Mariaam Bhatti: Tales of a Domestic Worker
As International Women’s Day approaches on 8 March, a year after celebrating a century of achievements, one has to acknowledge the progress that we, and those before us, have made when in relation to demanding and fighting for our rights as women.
It may sound like we are collectively fighting for the same cause, but to this day many marginalised women remain at the end of the tail as far as rights are concerned. Just a few weeks ago I read a story about an Indian diplomat who was given the option to leave the US and avoid trial for allegedly exploiting her domestic worker. She chose to leave the country, even though it meant leaving her family behind.
While it was very brave of the domestic worker in question to speak out and demand her rights, let’s not ignore that her rights were undermined by her employer being insulated from the consequences of her alleged actions by diplomatic immunity; rather than face the music, this person took the easy way out, even sacrificing her own family ties in the process. And without a trial, we would soon forget this situation ever happened.
This kind of thing worries me greatly. We were denied seeing this diplomat stand trial like any other person would be, not only on the charge of exploitation but for fraudulently acquiring a visa for her maid. But the authorities let her walk, allowing this person to exploit rules designed to prevent diplomats from being used as political pawns, not allow them to break other countries’ laws without sanction.
But at least in this case, this diplomat was forced into a corner. Compare to a recent situation here in Ireland, where a South African diplomat who was said to have paid her domestic worker as little as €1.60 an hour has the nerve to defend herself by claiming that was three times more than what that worker would have earned in South Africa.
I despaired at the thought that this lady may not even realise there was something wrong with what she had done, or how she had wronged her employee. What’s more, and just like what happened with the Indian diplomat, there were even protests back home over how such a ‘respected’ upper middle class, educated woman could be held to account over exploiting someone considered of a lower class.
I’m so greatly saddened by this, and it makes me wonder and repeatedly ask myself why some people think they have some kind of inherent superiority over others they consider inferior. Why does it never seem to touch their hearts if they cause suffering to another human being?
I am also keen to learn what the Government will do over exploitation of workers by diplomats in the future. It would be so disturbing to see our politicians put business relations before people’s basic human rights, even if those with whom they sit at the table, negotiating deals and building trade relations, are the very people openly infringing the rights of those working for them in their homes.
Mariaam Bhatti is a member of the Domestic Workers Action Group and Forced Labour Action Group of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland.
