UN has undertaken the cause of improving the condition of foreign workforce in Saudi Arabia. The place has been criticized by the human rights organizations for abuse against workers from outside and inequality toward women.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Navi Pillay said that countries in the Gulf region need to improve the working condition of both foreign workers and rights of women. The current sponsorship system is so rigid that it binds migrants to their employers. This enables the employers to commit abuses against workers while preventing them from changing jobs or leaving the country.
According to the reports, there are around 12 million foreign professionals in Gulf cities. These workers are bound to surrender their travel documents to a guarantor which in effect renders them bonded labor under a system called Kafala. The government had already begun an awareness campaign in 2008 to combat the abuse of domestic workers by their employers.
Similarly, there is an urgent need to remove the discriminatory barriers against women in Gulf regions. The concept of male guardianship continues to hamper women's right to shape their own lives and make their own choices. The male relatives are bestowed with control over women under the system known as Mehrem.
The government activity to safeguard women’s rights has increased in recent years though it is definitely not enough. Women are still facing severe discrimination and are inadequately protected against domestic and other violence. A lot needs to be done on both the fronts (issue of foreign workers and women’s rights) as positive developments for both the issues remain patchy and uneven.
The culture and traditions need to give some space to individuals to fulfill their big dreams of working overseas and earning good money.
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