More than 1.7 million Sri Lankans now work abroad, and nearly 600,000 are housemaids… In Saudi Arabia, the most common destination, they call Sri Lanka “the country of housemaids.”
Fifteen to 20 percent of the 120,000 (approx) Sri Lankan women who leave each year for the Gulf return prematurely, face abuse, nonpayment of salary, or get drawn into illicit human trafficking schemes or prostitution.
[Presentation does not contain the images of the women because of permission issues.

Tidball, Sriyani

English

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Third Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking, 2011 Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking at the University of Nebraska 2011 MIGRATION OF SRI LANKAN WOMEN AS HOUSEMAIDS TO THE MIDDLE EAST Sriyani Tidball University of Nebraska - Lincoln, mtidball3@unl.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/humtraffconf3  Part of the Inequality and Stratification Commons Tidball, Sriyani, "MIGRATION OF SRI LANKAN WOMEN AS HOUSEMAIDS TO THE MIDDLE EAST" (2011). Third Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking, 2011. 12. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/humtraffconf3/12 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking at the University of Nebraska at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Third Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking, 2011 by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. UNSAFE MIGRATION OF  SRI LANKAN WOMEN AS HOUSEMAIDS TO THE MIDDLE EAST SRIYANI TIDBALL FACT More than 1.7 million Sri Lankans now work abroad, and nearly 600,000 are housemaids… In Saudi Arabia, the most common destination, they call Sri Lanka “the country of housemaids.” FACT Fifteen to 20 percent of the 120,000 (approx) Sri Lankan women who leave each year for the Gulf return prematurely, face abuse, nonpayment of  salary, or get drawn into illicit human trafficking schemes or prostitution. Hundreds of housemaids have become pregnant, often after rapes, producing children who, until Sri Lanka’s Constitution was recently amended, were Stateless because their fathers were foreigners.  LABOR MARKET FOR SRI LANKAN MAIDS Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, U.A.E. and Jordan were the major labor receiving countries that have captured over 86% of the Sri Lankan foreign workers. Their work contracts do not fall under labor laws but under the jurisdiction of immigration authorities.  FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS     Foreign exchange earnings show that these employees earned Rs. 382,801 Million in 2009 which was 47.03% of total foreign exchange earnings of Sri Lanka. A very large source of income for the Government of Sri Lanka.    According to Reuters Sri Lanka received $2.5 billion from workers’ remittances in 2008 and $3.4 billion in 2009. IN 2009 Departures of workers for foreign employment: 247,119 Female participation was 51.73%, out of total departures 89% of total female migrant workers that left Sri Lanka went as housemaids The number of licensed foreign employment agencies in Sri Lanka increased from 626 to 646 182 raids on illegal recruiting agencies      COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY SLBFE The number of complaints received in 2009 from women working as housemaids increased by 2,402 complaints, 4.88% of recruitment.  Recorded Harassment Complaints (Physical and Sexual) 2005 – 1,949 2006 -  1,765 2007 – 997 2008 – 1,188  Source: Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY SLBFE 2009 Complaints: 12,061 – 78% females Physical and sexual harassment: 96% female Not sent back at the end of contract:92% female Not payment of agreed wages: 81% female Breach of contract: 62% female  Source: Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment  COMPLAINTS BY COUNTRY Country 2007 2008 2009 M F Total M F Total M F Total KSA 424 3343 3747 662 3534 4196 1232 4564 5796 Kuwait 70 1486 1556 234 1820 2054 259 2097 2356 Jordan 12 833 845 54 950 1004 37 1190 1227 UAE 193 510 703 272 549 821 399 599 998 Qatar   338 114 452 418 137 555 440 209 649 Source SLFBE (2009) DEATHS OF HOUSEMAIDS Number of deaths reported during the year 2009 was 333. An increase by 4.88% over 2008.   Analysis of the most recent 340 deaths Accidental: 277 Homicide: 50 Suicide: 13  Source: Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment  KUWAIT KUWAIT - Nearly 2,000 women domestic workers every year since the liberation of Kuwait in 1991 have fled the homes of abusive employers. These women are mainly from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and India. They report patterns of rape and physical assault, with debt bondage and illegal confinement being common.  Human Rights Watch Global Report on Women's Human Rights KUWAIT (TIER 3) Kuwait is a destination country for men and women  trafficked for the purposes of forced labor. The majority of trafficking victims are from among the over 500,000 foreign women recruited for domestic service work in Kuwait … Adult female migrant workers are particularly vulnerable, and consequently are often victims of sexual exploitation and forced prostitution.  