‘I Was Going to Starve’: A Story of Trafficking and Escape in Kuwait

This article originally appeared on the Women & Girls Hub of News Deeply, and you can find the original here. For important news about issues that affect women and girls in the developing world, you can sign up to the Women & Girls Hub email list. By Sally Nyakanyanga

A recent case has shed light on the number of young women being trafficked from Zimbabwe to Kuwait. One woman tells of how, desperate for work, she ended up being sold to a family and trapped in a cycle of exploitation and abuse.

After finishing her secondary education, Hazvinei Garanowako had tried to find a job but with no luck. Instead, she found herself looking for menial tasks to make some money. Then a friend’s mother told Garanowako, now 24, that she could get her a job in Kuwait, with the visa costs and airfare paid for. “It was a relief to hear that the lowest I could be paid was $750 working in a hotel,” says Garanowako.

She left for Kuwait with dreams of finally moving out of the cramped one-room home she shared with her parents and two other siblings. But her hopes were short lived. When Garanowako arrived at the airport in Kuwait, she and some other African women were instructed to wait in a separate line at passport control. Then they were taken to a storeroom where they waited for more than 10 hours, she says. Eventually, a woman came and took Garanowako to a car waiting outside the airport.

“I was told harshly to get in as the woman exchanged money and my travel documents with an Arab man,” she says. She was taken to the man’s house and put to work as a housemaid, along with seven other women from the Philippines, Ghana and India. They worked 23 hours a day, serving the family and cleaning the 15-room house. Garanowako says if she stopped to take a break, the wife would beat her. She was forced to survive on leftovers that she secretly ate in the bathroom. “I had to lie to [the family] that I needed to take a bath so they would switch off the camera in the bathroom for me to eat,” Garanowako says. “If I didn’t do that, I was going to starve.”

A month into her ordeal, Garanowako managed to find a cellphone to call her mother, Evas Mututa. Mututa gave her daughter the address of the Zimbabwean embassy in Kuwait, but to get there, Garanowako first had to steal some clothes to disguise herself as a local. “Luckily, I found a taxi and managed to reach our embassy, which later helped me come back home,” she says.

The plight of young Zimbabwe women trafficked into servitude in Kuwait came to light recently, when Zimbabwe’s ambassador wrote a letter pleading with the government to tackle the issue.

Grey Marongwe, the Zimbabwean ambassador to Kuwait, wrote to Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May, saying that the embassy was getting around 10 calls a day from Zimbabwean maids asking for help to escape their employees. “The maids issue has escalated to unprecedented levels,” said the letter. “From the 15 maids we reported in our first letter [dated October 2015], numbers have swelled to more than a hundred.”

According to Marongwe, unsuspecting job seekers are promised high salaries, free air tickets and free accommodation, only to realize on arrival in Kuwait that they have been sold into servitude. The maids have their passports confiscated and are forced to stay with their employers for at least two years.

After lobbying efforts from the embassy and various civil society organizations, the government has stepped in to help bring home 120 trafficking victims so far. Seven of the traffickers were arrested, and have since been released on bail.

Garanowako knows that, despite her ordeal, she’s one of the lucky ones. According to officials, there are more than 300 Zimbabwean girls who have been trafficked to Kuwait and are still trapped there. Zimbabwe, once the breadbasket of the region, is struggling to keep its people fed and employed. Severe drought – which the World Food Programme says will leave around 4.1 million Zimbabweans in need of food aid by January 2017 – a liquidity crunch, and high levels of unemployment and poverty have forced many to flee the country in search of jobs.

“Trafficking is a big issue, not only in Africa but globally,” says Lily Sanya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) chief of mission in Zimbabwe. “It is a clandestine practice which has been made easy by globalization.”

The IOM has said forced labor is a global business worth $150 billion a year, and the International Labour Organization estimates that about 55 percent of trafficked victims are women, while 26 percent are children. Exact figures are hard to come by, but according to the U.S. Department of State 2016 report on trafficking in persons, Zimbabwean women are being lured to South Africa, China and the Middle East, among other countries. The report puts Kuwait on its Tier 2 watch list, meaning the state does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. It reveals that domestic employees work on average 14 to 16 hours a day while employers retain 80 to 90 percent of the workers’ wages. Some Kuwait employers also monitor and confine the workers, who are often in poor health due to lack of adequate nutrition and healthcare, according to the report.

When Women & Girls Hub approached the Kuwait embassy in Zimbabwe for comment, we were told there was no one available to speak on the issue.

In March, former Kuwait ambassador to Zimbabwe Ahmed al-Jeeran was implicated as the ring leader in the trafficking syndicate that trapped Garanowako and other girls, accused of advertizing vacancies for non-existent nursing jobs in Kuwait in the local press. Jeeran was allegedly working with his secretary, Brenda Avril May, who is accused of being the contact person, as well as organizing airfare and visa arrangements, for trafficked women. Both Jeeran and May deny any wrongdoing.

