InfoAnda - Housemaid's suicide rattles Lebanon's conscience |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Four US soldiers among 28 killed in Afghan unrest | 2 June 2009
Amour takes U.S. film critics' top prize as best film | | 6 January 2013
Bahraini protesters move to parliament building | | 1 March 2011

Athletics-World champion to pound streets in Singapore marathon | 19 November 2008

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Housemaid's suicide rattles Lebanon's conscience |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Social Pulse Business Video The Freeland File Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Reuters Investigates Decoder Politics Politics Home Election 2012 Issues 2012 Candidates 2012 Tales from the Trail Political Punchlines Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Tech Tonic Social Pulse Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Nader Mousavizadeh Lucy P. Marcus David Cay Johnston Bethany McLean Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Jack & Suzy Welch Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Breakingviews Video Money Money Home Tax Break Lipper Awards 2012 Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik James Saft Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Money Clip Investing 201 Life Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Reuters TV Reuters News Article Comments (0) Full Focus Editor's choice Our best photos from the last 24 hours. Full Article Images of March Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Government plans to sue Arizona sheriff for targeting Latinos 03 Apr 2012 Trayvon Martin: Before the world heard the cries 03 Apr 2012 Tanker with Syrian oil passes through Egypt's Suez 03 Apr 2012 Swarm of tornadoes rip through Dallas-Fort Worth 6:23am EDT Wall Street drops on euro zone, fading Fed stimulus odds 12:07pm EDT Discussed 786 Obama confident Supreme Court will uphold healthcare law 180 As Paul’s White House campaign fades, supporters face choices 173 Top Obama aides hit back at Romney over Russia Watched Massive tornado tosses trucks through air in Texas Tue, Apr 3 2012 Transgender beauty says she wants to compete for Miss Universe Tue, Apr 3 2012 Massive tornado churns across Texas Tue, Apr 3 2012 Housemaid's suicide rattles Lebanon's conscience Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Apple, Foxconn set new standard for Chinese workers Fri, Mar 30 2012 Annan says Syria accepts peace plan, U.S. skeptical Tue, Mar 27 2012 Analysis & Opinion “No choice” for Afghan girls brought up as boys Sweat-free iPads come at a price worth paying Related Topics World » United Nations » Housemaids clean windows in an apartment in Beirut April 2, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Jamal Saidi By Oliver Holmes BEIRUT | Wed Apr 4, 2012 12:29pm EDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Tragic tales of domestic worker abuse in Lebanon are common, but a film showing an Ethiopian maid dragged along a street in Beirut just days before she was found hanged from her bed sheets has rattled Lebanon's conscience. The domestic worker industry in Lebanon is vast - foreign maids account for more than five percent of the population - and the sector is plagued by archaic labor laws, inhumane practices and dire wages. Abuse has been so rampant that Ethiopia, the Philippines, Madagascar and Nepal have banned their citizens from travelling here for employment. Ethiopian mother of two Alem Dechasa, 33, did not heed her country's warning and used a Lebanese recruitment agency to travel to the vibrant, coastal capital of Beirut. On February 24th, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International channel released a video, filmed by an unidentified bystander, of Dechasa lying in the bushes outside the Ethiopian consulate, crying "No, no, no." A Lebanese man in the video, later identified by the station as Ali Mahfouz, snatches her off the ground and tries to squeeze her into car. Dechasa screams and squirms, refusing to enter. Mahfouz grabs the Ethiopian by her thick black hair. "WANDERING OUTSIDE THE CONSULATE" Ethiopian Consul Asaminew Debelie Bonssa said only minutes earlier he had been approached by Mahfouz, the brother of the head of the recruiting agency that brought Dechasa to Lebanon, who brought the maid to the consulate, complaining that she was mentally ill and needed to be deported. "We advised (Mahfouz) that she needs to get medical treatment," the consul told Reuters, sitting in front of Ethiopian and Lebanese flags in his cramped office. "Many girls come here who have problems. Some of them are young and are not capable of working. Often we just find them wandering outside the consulate," he said. Mahfouz agreed to take Dechasa for treatment and left, Bonssa said. "Nobody expected the following incident to happen," Bonssa said of the abuse outside his second-floor window, despite admitting that beatings are regularly reported to him. "We heard a voice and then realized there was a problem with his handling of her." Bonssa called the police, who took Mahfouz into custody and escorted the battered girl to hospital. The consul visited Dechasa in hospital. She was anxious, he said, that she could not pay a debt to the recruitment agency that brought her to Lebanon. Her husband had married another woman and she had taken out a loan to pay her debts. Four days later, doctors told the consul she had committed suicide. As Bonssa recounted the story, he looked up at the wall of his office and pointed indistinctly as if he was there in Dechasa's hospital bedroom while she hung from the window. SPONSORSHIP SYSTEM Dechasa's case is by no means isolated - Human Rights Watch says, on average, one domestic worker a week in Lebanon either kills herself or falls from a high building to her death. Efforts to introduce new labor laws have failed to gain momentum. Two labor ministers have proposed measures but changes in government posts and apathy have sidelined the issue. But the Dechasa case is different. Her abuse was filmed and caused a public outcry, offering a chance to deal with the mistreatment of housemaids here. The European Union and rights groups urged the country to change its laws to tackle discrimination against migrant workers. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Gulnara Shahinian, said the "cruel image" reminded her of migrant women she met in Lebanon during an October visit. "Women who had been victims of domestic servitude told me they had been under the absolute control of their employers through economic exploitation and suffered physical, psychological and sexual abuse." Cabinet called an investigation into the case after the footage of Dechasa's mistreatment was shown on television and Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said that the Justice and Labour ministries held an emergency meeting on the issue. Telecommunications Minister Nicholas Sehnaoui tweeted that "we should all come to the defense of the poor Ethiopian girl, victim of this abuse. Actions like these dishonor our country. I am ashamed." In Lebanon, migrant workers do not work under labour laws but are sponsored to live in the country by their employers, who apply personally for residency permits. Recruitment agencies, with offices abroad import the women, but many operate with no legal obligation towards the maids. "The problem of the sponsorship system is that it ties a worker to her employer. This creates a vulnerability for workers and a corresponding burden on employers," said Rola Abimourched, a project Coordinator at KAFA, a Lebanese charity aimed at preventing violence against women. The sponsorship system, Abimourched says, means the domestic workers cannot change jobs unless their employer authorizes their release. There is no minimum wage and maids can work long hours, 365 days a year without a break. Many domestic workers say they are locked in the house and have their passports confiscated. Workers lucky enough to get a few hours off on a Sunday can usually be seen in Beirut's shopping district of Hamra. Dolled up in sequin-covered dresses, housemaids dance in a club called Al-Jazz between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., socializing with friends before scurrying home to cook Sunday dinner. "There is no escape route. If they try to leave their employer, they will face deportation or detention. Employers say they want to protect their investment," Abimourched said at her small offices in Beirut. "Some workers don't want to return because they have paid debts to come to Lebanon, so they stay in an abusive situation." Worker abuse is not unique to Lebanon, said Abimourched, pointing to cases in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. But it stands out in a country with a robust civil society which prides itself on being one of the most liberal in the Middle East. RACIST HIERARCHY Despite the stereotype, Ethiopian domestic worker Fifi swiftly learned that the Middle East is not always hot and dry when her employer said she would be sleeping on the balcony throughout Lebanon's rainy winter. "There was no room so I have been sleeping there. She has my passport and I am not allowed to leave the house," she said, adding that she had sneaked out while "the lady" was at work. There is a racist hierarchy among foreign workers here, Lebanese say - with English-speaking Filipinas at the top, costing more than $2,000 to import, and Ethiopians at the bottom. Carole Meskarm, an Ethiopian who moved to Beirut 10 years ago after meeting her Lebanese husband in Addis Ababa, is hoping the death of Dechasa will not be in vain. "I hope that the government will now take responsibility (for foreign workers) and I know that many Lebanese are good-hearted people," said Meskarm, a rights activist who refers to Ethiopian domestic workers as "my girls." Many Lebanese love their maids as family. In the Ethiopian consulate lobby, a black woman holds hands with a small, blonde child who looks around the room at her nanny's compatriots. And on Palm Sunday, a Christian Lebanese priest pleaded with his parishioners to treat their maids fairly. "Not all, but some Lebanese look down on housemaids," said Meskarm. "But for me, when one of my girls say they got a job here as a housemaid, I feel proud. They are working to have a better life." (Editing by Paul Casciato) World United Nations Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use AdChoices Copyright Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Mali junta defies deadline for handing over power |
UK snooping row casts doubt on Cameron leadership |
Russia says kills five Islamists in Caucasus |
First Marines in Australia under new security deal |
U.S. puts bounty on Pakistani suspect in Mumbai attacks |
Brazil tax cuts, credits throw lifeline to industry |
Peru leader sends brother to solitary confinement |
Czech government shudders as party threatens to quit |
Netanyahu says sanctions hurting Iran but not enough |
Facebook launches patent counterattack against Yahoo |
SanDisk cuts first quarter revenue outlook, shares fall |
Analysis: GameStop sees solid future despite video game shift to digital |
Palin pans Julianne Moore in Game Change film |
All-American Rejects come of age in Kids In The Street |
Mario Van Peebles and family are We the Party |
Analysis: Success of Annan peace plan for Syria hinges on Russia |
French police swoop on more suspected Islamists |
Japan, Britain set to agree on joint development of arms: paper |
U.S., Afghanistan near deal on night raids: official |
First Marines in Australia as U.S. ramps up Asia-Pacific focus |
Czech government in danger over coalition row |
Former Turkish president on trial for 1980 coup |
Addicts embody cocaine boom in Brazil's cracklands |
Iraq says Iran proposes Baghdad as nuclear talks venue |
China keen on free trade pact with U.S.: Greenberg |
Toshiba to build new NAND chip plant: media |
Madonna keeps pop crown, MDNA tops Billboard chart |
Four contestants sing for final time on 'The Voice' |
A last dance for Jack Wagner on Dancing With the Stars |
Olbermann says screwed up with move to Current |
Beatles offspring could form next generation band |
Trump overrules rejection of transgender beauty queen |
Analysis: Syria peace plan seen buying Assad time |
U.N. ceasefire mission fails to curb Syria violence |
Russia accuses U.S. envoy of arrogance over missile shield comment |
Tunis reopens ancient Islamic college to counter radicals |
Italy's PM Monti concedes to unions, ally on labor |
Warring militias in west Libya vow no let-up in fight |
Housemaid's suicide rattles Lebanon's conscience |
Analysis: Mali's north feared new rogue state in Sahara |
Islamist rebels bomb Somali theatre, killing 6 |
Yahoo to lay off 2,000 employees |
Online startup seeks to rival the Ivy League |
YouTube to offer Paramount movie rentals |
Publisher-backed venture starts digital newsstand |
Thailand bans film based on Macbeth, fearing disunity |
Katy Perry 3-D concert movie to be released in July |
Taboo-breaking Saudi films spur debate in staid kingdom |
George Michael pens song about battle with illness |
UK protest punk band The King Blues announces split |
Amnesty urges Russia to free punks after protest |
A Minute With: Fred Savage and best friends forever |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01