Martha Finally Receives Her Salary

Martha began work for her employers in November 2019. When we called them, Martha’s ‘mister’ reported that she was extremely happy. We questioned this ‘happiness’, considering she had no communication with her family and they had not paid her for almost 16 months - $3,150 worth of salary . 

After several calls with the employer, it became clear that whilst he boasted he was a good, god-fearing man, he had no intention of paying Martha or even letting her go back home – not to mention that he had not done her legal papers, leaving her undocumented. We drew his attention to the Ministry of Labour contract that stipulates it is his responsibility to pay salaries in full, every month, and failure to do so means the worker can terminate her contract. 

In the end,  it was not legal references that changed his or his wife’s mind; instead, it was when Martha’s family made a video pleading for their daughter's safety and return home. When the video received strong traction on Facebook, Martha’s employer was finally willing to talk. He signed a contract that outlined how they would pay regular installments following her repatriation. On those grounds, we bought Martha’s ticket and she was reunited with her family in Ghana in June 2021. Whilst she did not travel with her salary, she was at least assured of receiving her salary over the course of the following year. 

This Is Lebanon followed up every month with Martha’s employers, reminding them of their commitment. They were often short-tempered and screamed, explaining how we were ‘disturbing their peace of mind’. However, Martha’s rights and peace of mind were of little concern to them. Finally, on 27 December, 2022 Martha received her final installment and This Is Lebanon was able to close her file. 

This Is Lebanon was established in 2017 with the aim of working towards abolishing the kafala system in Lebanon. Our goal has been to raise awareness about the dangers of the kafala system by exposing the horrific conditions under which migrant domestic workers live and the perpetrators of abuse as well as advocating with and on behalf of migrant domestic workers. Ultimately, This Is Lebanon gives a voice to workers and encourages witnesses of abuse to come forward.

Kafala (the Arabic word for sponsorship) refers to the set of regulations and administrative practices used to sponsor and employ migrant workers in Lebanon, mostly women from African and Asian countries working for private households. Domestic workers are excluded from Lebanese labor law and lack basic protections. The kafala system protects abusers and denies domestic workers of basic human rights. The high degree of control over workers’ rights provided by the kafala system has led to cases of modern slavery, human trafficking, and exploitation.