 RESPECT Movement
|
|
| “Respect” demands family law and protection of migrant workers |
The Regional and International Director at the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society Samira Al Sada presented on Friday a petition to the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discriminations Against Women (CEDAW) panel.
The petition demands the immediate implementation of the family law and the allocation of a chapter in the labour law to protect migrant workers.
Samira praised the speech of the head of Bahrain’s official delegation Dr Shaikha bint Mariam Al Khalifa. She also reviewed her society’s CEDAW shadow report that was drafted by its Respect movement with the panel.
She highlighted the need for better legislations to deal with the hardships of children with unknown parents and women who are forced on prostitution as well as victims of human trafficking. She also discussed reformation of courts, police stations and general attorneys.
The report calls to train woman police to run female prisons and allocate special detention centers for female suspects and improve the living conditions of women detention centers. The report highlights the commitment of Respect movement to fight for the family law and rights of migrant workers.
The report also calls upon the government to take special measures for political empowerment of women, including the establishment of a national organisation to ensure full participation of women in politics.
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/ngos/HRWS_Bahrain.pdf
http://www.womengateway.com/enwg/News/2008/November/news0898.htm
|
| Laws to protect women urged |
|
By REBECCA TORR
A PETITION urging authorities to introduce a family law and a labour law to stop violence against women and protect expatriate workers was launched by a Bahrain human rights group yesterday.
More than 100 people have already signed the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) petition, which specifically requests the protection of women and children.
The petition was launched by the BHRWS' Respect Movement on the occasion of International Women's Day at the Philippine Embassy's Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Zinj.
Signatures will be collected until the end of the month and the petition will be presented to the UN, in Geneva, on April 7 at a meeting to discuss Bahrain's Universal Periodic Review. It will also be sent to the UN Human Rights Commission and international organisations.
BHRWS regional and international relations director Faisal Fulad said urgent action was needed from the Bahrain authorities because people were suffering.
'There are more than 55,000 expat domestic workers whose wages are around BD45 per month and who work more than 12 hours a day with no rest,' he said.
'Many who are running from abuse still have cases in court.
'The clerics have stopped the implementation of the family law for Sharia, but Bahrain joined the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2001. 'In October the UN will discuss the first CEDAW report that has been submitted by the Supreme Council for Women. We will also submit a shadow
report on this.
'There are many cases to address, for example there are many Bahraini women married to expats who are still waiting for their children to get citizenship and some are in a bad situation.'
BHRWS secretary-general Houda Nonoo said efforts from all sectors were needed to ensure that women, children and domestic workers had the rights they deserve.
Gender-based violence, she said, was a form of discrimination that seriously curbs women's ability to enjoy rights and freedoms on a basis of equality with men.
'We have to take appropriate measures, especially in the field of education and legislation, to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women and to eliminate prejudices, customary practices and other practices based on the idea of the inferiority or superiority of either of the sexes and on stereotyped roles for men and women.'
The petition was welcomed by female victims of abuse who are temporarily being housed at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration shelter and the women were the first to sign the petition.
'This law will ensure the basic rights of all mothers and their children and grant them dignity and respect in the society that they live in,' they said.
'It is important to include domestic workers under the labour law so they can also be assured of their basic rights.'
To electronically sign the petition, which remains open until the end of the month, go to www.bhrws.org.
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/story.asp?Article=211010&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30355
|
|
Message from women
|
|
‘Enact laws to protect our rights, freedoms’
Titus Filio
Contributor
Female workers of various nationalities yesterday joined a signature campaign launched by a human rights group to back their petition to the government for pro-women laws.
The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society launched the drive to mark International Women’s Day.
Society members and those of affiliate group, Respect, visited the Philippine embassy’s shelter for distressed workers and reiterated their stance that laws should be enacted to protect both Bahraini and expatriate women.
The shelter has dozens of Filipina housemaids who have absconded from employers, alleging exploitation.
“We urge the government to pass laws to protect Bahraini and expatriate women’s interests,” the society’s regional and international director, Faisal Fuladh, said.