Contacted by Women & Girls Hub for comment, May said, “I will not talk on that issue of trafficking,” and referred us to her lawyer. The cases of all those implicated are still pending in court, with possible sentences of up to two years in prison to be issued if they end in convictions.

While Zimbabwe has helped trafficking victims escape their dire situations, the women say support ends almost as soon as they get back home. When Garanowako returned to Zimbabwe, she spoke to a counselor the day she arrived, but has had no follow up since. She and the other women who were repatriated were given $100 and some groceries. Kindness Paradza, chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, says the government is working with partners such as the IOM to assist victims of trafficking to start income-generating projects.

But the negative impact of Garanowako’s experience in Kuwait is more complicated than an empty bank account. Her mother, Mututa, says that, ever since her daughter left for Kuwait, the family home has been wracked with distrust and conflict. “When I got news that the girls were trafficked to Kuwait, l was heavily traumatized,” says Mututa. “On the other hand, her father accuses me of leading Hazvinei into trafficking.”

Slow Progress on Ending ‘Legacy of Slavery’ for Domestic Workers

This article originally appeared on the Women & Girls Hub of News Deeply, and you can find the original here. For important news about issues that affect women and girls in the developing world, you can sign up to the Women & Girls Hub email list. By Jan Powell

As demand for home help increases around the world, the number of countries adopting laws to protect domestic workers continues to grow. But their abuse and exploitation won’t stop without a fundamental change in social attitudes, say advocates.

When Pavitra left her family and four children in Nepal to go to Oman as a domestic worker, she had high hopes that the job would provide the money her family needed for medical bills. Her sisters had gone abroad before and returned safely with a modest income. But Pavitra’s experience was different. “I would wake at six in the morning and I’d go to sleep at 1 or 2 in the morning,” she says, through a translator. “For breakfast, we had bread and tea and then at four in the afternoon we’d get one meal.”

Then one night, the husband came into the room she was cleaning, shut the door and raped her, threatening to shoot her if she told his wife. Pavitra did tell her employer, who refused to believe her and instead took her to the police, accusing her of seducing her husband. Pavitra was locked up for three months, without access to a lawyer, before she was finally sent back to Nepal. She did not go back to her family, fearing blame and stigma. “If my family, especially my husband, finds out, they will abandon me,” she says.

At least 67 million people worldwide are employed in the home – cooking, cleaning, caring for the very young and the very old. The vast majority of these domestic workers are women who, isolated and hidden away in private homes, are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. According to the Geneva-based International Labour Organization (ILO), around 90 percent of domestic workers lack even the most basic protection afforded to most factory or office workers.

It was to try to improve conditions for domestic workers that the ILO’s Convention on Domestic Workers was adopted in 2011, setting global standards and conditions for the employment of home help. Five years on, 70 countries have taken action on Convention 189, as it is known, with 22 ratifying it, 30 adopting it and a number of others upgrading their own national legislation in line with the convention’s recommendations. But have the laws made any difference to the lives of domestic workers on the ground?

According to Claire Hobden, ILO technical specialist on vulnerable workers and domestic work, who was involved in drafting the convention, it has done some good. The convention has raised awareness of the rights of domestic workers, she says, and has encouraged the creation of many more grassroots organizations to fight for those rights and contribute to law and policy development. In 2012, Uruguay became the first country to ratify Convention 189 and now has some of the most advanced legislation in the world to protect its estimated 120,000 domestic workers. This has led to wage rises, compensation for night work, and paid holidays. A government-led, country-wide campaign has also contributed to an increase in social security coverage for domestic workers. “The percentage of domestic workers registered for social security increased very significantly following the interventions of the government,” says Hobden.

Hobden says the convention has also prompted some countries to modify their own laws to raise standards. Morocco – which voted to adopt the convention but hasn’t yet ratified it – is one of the latest countries to bring in new legislation to protect domestic workers, setting 18 as the minimum age for employment, requiring a contract of work and a minimum of one day off each week, and imposing financial penalties on employers who break the law.

But there are still many countries – particularly in regions such as the Middle East, the Far East and parts of Asia – where domestic work is largely excluded from national laws. And even where relevant legislation does exist, such as anti-trafficking laws, it is often poorly enforced.

In what Marzena Zukowska, spokeswoman for the U.S.-based National Domestic Workers Alliance, describes as a “two-fold care crisis,” shifting employment patterns, with more mothers choosing to go to work, and an aging population mean the demand for domestic services is increasing worldwide. Many domestic workers live in abysmal, humiliating conditions. Frequently dependent on their employers for food and housing, domestic workers’ meals can consist of leftovers and their living quarters limited to cramped rooms at the back of the house.

