Phillip Nelson
US Embassy Charge d’Affaires
This day, June 16 marks the eighth anniversary of the International Labor Organization’s Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. It is a day celebrated worldwide as International Domestic Worker Day.
Two years after the passage of Qatar’s domestic worker bill, Law No. 15 of 2017, the United States remains a strong supporter of Qatar’s ongoing efforts to provide greater protections for domestic workers.
Domestic workers are one of the most vulnerable groups in every country and continue to face long working hours and discrimination even in developed countries like the United States.
In fact, we in the United States know the challenges of trying to provide adequate protections for domestic workers better than most. Last year the NGO National Domestic Workers Alliance released a report based on interviews with over 500 domestic workers working near the southern border of the United States.
In the report, 24% of surveyed workers said that they were paid less than was agreed upon for their work and 19% reported being physically abused by their employer or someone in the employer’s household. Like in Qatar, the primary labor law does not protect domestic workers in the United States and so ensuring their rights can be challenging.
Domestic workers are often viewed as family members, both here and in the United States. For that reason, it is even more important that we adopt laws and enforcement mechanisms that ensure domestic workers receive respect, dignity, and the same rights as everyone else.
On behalf of the US government, I would like to commend His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani for his reform-minded focus on human rights. He has set the agenda, and it is his vision that is driving these positive changes in Qatar. All of us look forward to Qatar’s planned removal of exit permit requirements for all workers, including domestic workers, before the end of 2019. Qataris should feel proud of the progress achieved so far and look forward with excitement to these important changes still to come.
The United States is honored to be working with our Qatari friends to tackle this problem and exchange experiences. Through our bilateral Anti-Trafficking MOU signed last year and the bilateral Labor MOU signed this year, our two countries are working shoulder to shoulder to find appropriate solutions and improve access to justice in both of our countries.
As International Domestic Worker Day approaches, it is a perfect reminder that we all owe a great debt of gratitude to our household staff who do so much for us and our families.
