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| Date Added to Site: 29th January 2009 | ||
| Short Summary | ||
| Title | Swept Under the Rug: Abuses Against Domestic Workers Around the World | |
| Author | Human Rights Watch | |
| Publication Date | July 2006 | |
| Publisher | Human Rights Watch | |
| Short Summary |
Women and girls make up the overwhelming majority of domestic workers around the world. In recent years, abuses against domestic workers - typically taking place in private homes and hidden from the public eye - have garnered increased attention. But this has not been matched by concerted government action. Since 2001, Human Rights Watch has conducted research on abuses against domestic workers originating from or working in El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Togo, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. This report sets out the findings - providing information on the main criminal and labour abuses experienced by domestic workers, and discussing the specific vulnerabilities of child domestic workers and migrant workers. It also presents best and worst government responses and practices. Hong Kong offers one positive example: domestic workers have the right to a minimum wage, a weekly day of rest, maternity leave, and public holidays. This is unlike most countries around the world which exclude domestic work from their labour codes or provide for lesser rights. Singapore is also praised for increasing by one and a half times the criminal penalties for the physical abuse of domestic workers. The report ends with detailed recommendations for action, including: • Labour Ministries should increase awareness about the rights of domestic workers by developing public information campaigns to educate domestic workers, labour recruiters, and employers about domestic workers' rights and the penalties for committing abuse. This information should be disseminated in the languages spoken by domestic workers; • Governments should enact specific regulations governing minimum age of employment, hours of work, pay, and entitlement to rest and leisure; and • The police should develop protocols and train officers on how to respond appropriately to domestic workers' complaints, how to investigate and collect evidence in such cases, and how to provide referrals for health care, counselling, shelter, and legal aid. The summary and recommendations are also available in Arabic, Indonesian, Spanish and French, at: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2006/07/27/swept-under-rug Country-specific reports on abuses against domestic workers are available from Human Rights Watch's website, at: http://www.hrw.org/en/publications/reports?filter0=732&filter1=**ALL** |
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| Summary Source | Summary adapted from source | |
| Complete Document |
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