Extracted from U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June 2009  SAUDI ARABIA Foreign embassies continued to receive many reports that employers abused foreign women working as domestic servants. Some embassies of countries with large domestic servant populations maintained safe houses to which their citizens may flee to escape work situations that included forced confinement, withholding of food, nonpayment of salaries, beating and other physical abuse, and rape.  Extracted from U.S. State Dept, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 2005   SAUDI ARABIA The story of Ariyawathi – doctors removed 13 nails and five needles from her body – leaving nine nails in her body http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge9dyWzxDAs  The story of Rizana Nafeek on death row The story of Padma The story of Chandragani REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF REMITTANCES (BILLIONS OF UNITED STATES DOLLARS)                                                      1990    1995    2001    2002   2003 East Asia and Pacific                   3.0       9.9      13.7     17.0    17.6 Europe and Central Asia            3.2       5.6      10.2     10.3    10.4 Latin America and Caribbean   5.7       12.9    22.9      26.8   29.6 Middle East and North Africa   11.4     10.0   13.2      13.0   13.0 South Asia                                     5.6      10.0   13.1      16.9   18.2 Sub-Saharan Africa                      1.5       2.7      3.9        4.1     4.1 Total                                              30.4    51.2     77.1     88.1    93.0  Source: International Monetary Fund, and World Bank, “Global monitoring report 2004: policies and actions for achieving the MDGs and related outcomes.” (DC2004-0006) (Washington, D.C., 2004). DEPARTURES FOR FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT SRI LANKA 1997 - 2007  Year         Male            No. %    Female      No. %        Total 1997        37,552          24.99    112,731    75.01        150,283 1998        53,867          33.71    105,949    66.29        159,816 1999        63,720          35.45    116,015    64.55        179,735 2000        59,793          32.82    122,395    67.18        182,188 2001        59,807         32.50     124,200    67.50        184,007 2002        70,522         34.61     133,251   65.39         203,773 2003        74,508         35.51     135,338   64.49         209,846 2004        80,699         37.59     134,010   62.41         214,709 2005        93,896         40.60     137,394   59.40         231,290 2006        90,170         44.65     111,778   55.35         201,948 2007      102,629          47.23    114,677    52.77         217,306  Source: Information Technology Division-Airport Survey-SLBFE 1992-1993   MANPOWER LEVEL Manpower Level      Male       Female          Total Professional Level    12,200       2,550            14,750 Middle Level             36,500      10,000           46,500 Clerical & Related    59,300      11,780           71,080 Skilled                      260,400    107,100        367,500 Semi Skilled                 3,100            235           3,335 Unskilled                 250,800       77,990       328,790 Housemaids                               810,500       810,500 Total                         622,300  1,020,155    1,642,455  Source: Information Technology Division-Airport Survey-SLBFE MORE INFORMATION About 40% of the migrants do not face difficulties 40% have difficulties not related to trafficking 20% at the mercy of traffickers   Source: Rural Development Foundation Sri Lanka MORE INFORMATION A mid-2009 survey states about housemaid returnees to Sri Lanka 48% were assaulted by someone from the employer’s household 52% were not paid the promised salary 84% were not paid for their overtime work  Source: TIP(2010) U.S. Dept of State INTERVIEWED WOMEN AFTER THEIR EMPLOYMENT AS HOUSEMAIDS THE COST OF GETTING THE JOB DID YOU HAVE ANY TIME OFF EACH WEEK EMPLOYERS RETAINS TRAVEL DOCUMENTS KNEW ILL-TREATED SRI LANKAN MAIDS COMING BACK TO SRI LANKA MADE MONEY AS A HOUSEMAID DID THIS HELP YOUR FAMILY IOM AND CENWOR Due to interpretation: Professor of Law, and head of CENWOR Savithri Gunasekera says human trafficking law needs to be reformed for they cannot conclude that Sri Lanka’s migrant women are being trafficked. SOCIAL UPHEAVAL WITHOUT A MOTHER AT HOME Families become dysfunctional Lack a mother’s care and love Money gets used before the mother returns Husband starts drinking or becomes unfaithful Increased incidents of incest Some teenage children get pregnant Some get abused Children drop out of school   MAKING A DIFFERENCE Two Catholic nuns (a German and a Sri Lankan)  lived in Jordan for 10 years and helped women in distress. They are trying to deter women from becoming housemaids. GOSL has recently made 21 minimum age, working on skills training, prosecuting illegal  employment agencies and policy reform Need more job opportunities in Sri Lanka NGO’s: WIN, ACTFORM, Heavena … The story of Indu THANK YOU                                Sriyani Tidball   

