From the outskirts of the “Lariguib” neighbourhood in the city of Nouadhibou (the coastal city, north of Mauritania), the story of “Salika Bent Saydati”, a -30-year-old lady, has begun. Her life changed after divorcing her husband, who left her with five children to whom she is the only breadwinner. After the death of her mother, she tried to look for a job so that she can provide her children with a livelihood. She tried her best to have a good job, however, she ended up working with the Chinese companies engaged in fishing, where she had to face the hard working conditions, like the exposure to extreme cold. Thus, she started looking for a better job.
" A lady who works as women's chief in a human rights organization called me and told me that there was an opportunity to work in Saudi Arabia and better my life through people I did not know and that I would get a big salary of SR 1000. The lady helped me get my passport and brought me to the agency. After completing the necessary procedures, a work contract was signed under which I had to do some housework in the Saudi Arabia Kingdom which is limited only to clean a small house without cooking or doing other housework. They also told me that a decent room would be available for me, where I can rest after work, but I was shocked as it was actually completely different, as all day long I worked in a big house without even having a bedroom ", she said.
All these circumstances cast doubt in “Salika”, but thinking about her children and her family, made her more patient to do the hard work and bear the bad conditions, until it came to sexual harassment. She sensed that there was something wrong going on, she contacted the agency and told them about what happened but they didn’t care. Worse than that, the sponsor tore the contract away and told her that the agency cheated on her.
After her insistence to leave the house, the agency owner sent her to one of his assistants in Saudi Arabia, who sent her to another agency, where she faced another shocking reality, she added: "I arrived at an office building. At first glance, I felt like they were trading me, which was confirmed by the second person who took me to my new job. They tried to force me to do some hard work but I refused, then, they imprisoned me in a room. Consequently, I contacted some Mauritanian activists to tell them about the miserable situation I was suffering in Saudi Arabia and I was waiting for the opportunity to escape. I succeeded in fleeing to the Embassy Complex, where I met with a group of victims, who were just like me."
The story of “Salika” is slightly different from the story of “Karmi Bent Doudou” (34 years old), who was jailed for refusing to obey those who claimed that they had paid large sums of money to bring her from Mauritania as a domestic worker.
"They told me that I’ll visit the holy sites where I could perform the Hajj, and that the working hours will not exceed more than four hours per day, and that I will get rest every 15 days. They told me that everything will be fine and that I’ll be able to make a good profit and help my children as I am their main breadwinner. I finished all the procedures in Ramadan 2015 and I travelled with 12 women. We were all domestic workers. However, I was shocked by a different reality. I was ill-treated, in addition to working long hours of hard work throughout the day. When I was sick and I did not receive any health care from my sponsor, who wanted me to work even in that condition" said “Karmi”.
Later, a complaint was filled against “Karmi” and some of the workers accusing them of not doing their job as required and they were forced to pay all the costs of their departure from their home country to the Kingdom, which confirmed that they were trading them like commodities. They asked
to return to Mauritania where the court in Riyadh ruled in their favour: to return their money, which was taken by the sponsor and release them.
Servants of 1000 SR
“Samouri Ould Bay”, the vice-chairman of the Elders’ Committee of the Haratins’ Charter (a civil initiative to defend the rights of slaves and former slaves in Mauritania) confirmed that they have evidence proving the sale of Haratins to Saudi Arabia with 1000 riyals, indicating that the Mauritanian authorities are involved in this process.
He added during a press conference on 28-04-2018 that they have all the evidences of the involvement of the government in the trading of the Haratins, expressing his surprise at the disregard of the Mauritanian embassy in Saudi Arabia towards these cases, closing its doors in front of the escapees from their homeowners.
He also pointed out that the Haratin women who went to Saudi Arabia were violated and lived in hell instead of the bliss that they were promoted of, stressing that instead of being regular workers they became servants and lived in conditions of slavery in the Saudi Arabia Kingdom.
The civil activist and coordinator of the people's initiative against the violation of the Haratins’ working women rights, in Saudi Arabia, Mr. “Al-Maaloum Ould Obeik” said that the launch of the popular initiative against the violation of the working women rights in Saudi Arabia was an important step in the advocacy of the victims of violations of workers' rights in Saudi Arabia. He added that this initiative represented the first step to support the issues of workers, who were living in a state of slavery, as they work 24/24 without specifying the nature of the work needed, thus going beyond the hard work:
* Cleaning the house (villa) in general
* Washing the clothes
* Dish washing
* Cooking
* Car washing
* Ironing
* Taking care of the elders and ill people
* Serving relatives and friends if necessary and without getting additional fees.