Migrants, who make up around 17 percent of domestic workers, are particularly vulnerable. In some areas – including the United States, the Middle East and parts of Europe – migrant workers who have complained about their living conditions have lost their jobs, had their visas withdrawn and ended up in prison for being in the country illegally, according to Hobden. “I remember one woman in the U.S. who had her passport and her shoes taken away from her to prevent her leaving the house – this can happen almost anywhere,” she says.

Abuse, too, is common, with domestic workers describing a range of psychological and physical violence – from verbal abuse to beatings, sexual harassment and rape – usually happening behind closed doors and rarely reported.

While strong, effective legislation is an essential tool for change, improving the lives of domestic workers requires a fundamental evolution in the attitudes of those who employ them, say activists. “Too many people don’t see ‘housework’ as real work. They believe that providing food and accommodation is adequate payment,” says Hobden.

Work in the home traditionally goes unpaid in many cultures, or in return for food and lodging. This “master-servant” relationship, which activists say is just a modern version of slavery, is widely accepted in countries where the notion of an employment relationship with labor rights is relatively new.

“You hear about the murders, the scalding by boiling water, the severe beatings, but that sets a very low bar,” says Hobden. “Other employers may think, ‘I’m a good employer because I don’t beat my help.’ But that’s not enough.” For Convention 189 to do its job properly, activists, rights groups and governments need to focus on changing the way both employers and workers think about domestic work. “We need to raise the bar,” says Hobden. “We need to change that social norm.”

‘SOLD’ sheds light on global issue of human trafficking

‘SOLD’ sheds light on global issue of human trafficking

The fastest-growing product for sale in the world isn’t a crop, oil or even new technology. It’s children.

Twelve-year-old Lakshmi, whose story is told in Patricia McCormick’s award-winning novel “SOLD” and in a heartbreaking new movie by the same name—being released in the United States April 1—represents just one of 3 million children lost to human trafficking each year. We talked to the film’s director and producer, who have been working tirelessly over the last few years to shed a light on this issue abroad and at home.

Sold into slavery Lakshmi’s story is one of despair and hope, as it follows her from her village in Nepal, to being sold into a brothel in India, and her fight for freedom.

Countless children—typically girls about 13 years old—are taken from their villages, often by someone they trust. They are promised better lives and the chance to work in the city, and instead, are sold into brothels.

Directed by Academy- and Emmy-award winner Jeffrey D. Brown, produced by Jane Charles and executive produced by two-time Academy Award-winner Emma Thompson; “SOLD” has started a campaign to bring more awareness to the issue of commercially and sexually exploited children–from Southeast Asia to the crew’s own backyard in Seattle.

Putting Faces to an Issue It’s been a learning journey for Brown and Charles, who optioned the book seven years ago and have been researching trafficking, meeting survivors and advocating for victims ever since.

‘SOLD’ sheds light on global issue of human trafficking

“Making this film broke my heart. I met about 2,000 survivors of the sex trade,” says Brown, who plans to use the film as a vehicle for activism and awareness raising around the world. They have already partnered with Childreach International to launch the #TaughtNotTrafficked campaign, which aims to child trafficking in Nepal through education and keeping children in school.

Brown and Charles met with non-governmental organizations during writing and filming the movie to learn more about the global issue of child trafficking.

“We learned so much about the issue just from the NGOs and experiencing firsthand the stories of all these girls,” says Charles.

Once they had cast the movie–including Niyar Saikia, who plays Lakshmi and turned 13 during filming–they took the cast to meet survivors as well. Sushmita Mukherjee; who plays Mumtaz, a madam; was introduced to a madam in a brothel in India.

“Everyone on the film really dove in and spent some time with it because they cared; they wanted it to be very authentic,” Charles says. “Niyar got it right away.”

‘SOLD’ sheds light on global issue of human trafficking

Star Power It was an issue and project that touched Emma Thompson, and the star was eager to sign on.

“Because of ‘SOLD’s’ marvelous script and courageous and brilliant cast, it is a story that we can all watch–so that we may understand the processes of slavery in modern India and feel able to act without feeling the kind of rage and hopelessness that gets in the way of doing anything,” Thompson says.

Actress Gillian Anderson–known for her work in “X-Files,” “Last King of Scotland” and more–plays Sophia, whose character is based on photographer Lisa Kristine, whose photography has helped expose slavery and other human rights issues around the world.