MIGRATION OF SRI LANKAN WOMEN AS HOUSEMAIDS TO THE MIDDLE EAST

UNL | Libraries

University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
Third Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on 
Human Trafficking, 2011 
Interdisciplinary Conference on Human 
Trafficking at the University of Nebraska 
2011 
MIGRATION OF SRI LANKAN WOMEN AS HOUSEMAIDS TO THE 
MIDDLE EAST 
Sriyani Tidball 
University of Nebraska - Lincoln, mtidball3@unl.edu 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/humtraffconf3 
 Part of the Inequality and Stratification Commons 
Tidball, Sriyani, "MIGRATION OF SRI LANKAN WOMEN AS HOUSEMAIDS TO THE MIDDLE EAST" (2011). 
Third Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking, 2011. 12. 
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/humtraffconf3/12 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking at 
the University of Nebraska at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in 
Third Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking, 2011 by an authorized administrator of 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 
UNSAFE 
MIGRATION 
OF  
SRI 
LANKAN 
WOMEN 
AS HOUSEMAIDS TO THE MIDDLE EAST 
SRIYANI TIDBALL 
FACT 
More than 1.7 million Sri Lankans now work abroad, and 
nearly 600,000 are housemaids… In Saudi Arabia, the most 
common destination, they call Sri Lanka “the country of 
housemaids.” 
FACT 
Fifteen to 20 percent of the 120,000 (approx) Sri 
Lankan women who leave each year for the Gulf 
return prematurely, face abuse, nonpayment of  
salary, or get drawn into illicit human trafficking 
schemes or prostitution. 
Hundreds of housemaids have become pregnant, 
often after rapes, producing children who, until Sri 
Lanka’s Constitution was recently amended, were 
Stateless because their fathers were foreigners.  
LABOR MARKET FOR 
SRI LANKAN MAIDS 
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, U.A.E. and 
Jordan were the major labor receiving countries 
that have captured over 86% of the Sri Lankan 
foreign workers. 
Their work contracts do not fall under labor laws 
but under the jurisdiction of immigration 
authorities. 
 
FOREIGN EXCHANGE 
EARNINGS 
    Foreign exchange earnings show that these employees 
earned Rs. 382,801 Million in 2009 which was 47.03% of total 
foreign exchange earnings of Sri Lanka. A very large source 
of income for the Government of Sri Lanka. 
   According to Reuters Sri Lanka received $2.5 billion from 
workers’ remittances in 2008 and $3.4 billion in 2009. 
IN 2009 
Departures of workers for foreign employment: 247,119 
Female participation was 51.73%, out of total departures 
89% of total female migrant workers that left Sri Lanka went 
as housemaids 
The number of licensed foreign employment agencies in Sri 
Lanka increased from 626 to 646 
182 raids on illegal recruiting agencies 
 
 
 
 
 
COMPLAINTS 
RECEIVED BY SLBFE 
The number of complaints received in 2009 from women 
working as housemaids increased by 2,402 complaints, 
4.88% of recruitment. 
 
