Plight of domestic workers

People will think twice before mistreating their domestic employees, if proper laws are put in place to protect them

Sometimes, a word that comes to mind when one reflects on the lack of human rights in Pakistan is dystopia. From the daily bomb blasts in Peshawar, to the harassment of women in Punjab, to the neglect of the people of Balochistan, to the rampant gun crime and murders in Karachi, justice and order are nowhere to be found. Concurrently, the basic rights of people get crushed along the way. One particular group of people facing the plight of injustice in the country is the workforce of 8.5 million domestic workers. With no labour rights to protect them, basic respect and fair treatment from fellow citizens is difficult to come by.

While some of these workers face physical abuse, others have to listen to the constant nagging of their employers who expect nothing less than perfection. Others are often accused of petty theft and afraid to report the false accusations because their livelihoods are at the mercy of their employers. Unfortunately, lawmakers have been slow to provide protection to domestic helpers. Meanwhile, workers continue to be treated as inferiors, spoken to rudely, and employers continue to assault, mistreat and threaten workers, without expecting any consequences.

In order to improve the situation, parliament must quickly work to pass the recently proposed Domestic Workers Act, 2013. A public service announcement or an ‘expect respect’ campaign would also go a long way to help employers understand that domestic helpers are not slaves. Workers are only there to do their jobs; they are not punching bags for employers to take their frustrations out on and a crackdown on abusive employers is certainly in order. Conversely, domestic helpers should not feel threatened to report mistreatment for fear of losing their jobs. Cases of abuse should be reported and authorities must deal equally with all offenders. However, ultimately, if we have proper laws in place protecting domestic workers, employers will think twice before mistreating their domestic employees.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2013.

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