Blog 12: Morocco's Attempts at Adhering to Human Rights of Domestic Workers

Morocco continues to struggle for human rights implementations in hopes of eliminating the unfair treatment of domestic workers throughout the country. The Moroccan government has fought in hopes to eradicate harsh working conditions for young girls who endure long, unfair work hours, physical abuse, as well as instances of sexual harassment. The mistreatment goes unreported and rarely are the perpetrators persecuted and held responsible for their actions. Human Rights Watch is advocating a stronger urge for government to enforce labor laws upon their employers and finding means to help these minors. Young girls, starting at ages eight to fifteen, are trafficked from rural areas and promised work as domestic servants in the major cities, Casablanca accounting for at least 13,500. The arrangements often are in due to helping the economic stability of their families. However, the wages earned are far below the minimum wage laws of the country and usually do not amount to the agreed negotiations between employers and parents. Interviews with said domestic workers reveal work weeks of sometimes100 hours without a day of rest for the a low income of 545 dirhams (61USD) a month; a salary which the workers hardly ever receive.

Even though the exploitation of these young women still occur, Morocco is indeed showing progress since the situation's awareness arose. The number of domestic workers has decreased from 517,000 in 1999 to 123,000 in 2011. Such attempts include the promotion of education for young women throughout the country, using methods like billboards and campaign posters. For the predominantly muslim country, this is an immense breakthrough since it adheres to a patriarchal society and many of the workers report merely completing the third grade. The pedagogy of the oppressed also prevents these young workers to speak out and find the help they need, as many go unnoticed by officials due to the privacy laws of their employers and their households. The United Nations is urging the Moroccan government to further enforce their labor laws in the following:

• Strictly enforcing age 15 as the minimum age for all employment, imposing penalties on employers and recruiters who employ or recruit children under age 15;
• Expanding public awareness campaigns regarding child domestic labor, including information about existing laws and how girls who need help can reach hotlines;
• Creating an effective system to identify and remove child domestic workers who are under the minimum age of employment and those ages 15 to 17 who are subject to abuse.
• Prosecuting under the Criminal Code people who are responsible for violence against child domestic workers.

Sadly, Morocco is not the only country facing the battles of unfair treatment of domestic workers and the exploitation of young women. Many developing nations around the globe are still trying to adhere to international labor laws and fair treatment of workers. Nonetheless, Morocco's efforts have shown great improvement and hopefully continue showing more results.

   Nov. 15, 2012  ~14.30

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/15/morocco-abuse-child-domestic-workers