“Working on this sensitively told film and with young women who have themselves experienced the unbelievable trauma of trafficking has opened my eyes to the horrors these young people face on a daily basis as well as the often life threatening danger those working at the charities put themselves in to free these innocent victims from modern day slavery,” says Anderson. “We also need to work on tackling the causes of trafficking. Education is key, which is why I’m proud to support the #TaughtNotTrafficked campaign with Childreach International.”

‘SOLD’ sheds light on global issue of human trafficking

Taking Action Human trafficking can seem overwhelming, but “SOLD’s” lens on Lakshmi as she struggles to maintain her humanity and escape from the brothel helps audiences connect to the issue.

“We’ve always looked at the movie as a tool for change and a large entry point to the issue of human trafficking. And then what we want to provide with our outreach as we release the film, is a way for people to engage in their own communities, a way for them to find out more information, a way for them to tell other people about the film, which we’ll do in many different ways,” says Charles. The film, which has been translated into 32 different languages, is already helping to raise awareness.

In the same way, the “SOLD” team is working to make addressing the issue of trafficking–globally and in the United States–more accessible to community members.

“Listening is important,” Charles says. “In the United States, every community is different so you’ll really need to find out what services are already there, what’s needed, by the service providers, so they can better serve the commercially sexually exploited children of that community, and then find a way to provide that.

Their journey has led Charles and Brown to found Stolen Youth, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed in Washington State, to support commercially sexually exploited children through advocacy and fundraising. The group has raised about $800,000 annually at its luncheons and works with efforts like Seattle’s Organization for Prostitution Survivors. They also support creating safe spaces for survivors, educating and vocationally training girls to keep them out of prostitution or vulnerable positions, and changing laws so girls can be better protected.

Educating Communities Human trafficking, while a problem in every country, looks very different depending on the community. In the United States, girls aren’t tricked and kidnaped into brothels–however, pimps prey upon runaways and abused teens at places like malls. Girls will be coerced by older men they believe to be their “boyfriends”–and by the time they discover the truth, they’re often too ashamed or trapped to escape.

There are some similarities. In all cases, education can increase a girl’s chance of staying out of prostitution by 80 percent. In all cases, the average age a girl is first trafficked is 13 years old. And in all cases, raising awareness and changing the conversation to care for and listen to girls helps.

“Things are changing,” Charles says. “It used to be that 14-year-old prostitutes were seen as criminals. Now with a lot of work on the part of the NGOs and senators like Jeanne Kohl-Welles in Seattle, laws are changing and also the police officers are getting educated about human trafficking, so that when they bring in a young girl, an underage prostitute, they understand that she’s a victim.”

Education is crucial—for girls and young women so they can take the lead in their own lives, and for communities, men and women everywhere.

“It’s really important for us to educate the boys early that it’s not OK to marginalize girls and objectify girls. And education both for boys and girls on this issue is important,” says Charles.

It’s a hopeful approach, and one that can be seen in the movie, where throughout her ordeal, Lakshmi doesn’t lose her spirit or determination.

“That was really important to us, Charles says. “That there’s hope; there’s a way out, and people can see that the human spirit isn’t broken in this situation. It’s such a horrible place to be, but when these girls do get out, when they’re back in their own community or they’re back in a shelter and with kids their own age, you see them coming back and you see that they really are just kids.”

from video-yellow

Learn more

“SOLD” the Movie“SOLD” on Facebook“SOLD” on Twitter

Stolen YouthStolen Youth on Facebook

Childreach International

Childreach Nepal

OPS: Organization for Prostitution Survivors

Uganda's anti-child trafficking campaign goes to schools

This story from The Christian Science Monitor, via the Thomson Reuters Foundation, follows a group of volunteers who hope to use reading and raising awareness to help provide opportunities to children and fight the demand for child trafficking. Child prostitution, which can affect girls as well as boys, is often best fought by educating the children--and their communities. Read more below and click through for the full story. csmonitor.com - KAMPALA, Uganda — In a remote corner of Uganda a team of American volunteers are distributing books to children. But this is no ordinary literacy drive; their aim is to protect children at risk of being trafficked into prostitution, forced labor, and even for use in sacrifices.

Their work is part of a project by the Interior Ministry's anti-human-trafficking task force to reach out to poor communities vulnerable to child trafficking by promoting literacy.

Children in Uganda are trafficked and forced to work in cattle herding, stone quarrying, and brick making. Girls and boys are lured from poor families in rural areas to the city and exploited in prostitution, or abducted to fight in rebel ranks, said Agnes Igoye, deputy national coordinator of the task force.

Another abuse plaguing Uganda is the trafficking of children for sacrifice in rituals some Ugandans think bring wealth and power. Children are also trafficked abroad for adoption, domestic work, or sexual exploitation.

The distribution of books, supported by the U.S.-based charity Books for Africa, is a strategy of "prevention is better than cure," she said.

Read the rest here.