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Jordan – protect the rights of women domestic migrant workers

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:49:09 +0000

Tens of thousands of women migrant domestic workers in Jordan face isolation, exploitation and abuse, with little or no protection from the state. Migrant domestic workers are crucial to the economy in Jordan, contributing to the well-being of the households where they work and providing vital incomes for their own families and communities.

Many face exploitation and abuse:

Many work 16 to 19 hours daily, with no day off
Physical, psychological and sexual abuse is common
Many are effectively held captive in their employers’ home
Many women are not paid some or all of their meagre wages, sometimes for years

Until this summer, the Labour Law in Jordan excluded domestic workers from the protection offered to other workers, such as minimum wage provisions, sick leave, or days off. Amendments were endorsed by the Jordanian Parliament to state that a separate regulation will be issued to define the terms of their working conditions.

Although this is a step forward, more needs to be done to ensure that the rights of women migrant domestic workers are protected in line with international human rights standards.

Call on the government of Jordan to ensure new measures effectively protect the rights of women migrant domestic workers.

Demand proper protection of womens’ rights in Mexico

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:38:09 +0000

One in four women in Mexico has suffered physical, and sometimes sexual, violence at the hands of their partner. Thousands are put at risk of repeated abuse because weak or ineffective protection measures fail to ensure their safety.

Domestic violence can have physical, psychological, and emotional effects, as well as serious economic and social consequences on women and their families. Many face a range of obstacles when trying to report cases, such as the refusal of officials to accept complaints, inadequate investigations, and poor enforcement of protective measures.

A number of factors also deter women from filing complaints, such as fear of reprisals, and entrenched social attitudes which excuse violence against women, and undermine women’s role in the family and society. Official restraining orders are rarely issued and in many cases, there are no dedicated police resources to enforce them if they are issued.

Following her divorce in 1993, Marcela Blumenkron made numerous emergency calls to the police to report threats and harassment from her former husband. Time and again, she was advised by prosecutors to resolve the issue directly with her former husband.

On one occasion, Marcela was told, “if you come back with a bruise, we’ll do something”. In 2005, Marcela’s former husband broke into her home and stabbed her, leaving her paralyzed for four months, with long-term nerve damage and limited mobility.

Although Mexico recently passed a law to counter violence against women, and many states have followed suit, more still needs to be done or these changes will make little difference to women at risk. Take action to demand that womens’ rights in Mexico are properly protected!

Safe Schools: every girl's right!

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:26:53 +0000

The key to a bright future is for girls and women is choice. Women must be free to choose the path that is right for them, a path that is out of harm’s way and allows them to move forward and realize their potential.

Education is a crucial step in this journey. It is crucial to breaking cycles of poverty, violence and disease. Education is a human right, and therefore every girl’s right.

Girls across the world find a range of barriers to education:

Girls are assaulted on the way to school, attacked in schools grounds and teased by their classmates. Some are threatened with sexual assault by other students, coerced into sex by teachers, even raped in the staff room.
In countries wracked by war, girls are at risk from armed groups and from attacks on their schools. Sexual abuse and exploitation are problems for girls living in refugee camps or displaced people’s camps.
Certain girls face an increased risk of violence at school. Certain aspects of girls’ identities, including their sexuality, status as migrants, orphans or refugees, caste, ethnicity and race, can increase their risk of abuse.
Although free primary education should be available to all children, schools around the world commonly charge user fees. Girls are more likely to be excluded than boys when there isn’t enough money to go round.

Violence leads to countless girls being kept out of school, dropping out, or not fully participating in school life. Effects range from pain and fear, to lowered self-esteem, sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies and depression. In many cases, abuses go unreported.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that girls often choose not to report what continues to be a taboo issue in some societies, or for fear of retaliation. That leaves such acts under-reported and allows their perpetrators to go unpunished.

There is no justification for the lack of action. The issue is not about resources but political will. Governments, teachers and school authorities must work to prevent violence against girls in schools, must promptly investigate reports of abuse, impose appropriate punishments on offenders, support those who have suffered from violence to recover and ensure that such abuses do not recur.

Join Amnesty International’s campaign to protect girls’ rights to safety, equality and education. Make schools safe for girls.

READ MORE:
Safe Schools
Stop Violence Against Women