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ILO-DFID Partnership Programme on Fair Recruitment and Decent Work for Women Migrant Workers in South Asia and the Middle East -Phase II - Midterm evaluation

eval_number:

2868

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2868

lessons_learned:

themes:

theme:

Migration

category:

Conditions of work & equality

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comments:

Governments, Recruitment agents, networks working on kafala reform.

challenges:

N/A

success:

N/A

context:

Continuing work with governments and recruitment agency organisations in the Middle East to accept the realities of new economic conditions that have resulted in an increased demand for part time rather than full time live in workers.

description:

Abolition of the kafala system and obstructive political influence of recruitment agents. “The importance of thinking outside the box. Maybe we should just focus on the idea that the system should be dismantled rather than always just looking to reform it. We have been struck by how abusive labour practices remain in the Middle East. The commodification of migrant domestic workers, and their treatment as mere chattels noted in the Evaluability Assessment of WIF2 is a cultural outlook and practice that persists. It originates largely in two practices, the fact that employers pay a recruitment fee, and that the migrant domestic workers under kafala practices have to live in. The fee provides employers with the sense of ownership. They have paid for an expensive commodity, now the commodity owes them. Having the employee live under the same roof reinforces this sense of ownership. Seeking reform of the system and more effective regulation of recruitment practices will not change this essential dynamic. What needs to change is the relationship between employer and employee so that it is reconstructed purely as a labour relation. Practice and culture have made it clear this will only happen outside the kafala relationship. Primarily the blocking actor for reform is the recruitment agencies, who wield considerable political influence. In the current economic circumstances, when the demand for part time domestic and care work is growing, rather than having a full time live in employee, it is the recruitment agents that are refusing to recognize how trends are shifting. In a discussion held with SORAL in Lebanon, there was no appetite for reviewing their current business model, although this is what is necessary.

administrative_issues:

N/A

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/229459

---

location:

country:

Asia and the Pacific - regional

region:

Asia and the Pacific

---

eval_title:

ILO-DFID Partnership Programme on Fair Recruitment and Decent Work for Women Migrant Workers in South Asia and the Middle East -Phase II - Midterm evaluation