانية
An article about the recent "domestic workers training center".
إنه مكتب لتعليم الخدمة وليس استقدام عاملات. فهل تحتاج الخدمة إلى تعليم؟ تأتي الإجابة بـ«نعم»، في ظل معاناة تستمر أشهر بين العاملة وسيدة المنزل. قد لا يغيّر التعليم من منطق «الخدمة»، فهل يغيّر في منطق الحقوق؟
جريدة الأخبار، ربى أبو عمّو
جريدة الأخبار، ربى أبو عمّو
في أوائل الشهر الماضي، افتتحت مؤسسة «راي غروب» المركز الأول في لبنان والشرق الأوسط للتدريب على التدبير المنزلي والتنظيف على أنواعه (خصوصاً للعمّال الأجانب)، إضافة إلى أسلوب جديد لإعداد المائدة اللبنانية، بحسب مؤسّسها رشيد بيضون. لكن هل يحتاج التدبير المنزلي والتنظيف إلى مكتب متخصّص؟ يجيب بيضون بـ«نعم»، مسلّطاً الضوء على معاناة اللبنانيين في تأهيل العاملات من الصفر. تشرح إحدى السيدات التي لجأت إلى المكتب لتدريب الفتاة الإثيوبية التي تعمل لديها، قائلة إنها «لم تكن تعرف شيئاً على الإطلاق. ولأنها امرأة عاملة، وجدت في المؤسسة فرصة قد تكون مفيدة». لاحظت السيدة الفرق. 5 أيام كانت كفيلة بإحاطة الفتاة بما يحتاج إليه المنزل. مدة التدريب هي 4 أيام في مقابل 170 دولاراً. وإذا أرادت سيدة المنزل تعليم الفتاة إعداد الطعام الأوّلي وترتيب المائدة، تُضاف 3 أيام في مقابل 100 دولار. تجارة هي إذاً. يرفض بيضون هذا الوصف قائلاً: «لو أردت أن أكون تاجراً لفتحت مكتباً لاستقدام العاملات».
بعض العاملات الأجنبيات يخضعن للتدريب في بلدانهن قبل
"Between 2008 and 2010, 15 Nepalese maids working in Lebanon committed suicide"
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56806
(...)
"Between 2008 and 2010, 15 Nepalese maids working in Lebanon committed suicide," says Sthaneshwar Devkota, executive director at the state-run Foreign Employment Promotion Board. "Being mostly illiterate and unaware, they are easily duped. For instance, though they get free visas, many agencies swindle them."
"The more dangerous ruse is making them go though India. If their documents are not in order or they are being lured to banned destinations like Lebanon, immigration authorities at Kathmandu airport will spot the fraud. So they are made to go to India first. It increases the danger of the women being forced into the flesh trade."
(...)
(...)
"Between 2008 and 2010, 15 Nepalese maids working in Lebanon committed suicide," says Sthaneshwar Devkota, executive director at the state-run Foreign Employment Promotion Board. "Being mostly illiterate and unaware, they are easily duped. For instance, though they get free visas, many agencies swindle them."
"The more dangerous ruse is making them go though India. If their documents are not in order or they are being lured to banned destinations like Lebanon, immigration authorities at Kathmandu airport will spot the fraud. So they are made to go to India first. It increases the danger of the women being forced into the flesh trade."
(...)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
BBC: 'Slave maid' in Lebanon
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| Forced to work as a "slave maid" for wealthy families in Lebanon for 15 years, Abeline Baholiarisoa - a 59-year-old woman from Madagascar - finally achieved her freedom in March. |
Original BBC report here.
Madagascar's government chartered a plane to evacuate her and 85 other women.
The youngest of her four children, whom she left behind when he was six years old, played a key role in her evacuation, tracking her down via a welfare agency that rescues "slave maids", she says.
Ms Baholiarisoa says she was trapped in "a living hell" after being duped into going to Lebanon.
A recruiting agency had promised her a nursing job for three years, with a salary of $800 (£486) a month.
Ms Baholiarisoa says she thought it would give her a chance to save money, which she could send to her children.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
الإساءة إلى العاملات الأجنبيات في لبنان مستمرة بلا قانون يجرّمها وينظّم المهنة: قصصٌ من يومياتهن مع "الكفيل" و"المخدوم" وصولاً إلى اللا - تحقيق في جرائم القتل!
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| حيواتهن بيننا تنمو على حافة الموت ظلماً (فادي أبو غليوم) |
جريدة السفير، 2 آب 2011، نبيل المقدم
لم يكن قد مضى أكثر من ستة أشهر على مباشرة «كلارا» العمل في منزل مخدومها في غزير، في قضاء كسروان، عندما قررت الهروب بـ»أي ثمن». انتظرت الصبية الفيليبينية خلود سكان المنزل الى النوم، ورمت بنفسها من الطابق الثاني. وعلى الرغم من التواء ساقها، أكملت «كلارا» فرارها، مستقلة سيارة أجرة إلى بيروت.
