KOCHI: Exclusion of migrant domestic helps from the scope of labour laws in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is a major impediment to protecting the rights of these hapless workers, according to a recent study by the Centre for Socio-economic and Environmental Studies (CSES), Kochi.
Domestic helps, mostly women, have been left in the lurch, citing that domestic work cannot be regulated without violating the privacy of the employers’ household and the honour of their family. Moreover, all GCC countries have weak inspection and dispute resolution mechanisms that hamper the basic entitlements of migrant domestic, notes the study, titled ‘Migration of Women Domestic Workers from Kerala to the Gulf: Challenges and Policy Options’. It also highlights that pre-departure, skill-based training should be provided to women who seek to migrate as domestic workers, says CSES fellow Rakkee Thimothy.