Recorded Harassment Complaints (Physical and Sexual) 
2005 – 1,949 
2006 -  1,765 
2007 – 997 
2008 – 1,188 
 
Source: Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment 
COMPLAINTS RECEIVED 
BY SLBFE 2009 
Complaints: 12,061 – 78% females 
Physical and sexual harassment: 96% female 
Not sent back at the end of contract:92% female 
Not payment of agreed wages: 81% female 
Breach of contract: 62% female 
 
Source: Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment 
 
COMPLAINTS BY 
COUNTRY 
Countr
y 
2007 2008 2009 
M F Total M F Total M F Total 
KSA 424 3343 3747 662 3534 4196 1232 4564 5796 
Kuwa
it 
70 1486 1556 234 1820 2054 259 2097 2356 
Jorda
n 
12 833 845 54 950 1004 37 1190 1227 
UAE 193 510 703 272 549 821 399 599 998 
Qatar 
 
 
338 114 452 418 137 555 440 209 649 
Sour
ce 
SLF
BE 
(2009
) 
DEATHS OF 
HOUSEMAIDS 
Number of deaths reported during the year 
2009 was 333. An increase by 4.88% over 2008.  
 
Analysis of the most recent 340 deaths 
Accidental: 277 
Homicide: 50 
Suicide: 13 
 
Source: Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign 
Employment 
 
KUWAIT 
KUWAIT - Nearly 2,000 women domestic workers 
every year since the liberation of Kuwait in 1991 
have fled the homes of abusive employers. These 
women are mainly from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, 
Bangladesh, and India. They report patterns of rape 
and physical assault, with debt bondage and illegal 
confinement being common.  
Human Rights Watch Global Report on 
Women's Human Rights 
KUWAIT (TIER 3) 
Kuwait is a destination country for men and women  
trafficked for the purposes of forced labor. The 
majority of trafficking victims are from among the 
over 500,000 foreign women recruited for domestic 
service work in Kuwait … Adult female migrant 
workers are particularly vulnerable, and 
consequently are often victims of sexual 
exploitation and forced prostitution.  
Extracted from U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons 
Report, June 2009 
 
SAUDI ARABIA 
Foreign embassies continued to receive many reports that 
employers abused foreign women working as domestic 
servants. Some embassies of countries with large 
domestic servant populations maintained safe houses to 
which their citizens may flee to escape work situations 
that included forced confinement, withholding of food, 
nonpayment of salaries, beating and other physical 
abuse, and rape. 
 
Extracted from U.S. State Dept, Bureau of Democracy, Human 
Rights, and Labor 2005 
 
 
SAUDI ARABIA 
The story of Ariyawathi – doctors removed 13 nails and five 
needles from her body – leaving nine nails in her body 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge9dyWzxDAs 
 
The story of Rizana Nafeek on death row 
The story of Padma 
The story of Chandragani 
REGIONAL 
DISTRIBUTION OF 
REMITTANCES 
(BILLIONS OF UNITED 
STATES DOLLARS) 
                                                     1990    1995    2001    2002   2003 
East Asia and Pacific                   3.0       9.9      13.7     17.0    17.6 
Europe and Central Asia            3.2       5.6      10.2     10.3    10.4 
Latin America and Caribbean   5.7       12.9    22.9      26.8   29.6 
Middle East and North Africa   11.4     10.0   13.2      13.0   13.0 
South Asia                                     5.6      10.0   13.1      16.9   18.2 
Sub-Saharan Africa                      1.5       2.7      3.9        4.1     4.1 
Total                                              30.4    51.2     77.1     88.1    93.0 
 