“Respect is asking the government to enact Family Law and prevent violence against women and cover foreign housemaids under the labour law,” Fuladh said. “An estimated 60,000 foreign maids work in Bahrain but they are not protected.”
The petition, entitled ‘A Message from the Women of Bahrain’ will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on April 7 when the council will review Bahrain’s rights record.
The society also called on the communities to help stop “gender-based” violence. “Gender-based violence is a form of discrimination that seriously inhibits women’s ability to enjoy rights and freedoms on par with men,” the society’s secretary-general Houda Nonoo said. “This discrimination and violence also deprive women of their fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed under international and rights conventions,” she said. “We reject gender-based violence at home, at work, against domestic workers and economic or political discrimination against women,” Nonoo said
|
===================================
The 'Respect' Movement wich is under the umbrella of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) issued a Call to Government of Kingdom of Bahrain wich participating on January 21 and 22, in United Arab Emirates waich host the labor ministers in the latest round of the Colombo Process, a series of regional consultative meetings of government officials focused on issues relating to Asian contract migrant workers, on January 23 and 24, these discussions will continue in the Gulf Forum on Temporary Contractual Labor. This is the first time a labor-receiving country is hosting the Colombo Process.
in the Both labor-sending and labor-receiving countries benefit from migration, but abuse of workers' rights remains rampant. These abuses include recruitment-related deception, unpaid wages, confiscation of passports, and, in some instances, physical violence.
The 'Respect' Movement is under the umbrella of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society calling Government of Kingdom of Bahrain to yimplement key reforms, These include the following:
* Establish and enforce equal protection for domestic workers under labor laws. This includes provisions for at least one day off per week, limits to working hours, overtime pay, and other benefits. Outlining provisions for labor conditions through specialized employment contracts for domestic workers are not a substitute for equal protection under the law.
* Reform of the kafala (“sponsorship') visa system. Employment visas that tie workers to their employers make it difficult for workers to change employers, even in cases of abuse, and sometimes require them to obtain their employer's consent before leaving the country. Workers' visas should not be linked to employers.
* Implement stronger monitoring of labor-recruitment agencies. Both sending and receiving countries should more rigorously regulate, monitor, and enforce minimum standards for labor-recruitment agencies. Government should set clear standards for recruitment fees or eliminate these fees completely.
* Ensure that migrants have access to justice and support services. Migrants accused of committing crimes must have access to interpreters or legal aid. Migrants who suffer abuse should have access to shelter, legal aid, medical care, and temporary residence status. Government should ensure speedy and transparent mechanisms to resolve wage disputes, and they must prosecute cases of abuse against migrants through the criminal justice system.
The labor-sending countries attending is Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. The countries of destination include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Yemen, as well as Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore.
'Respect' Movement
BHRWS
19-01-08
| Promoting ‘key reforms’ |
Society highlights plight of domestic workers
The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) has urged the government to consider ‘key reforms’ at a two-day Gulf Forum on Temporary Contractual Labour, which ends today.
“Both the sending and receiving countries have to be tough on manpower agencies. Another drawback is that workers’ visas are associated with the sponsors, which make it difficult to change employers in case of abuse,” said the Society’s Regional and International Director, Faisal Fulad.
The Minister of Labour, Dr Majeed Al Alawi, is attending the high level ministerial meet along with 21 labour ministers to discuss the temporary contractual labour and welfare of migrant workers.
There were conflicting media reports indicating that high on Dr Alawi’s agenda is the six-year residency caps for skilled and semi-skilled workers, which is expected to be discussed.
The recommendations for the forum by BHRWS was launched under the title of the ‘Respect Movement’.
“Domestic workers are still not covered under the Bahrain Labour laws. Despite efforts by sending countries they are not guaranteed even a weekly day off. They are also deprived, sometimes, of their wages and other benefits,” Fulad said, “The government should ensure that wage disputes are resolved without delay. The authorities should prosecute cases of abuse against migrants through the criminal justice system.”