تقول «كلارا» لـ»السفير» إن عملها «كان يبدأ عند السادسة صباحاً، ويمتد حتى منتصف الليل». ولم تحصل خلال ستة أشهر أمضتها في العمل على راتبها كاملاً سوى مرة واحدة، ولكنها «حظيت» بالكثير من «الصفع والركل من صاحب المنزل وزوجته بسبب مطالبتها بأجرها». طبعاً، كانت «كلارا» تنام في المطبخ، مفتقدةً أي خصوصية حياتية.
يسلّم مسؤولون رسميون وحقوقيون وناشطون في مجال حماية الفئات المهمشة، ومن ضمنها العاملات في المنازل، بأن انتهاك حقوقهم يشكل ظاهرة مقلقة في لبنان، لناحية تعرّضهم لـ»باقة» كبيرة من الإساءات الجنسية والاقتصادية والنفسية والجسدية.
وفي ظل استثنائهن من قانون العمل اللبناني،
لم يكن قد مضى أكثر من ستة أشهر على مباشرة «كلارا» العمل في منزل مخدومها في غزير، في قضاء كسروان، عندما قررت الهروب بـ»أي ثمن». انتظرت الصبية الفيليبينية خلود سكان المنزل الى النوم، ورمت بنفسها من الطابق الثاني. وعلى الرغم من التواء ساقها، أكملت «كلارا» فرارها، مستقلة سيارة أجرة إلى بيروت.
تقول «كلارا» لـ»السفير» إن عملها «كان يبدأ عند السادسة صباحاً، ويمتد حتى منتصف الليل». ولم تحصل خلال ستة أشهر أمضتها في العمل على راتبها كاملاً سوى مرة واحدة، ولكنها «حظيت» بالكثير من «الصفع والركل من صاحب المنزل وزوجته بسبب مطالبتها بأجرها». طبعاً، كانت «كلارا» تنام في المطبخ، مفتقدةً أي خصوصية حياتية.
يسلّم مسؤولون رسميون وحقوقيون وناشطون في مجال حماية الفئات المهمشة، ومن ضمنها العاملات في المنازل، بأن انتهاك حقوقهم يشكل ظاهرة مقلقة في لبنان، لناحية تعرّضهم لـ»باقة» كبيرة من الإساءات الجنسية والاقتصادية والنفسية والجسدية.
وفي ظل استثنائهن من قانون العمل اللبناني،
Will training maids in Lebanon cut down on abuse?
With some 200,000 domestic migrant workers employed in Lebanon, there’s certainly a market for this new concept, the first of its kind in the country: a training center for maids.
“Most people have some kind of problem with their maid but there is one simple solution to this and that is knowledge,” center founder and director Rachid Beydoun told the Daily Star.
At a starting cost of $180, The House Keeper Training Academy teaches maids how to clean and use proper etiquette. The four-day course also offers basic language instruction and provides information on migrant worker rights.
While the new center could be seen as a welcome move to improve conditions for maids in Lebanon, it’s also stirring some controversy.
"I think the heart is in the right place in terms of trying to work on the issue, but
Monday, August 1, 2011
Beach clubs’ policies on domestic workers
(...)
Even more controversial than the rising prices are beach clubs’ policies on domestic workers and nannies.
Domestic workers are generally admitted to resorts under conditions specifying how they dress and behave on the premises.
A handful of resorts also don’t require entrance fees for workers, on the condition that they don’t swim.
At La Guava domestic workers are charged about the same price as children while at Bamboo Bay they are not allowed to swim or sit on the lounge chairs, and at Tabarja’s Aqua Marina 2, they must remain in an area set aside for them alone.
(...)
Full article: Beachgoers battle rising prices, admission policies - The Daily Star
Even more controversial than the rising prices are beach clubs’ policies on domestic workers and nannies.
Domestic workers are generally admitted to resorts under conditions specifying how they dress and behave on the premises.
A handful of resorts also don’t require entrance fees for workers, on the condition that they don’t swim.
At La Guava domestic workers are charged about the same price as children while at Bamboo Bay they are not allowed to swim or sit on the lounge chairs, and at Tabarja’s Aqua Marina 2, they must remain in an area set aside for them alone.
(...)
Full article: Beachgoers battle rising prices, admission policies - The Daily Star
The aftermath of repatriation from Lebanon...
Madagascar to export labour to Jordan
The government of Madagascar will send 3,000 workers to Jordan by the end of the year, a minister has said.
Public Function, Labour and Social Regulations minister Henri Rasamoelina, made the announcement barely four months after the government repatriated some 85 domestic workers who had been subjected to abuse in Lebanon.
(...)
New tack on domestic workers’ pay terms proposed
(...)
The government of Madagascar will send 3,000 workers to Jordan by the end of the year, a minister has said.
Public Function, Labour and Social Regulations minister Henri Rasamoelina, made the announcement barely four months after the government repatriated some 85 domestic workers who had been subjected to abuse in Lebanon.
(...)
New tack on domestic workers’ pay terms proposed
(...)
Since the repatriation of domestic workers from Lebanon in 2006,
the Philippine government formulated the HSW Reform package that gives
would-be domestic workers pre-departure training and certification and
language and culture training.
The said package also set the minimum age of Filipino domestic
workers to be 23 years old; attendance to a comprehensive pre-departure
education program (CPDEP); waiving of paying placement fees; and
requiring employers to pay US$400 minimum.
(...)
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