2m Asian maids in Gulf without legal cover

The study, reviewed by Gulf social affairs and labour ministers who met in Kuwait last week, also outlined the negative effects of the huge number of foreign domestic helpers on Gulf societies.

It was prepared by a joint Gulf body on the basis of official data supplied by member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The ministers approved a proposal to hold a forum to discuss specific measures to deal with problems facing domestic helpers, in addition to drafting legislation that would serve as a yardstick for member states.

The study, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, stated that domestic helpers are not governed by the labour laws in any of the six states. Only Kuwait has a special law for them but it has so far failed to curb abuses.

Bahrain extends the labour law to partially cover maids, while there is no solid form of legal protection, outside existing general legislation, in any of the remaining GCC members.

The study placed physical abuse and beating, in addition to sexual harassment and rape, at the top of a list of abuses to which domestic helpers are subjected.

Other problems include non-payment or delay in payment of salary and forcing them to do hard work and work long hours and at the weekend.

By the end of 2003, there were 812,000 domestic helpers in Saudi Arabia, 400,000 in Kuwait, 30,000 in Bahrain and 66,000 in Oman. The UAE had 450,000 domestics at the end of 2002, the last available figure, while Qatar did not reveal the number of maids it has.