“Interpreters or legal assistance should also be provided to migrant workers accused of committing crime. In addition victims of abuse should have access to medical care, temporary residence status and access to shelter,” Fulad said.
|
Call from "Respect" Movement on the occasion of the International Women’s Day to passage Family Law to ensure the protection of women and children and to include housemaids in new labour law in Kingdom of Bahrain
8 March 2007
"Respect" Movement called the government of Kingdom of Bahrain not to leave out more than 45,000 foreign housemaids from new labour law being proposed to the parliament.
The "Respect" Movement, a society of women’s rights activists, reiterated its position yesterday that the proposed labour law should not include the housemaids whom they said remain the most vulnerable sector of workers in the country.
The "Respect" Movement issued the call on the occasion of the International Women’s Day.
“Our goal has always been to ask the government to incorporate the domestic workers under the labour law,” said Hala Ramzy Fayez, director of Women, Children, and Minorities committee of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society.
The "Respect" Movement is under the umbrella of the BHRWS.
The society also called for the passage of a non-discriminatory Family Law to ensure the protection of women and children.
Amendments to the Labour Law have been drafted and a new law is under consideration at the Parliament.
Various non-government organisations welcomed the formulation of a new labour law but many expressed dismay that the domestic workers had been excluded from the provisions of the law.
Authorities, particularly those from the Ministry of Labour, had said earlier that a separate law is being drafted specifically for domestic workers.
Similarly, NGOs are still lobbying for the full passage and implementation of one Family Law that is hoped to guarantee protection of women and curb domestic violence.
The "Respect" Movement was founded in 2005.
Bahrain Human Rights Watch Soceity
Kingdom of Bahrain
www.bhrws.org
info@bhrws.org
International Human Rights Day celebrated
Freedom for individuals stressed - Monday, December 11, 2006
bahrain tribune
The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) celebrated the International Human Rights Day yesterday at the workers’ shelter of the Philippine Embassy.
In her first speech after being nominated as the spokeswoman of the BHRWS and director of the European Union, Naeema Hassan Bal Al Mahjoobi, said: “We are celebrating the 58th anniversary of the International Human Rights Day. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 in Paris the same day. Human rights should be respected and there should be freedom for every individual to express themselves.”
Present at the meeting were the Philippine and Indian ambassadors along with Shura Council members Faisal Fulad and Huda Nonno.
The Bahrain Financing Company gave prepaid telephone cards to the individuals in the various shelters.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday 10th December 2006
International Human Rights Day
Place : Workers Shelter of Philippine Embassy
Time : 4:00pm
Your Excellency Ambassador of Philippine, Representatives of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh Embassies, Ladies and gentlemen…. Good evening
It's an honor for me to be standing before you to celebrate the "International Human Rights Day”. This is the first speech for me to give since my nomination as a spokeswoman and Director of European Union in the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society. I would like to express my gratitude to all of those who worked hard to make this event successful.
Today we are celebrating the 58th Anniversary of the International Human Rights day.
A long time ago like today, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 in Paris at the newly built Palais de Chaillot, spelling out individual rights and freedom for all. The declaration was built on the fundamental principle that human rights are based on the inherent dignity of every individual, and if this dignity is respected, we will live in peace. Eleanor Roosevelt put it best when she said. "We can't have peace or an atmosphere in which peace could grow, unless we recognized the rights of individual human beings, their importance and their dignity"
Effectively, the world has come to a clear realization of the fact that freedom, justice and world peace can only be achieved and assured through the promotion and protection of these rights.
So, we are here today to ensure that your rights are respected and that you have all our support. We are here to bring you some happiness and support and what better time to do so than this month where we are all celebrating joyful occasions with the coming up of the National Day of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Christmas for Christians and Eid al Adha for Muslims. As a representative of the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society we extend our thanks to the Bahrain Financing Company for donating the gifts for this occasion, which is in the form of prepaid telephone cards to be given to individuals in the various shelters to allow them to share this joyful season with their families back at their homes.
