Muna Al Fuzai

We have now reached critical mass. Kuwait has more than 650,000 domestic servants and will likely see that figure grow to a million by end of next year. Mothers of all nationalities can be seen striding through local malls and shopping complexes, with one or two children in tow and a uniformed maid bringing up the rear.

Does every single child need their own nanny? Is this culture of maids a way of showing off or a means for parents of shirking their responsibilities?

Having a domestic helper is no simple matter. It involves important legal, financial and humanitarian issues. Thankfully the Kuwait government issued a new set of labor laws providing clear guidelines for domestic helpers. But too many people continue to break the law which absolutely guarantees at the minimum:

- 30 days paid leave per year

- No more than 12 hours work per day

- End of service indemnity of one monthly salary for EACH year worked

- Flight tickets home

These laws, enacted in 2015, continue to be ignored by many in society. Yet at the same time, more and more domestic helpers are being brought in to work. Enforcement of the domestic labor law remains limited and many sponsors withhold maids' passports, don't provide a day off or fail to pay indemnity at the end of the contract.

There is also the gross act of 'selling' a maid - essentially asking for a transfer fee even after the helper has worked the contract period for the sponsor. This is illegal and considered human trafficking and it must stop. The government must outlaw the practice and put measures in place to prevent it.

The practice of selling maids is tied directly to the high costs of recruitment, with some agencies charging upwards of KD 1,600 for a helper.

That may change in coming days with the advent of a new government-owned maid agency and an expected influx of more domestic labor. The Indian embassy has also dropped a required security deposit, opening the door for more helpers from India.

The result may be a reduction in recruiting fees. This can be a good thing for families in need of help. But it can also be abused and I ask that the government consider limiting the number of maids per family to one or two at the most.

The government should also make people aware of their obligations toward their help and also provide assistance to domestic servants who have been abused, mistreated or otherwise exploited. Embassies can also help by making sure their citizens are aware of their rights and obligations when coming to work in Kuwait.

Everyone deserves the dignity of honest work and honest pay and of being treated fairly.

By Muna Al-Fuzai

[email protected]