Source: International Monetary Fund, and World Bank, “Global monitoring report 2004: policies 
and actions for achieving the MDGs and related outcomes.” (DC2004-0006) (Washington, D.C., 2004). 
DEPARTURES FOR 
FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT 
SRI LANKA 1997 - 2007 
 
Year         Male            No. %    Female      No. %        Total 
1997        37,552          24.99    112,731    75.01        150,283 
1998        53,867          33.71    105,949    66.29        159,816 
1999        63,720          35.45    116,015    64.55        179,735 
2000        59,793          32.82    122,395    67.18        182,188 
2001        59,807         32.50     124,200    67.50        184,007 
2002        70,522         34.61     133,251   65.39         203,773 
2003        74,508         35.51     135,338   64.49         209,846 
2004        80,699         37.59     134,010   62.41         214,709 
2005        93,896         40.60     137,394   59.40         231,290 
2006        90,170         44.65     111,778   55.35         201,948 
2007      102,629          47.23    114,677    52.77         217,306 
 
Source: Information Technology Division-Airport Survey-SLBFE 1992-1993 
 
 
MANPOWER LEVEL 
Manpower Level      Male       Female          Total 
Professional Level    12,200       2,550            14,750 
Middle Level             36,500      10,000           46,500 
Clerical & Related    59,300      11,780           71,080 
Skilled                      260,400    107,100        367,500 
Semi Skilled                 3,100            235           3,335 
Unskilled                 250,800       77,990       328,790 
Housemaids                               810,500       810,500 
Total                         622,300  1,020,155    1,642,455 
 
Source: Information Technology Division-Airport 
Survey-SLBFE 
MORE INFORMATION 
About 40% of the migrants do not face 
difficulties 
40% have difficulties not related to trafficking 
20% at the mercy of traffickers 
 
 
Source: Rural Development Foundation Sri Lanka 
MORE INFORMATION 
A mid-2009 survey states about housemaid 
returnees to Sri Lanka 
48% were assaulted by someone from the 
employer’s household 
52% were not paid the promised salary 
84% were not paid for their overtime work 
 
Source: TIP(2010) U.S. Dept of State 
INTERVIEWED WOMEN 
AFTER THEIR 
EMPLOYMENT AS 
HOUSEMAIDS 
THE COST OF 
GETTING THE JOB 
DID YOU HAVE ANY 
TIME OFF EACH WEEK 
EMPLOYERS RETAINS 
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS 
KNEW ILL-TREATED 
SRI LANKAN MAIDS 
COMING BACK TO SRI 
LANKA 
MADE MONEY AS A 
HOUSEMAID 
DID THIS HELP YOUR 
FAMILY 
IOM AND CENWOR 
Due to interpretation: Professor of Law, and 
head of CENWOR Savithri Gunasekera says 
human trafficking law needs to be reformed for 
they cannot conclude that Sri Lanka’s migrant 
women are being trafficked. 
SOCIAL UPHEAVAL 
WITHOUT A MOTHER AT 
HOME 
Families become dysfunctional 
Lack a mother’s care and love 
Money gets used before the mother returns 
Husband starts drinking or becomes unfaithful 
Increased incidents of incest 
Some teenage children get pregnant 
Some get abused 
Children drop out of school 
 
 
MAKING A 
DIFFERENCE 
Two Catholic nuns (a German and a Sri Lankan)  lived in 
Jordan for 10 years and helped women in distress. They are 
trying to deter women from becoming housemaids. 
GOSL has recently made 21 minimum age, working on skills 
training, prosecuting illegal  employment agencies and policy 
reform 
Need more job opportunities in Sri Lanka 
NGO’s: WIN, ACTFORM, Heavena … 
The story of Indu 
THANK YOU 
                               Sriyani Tidball 
 
 


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MIGRATION OF SRI LANKAN WOMEN AS HOUSEMAIDS TO THE MIDDLE EAST

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