Last but not least, I would like to thank his Excellency the Ambassador of Philippine and all those taking part in this evening for allowing us to share this event with you.
Thank you and have a nice evening
Naima Al Mahjoobi
(BHRWS) spokeswoman and European Union branch director
|
|
|
Respect rights
|
|
By EUNICE del ROSARIO - GDN - 11/12/2006
A CALL to end the exploitation of workers in Bahrain was sent out last night, as the world marked the International Human Rights Day.
The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) sent an urgent message to all employers to be fair to their workers and respect their rights during a meeting held at the Philippine Embassy's shelter, Zinj.
The meeting, organised by the BHRWS to mark the occasion, was attended by Filipino Ambassador Eduardo Maglaya, Indian Ambassador Balakrishna Shetty and Bangladesh Embassy first secretary Shameem Al Mamun.
The UN chose poverty as this year's theme for Human Rights Day, marked on December 10, as it is the cause and product of human rights violations.
It says the poor are more likely to have their rights denied, and to be victims of discrimination and persecution.
The BHRWS regional and international relations director Faisal Fulad said that the embassy's shelter currently housed about 60 workers, comprising mostly of housemaids who have left their country to earn money to send home.
"The message we are sending out to the world is that here in Bahrain, there is a growing support when it comes to protecting everyone's rights," he told the GDN.
"Bahrainis, expatriates, men, women or children should not be discriminated against and we should all be united and support all issues regarding human rights."
Mr Fulad acknowledged the problems faced by many workers, particularly those from labour-sending countries such as the Philippines, India and Bangladesh.
"It is an ongoing quest for us at the BHRWS to have all housemaids under the protection of Bahrain's labour law and to put a stop to all human trafficking," he said.
Society spokeswoman and European Union branch director Naima Al Mahjoobi said that Bahrain joined the rest of the world in marking the Human Rights Day, which commemorates the day in 1948.
"This spells out individual rights and freedom for all," she said.
Mrs Al Mahjoobi spoke with the workers at the shelter telling them that the BHRWS was there to ensure that their rights were respected.
"You have all our support," she told them.
During the meeting, Mr Shetty thanked all non-governmental organsiations and international organisations for their continued efforts in promoting respect for everyone's rights.
"I think the 21st Century is the people's century," he said.
"We each come with rights and as the world becomes smaller, we break barriers of language, ethnicity, relationships between rich and poor.
"We all have rights to a decent life, dignity and respect."
Mr Al Mamun said that his embassy continued to seek Bangladeshi workers' safety, regular payment of salaries, respect for their basic human rights and respect of their contracts.
"Many would say that in Bahrain, the Bangladeshi workers are the least to complain," he said.
"But you see every month how much the Bangladeshi Embassy does to help its people.
"We do not have that many housemaids in Bahrain, but we continue to call for employers to respect their workers.
"Pay your workers' salaries through banks and you will see, the majority of the problems we see today will disappear.
"This will also put a stop to the free visa problem."
|
|
| Bahrain Women & domestic workers call for Respect law |
  |
"RESPECT " Movement
Prepared by Hala Ramzy Fayez,
Women, Children’s & Minorities Director,
Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society
10th December, 2005
Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Our Mission
"Respect" Movement is committed to raising awareness of our human rights among all the people living in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Currently, it will be covering issues concerning women and children within the concept of their families and dealing with issues concerning the rights of female workers.
What is "RESPECT" ?
" Respect" is a joint movement between Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society and National Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women being incorporated on December 10th, 2005 in commemoration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10th, 1948 and has its base in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Our Goals
"Respect" Movement has two main goals:
1)1) To build awareness of family law and to incorporate the domestic workers law in the current Labour Law.
2) To create a relationship with local and international organisations such as NGOs to further develop our mission.
Welcome to "Respect" Movement
The stated goals of Respect Movement are:
1) To increase awareness of family law and to incorporate the domestic workers law in the current Labour Law.
2) To build bridges between NGOs & abused women through pen pal letter exchange.
Last updated: Tuesday, 11 November 2008 |
|
:: CP :: Help Desk