“Ould Obeid” confirmed that the brutal inhumane treatment of the Mauritanian workers in Saudi Arabia led them to flee out of fear of the inferno of domestic service in Saudi Arabia, as they were even accused of robbing and theft, in addition to violating their rights, and their loss of most of their financial dues. In fact, Saudi Arabia has become ‘the hell’ of the Mauritanian workers.
He also highlighted the manifestations of ‘this hell’, which prompted them to establish the popular initiative for the support of Mauritanian workers in Saudi Arabia, where he stressed the several violations, which prompted them to move quickly and they are represented in:
* The trafficking in domestic workers.
* Employment exploitation
* Physical and sexual abuse
* Forced confinement in the workplace.
* The absence of days off and a private room for accommodation, in addition to the violation and absence of the right of privacy and to use the telephone.
* The non-payment of their wages and depriving them from food and health care. In addition, making them work for long hours without taking a rest and make them look as hostages for the employers’ offices.
* The practice of the massive slavery on the working women in Saudi Arabia
* Excesses occurring in homes
* Trafficking in domestic workers and forcing them to work in miserable conditions close to slavery.
* All kinds of ill-treatment from intimidation, violence, contempt, insults, in addition to the bad and inappropriate living conditions.
After three years of the initiative and its success, according to “Ould Obeik”, in light of the suffering of the Mauritanian workers in Saudi Arabia, any agreement signed between Mauritania and Saudi Arabia in this field must take into account:
* The raising of the awareness of domestic workers about their rights and how to resort to the complaint through the establishment and development of awareness programs for employers, recruitment and employment offices and all the concerned parties in the receiving and exporting countries of employees, to define their role in protecting the rights of the working migrant women.
* In parallel with the vocational training, training courses are required for the Mauritanian workers by the Ministry of Labour to raise the awareness among the domestic workers about their rights and duties and the concerned parties, which provide them with protection and support.
* The development and support of the role of the media in raising awareness through programs that raise awareness of the importance of rights and duties in Saudi Arabia.
* To sanction employment agencies, those who have violated the rights of women workers.
* The amendment of the penal and disciplinary laws relating to the recruitment of workers and the importance of organizing a workshop involving former victims and the prosecution of those who committed criminal acts against them.
* The need to publish a copy of the contract for the employment of domestic workers to ascertain whether it conforms to international standards of human rights, women's rights and labour rights.
Agreement to bring domestic workers
Mauritania agreed with Saudi Arabia in last April to set up a unified labour contract for domestic workers and organize their recruitment. The agreement included several provisions, including:
* The employment of domestic workers should be through licensed offices or companies in both countries
* The deportation of domestic workers if they violate the terms of the contract,
* Organizing and controlling the recruitment costs in both countries.
* The agreement also warned employers, offices and recruitment companies in both countries from imposing fees or cutting the salaries of domestic workers for the costs of recruitment or employment and the imposition of any irregular deductions.
* To enable the parties of the contract to resort to the competent authorities in case of any contractual dispute in accordance with the laws and regulations.
* Taking legal measures against the offices or recruitment companies in case of any violation of laws, rules and regulations.
* Facilitating the execution of the employment contract between the domestic workers and employers.
* Establishing a 24-hour assistance mechanism for domestic workers.
* Facilitating the process of settling the cases of breach of the labour contract and other labour issues in front of the competent authorities
* The domestic worker, who is nominated for work should be trained in institutes or centres, which are specialized in domestic works, and should be educated about the customs and traditions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the nature of the terms and conditions of the contract of employment, in addition to the guidance of the nominated candidates to the need to adhere to the regulations, teachings, ethics and customs during their stay.
* Mauritania is committed to provide the qualified and medically fit labour required by the Kingdom in accordance with the requirements of the required job specifications, to monitor the standards of medical centres that conduct regular examinations and to ensure that domestic workers have no police record.
“Salika” remembers the most difficult moments she experienced, trying to wipe her tears away, she remembered when she was on the verge to be sold in the market, away from her children. Her dream of travel and work outside the country becomes almost impossible. For her, staying in poverty among her family is better than being in the sheds of modern slavery.
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