Kuwait Times

Published Date: July 23, 2010
By Muna Al-Fuzai, Staff Columnist

Do you think housemaids in Kuwait face the problem of being accepted and treated well? Now, I think I need to explain my behind the question. I know some readers will be quick to claim that that many maids are being treated well and are even considered as family member by many Kuwaiti and expatriate families here. This is because some families let their maids accompany them on summer vacations. I agree with the kind gesture, but they should not be allowed to feel indebted for it.

Employees get paid for performing certain services. It is their right to be treated well. The topic I will be addressing today is aimed at families that look down upon maids and treat them worse than animals. How can sponsors who hire maids, abuse them, physically assault them, let them starve and sometimes even kill them and dump their bodies in the desert, smugly believing that no one will ever find out? Are such people mentally stable?

The sponsors who imagine that they can insult, assault, injure and kill their maids and walk away scot-free deserve no mercy. Last week a similar crime was committed against a maid who was unlucky enough to work for a couple for three months, before being murdered. Her stay was clearly not pleasant and by the end of the three months, the woman of the household had beaten her to death. Her husband rushed to his wife's aid and added more gore to the horrible crime by dumping the dead body in the desert. Th
is was done under the assumption that they could evade punishment. To their deep dismay, they were arrested shortly.

I have been seething with rage and pity for this maid who lost her life at the hands of such people. Even if I say that not all Kuwaitis are alike and do not treat others in such a harsh manner, it is not consoling enough. The loss suffered by the family is incalculable, and no matter what, they will never be able to digest the idea that their daughter returned to them in the form of a dead body after being subjected to abuse and torture. Her death was not even natural.

I also wonder why it is so difficult for some people to respect maids. Why do they think they need to lord over the poor people? The fact that they exploit someone because he or she is needy is sickening. I hope that the so-called couple will languish in jail or be executed as an example to those who "free" poor people from perpetual misery. I hope justice will be served to them. They ended a poor, innocent woman's life and our reputation as Kuwaitis.

Also, I need to say here that I have occasionally heard stories about expats who abuse their maids as well. They think it is okay to do so in Kuwait. They don't dare perform such despicable acts in their countries because they are afraid of that country's laws. Here, they think that they can manipulate laws.

I also think that no one should let them escape and I have seen many victims remain silent, especially, if they are high-ranking officials. They believe that if they complain, no one will believe or listen to them. That is a wrong belief. This is because such fear only encourages sponsors to carry on with their activities.

Here is a tip for those are constantly abused: You can complain against your sponsors at your respective embassies. You don't have to suffer or let anyone rob your chances of seeing your kids and families. You don't have to die here. You came here to work and not to be killed.
muna@kuwaittimes.net