NarinjaraNews, April 27, 2023

Women from Myanmar who work asmaids in Oman in the Middle East, are often victims ofsexual harassment and forced labor during their working hours. Narinjara has intervieweda number of these women who reported being subjected to sexual harassmentand forced labor in Oman.

The women included Rakhine andChin communities in Myanmar. They reported being forced to workovertime, experiencing sexual harassment, working without any days off, notreceiving adequate food, and being physically beaten.

A young Chin woman shared withNarinjara that she had reached out to the employment agencyresponsible for sending them to Oman, and asked for assistance regarding thesesituations, but no action was taken.

“In March, our bosses went on the Ramadan fast.Since then the boss has been angry for nothing. She slapped me when shegot angry. When she slapped me, I shielded myself with my handand wasn’t hurt, I could no longer tolerate the abuse. I reached out tothe agents for help, but they only asked me to send them a photo of the injuryand Didn’t take any further action,”  shared the woman.

The Chin woman reported that herArab employer hit her on the back with her palm for the first time in February.

“In February, my boss hit me on the back for no reason. Iwasn’t injured.  My boss seemed to be uneasywith something, so I didn’t report the incident to the agent. Icried to myself and tried to find solace,” shetold Narinjara.

According to a young Rakhine womanfrom Myebon Township who is working as a maid in Shinas- Oman,many women in similar positions wished to voice their grievances regardingtheir working conditions, but face significant language barriers, and lack accessto organizations that can assist them in filing complaints.

“Perhaps the most distressing aspect of the job is dealingwith predatory bosses. They may treat their maids only withcontempt when their wives are present, but engage in inappropriatebehavior in their absence. Even if the boss himself is not a predator, the siblingsof the boss’s wife act inappropriately and forcefully touch the maids.In some cases, the boss may even demand that the maids have sexualrelations with him.

Although there is a hotline (9999)available to report such incidents, language barriers oftenmake it difficult for us to file complaints,” she said.

She reported that she traveled toOman on August 1, 2022, with the help of a broker based in Myanmar.However, upon reaching her destination, the brokers based in Oman confiscatedboth her passport and phone.

She said that she began workingfor an Arab boss on August 8th She explained that she started workingfrom 6 am and did household chores continuously, and could only rest at 11pm or later each day.

A resident of Kyaiklat Township inAyeyarwady Region reported that Myanmar women working as maids inOman are often not given sufficient food by their employers.

“They only provide me with one meal a day. In the morning, Iam only given coffee, nothing else. Even if they purchase bread or snacks, theyconceal everything from me, and don’tprovide me with anything to eat. At night they also hide the chapatis and ramennoodles that they buy. I had to use my own salary to buy ramen,” she stated.

She said that she was frustratedand did not want to work after facing difficulties in the workplace,but the agent told her that she would have to complete the contract for 2 years.

According to a young woman fromMyebon township in Rakhine state, changing employers would meanstarting a new 2-year contract, while  individuals who wish to terminatetheir employment and return home must repay the expenses. As a result, manywomen are forced to endure difficult working conditions and remain in their currentjobs.

“The boss warned us that if we didn’tcomplete the 2-year contract, we would have to repay the money. Healso made it clear that the passports would be destroyed and not returned,”she said.

Despite being rich in naturalresources, Rakhine State faces a shortage of employment opportunities.As a result, many young people from the region choose to seek work abroad each year.

According to reports, young womenfrom Rakhine are employed as domestic workers in various foreign countries, where they frequently encounter challenges and hardships.

Myanmar women who work as domesticworkers in Oman receive a monthly salary ranging from100 to 120 Omani Riyals, equivalent to approximately 800,000 Kyats in Myanmar currency.