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Filipina Workers in Jordan

January 29, 2008 16 Comments

Written by Emily

In a new Jordan Times article, Hani Hazaimeh reports again that

According to DHAA officials, the complaints included ill-treatment by employers and being overworked, said Faouri, who believes the workers’ reasons for wanting to leave their posts were homesickness and cultural differences between Jordan and the Philippines.

The Jordan Times still fails to mention the real allegations, which include serious abuses such as non-payment of wages, physical abuse and rape.

The article is unclear as to whether the hundreds of women who sought refuge at their embassy were forced to pay a fine for terminating their contracts:

On December 9, the Philippine embassy approached the ministry seeking its assistance to waive fines for around 100 domestic helpers for violating residency regulations in order to be sent home at the expense of the embassy, said Habashneh.

“The ministry did not accept the embassy’s proposal because it would harm the interests of local domestic helper recruitment agencies with which these workers are bound by a two-year contract,” he added.

The Jordan Times appears to be laying the blame for the situation squarely upon the Filipina workers themselves for not being well-adjusted enough:

The ministry pointed out the necessity to hold orientation and awareness programmes on Jordanian culture to the Filipino workers before they are brought into the Kingdom, Habashneh added.

What about orientations for the families bringing a foreign person to work in their homes? What about putting sexual assault response services into place for women who speak Tagalog and other languages? What about the police and the Labor Ministry taking some of these allegations seriously?

Come on, Hazaimeh, Jordan Times, you’re better than this!!!!!

Sam B.

As a study-abroad student in Amman last semester, I indirectly witnessed exactly this sort of thing … one of my classmates told me of how her host mother beat their Filipina maid on several occasions, and confiscated her passport to prevent her from running away. I thought indentured servitude had been done away with centuries ago – guess not.
Sam B.

As a study-abroad student in Amman last semester, I indirectly witnessed exactly this sort of thing … one of my classmates told me of how her host mother beat their Filipina maid on several occasions, and confiscated her passport to prevent her from running away. I thought indentured servitude had been done away with centuries ago – guess not.
Alicja

I work for non profit organisation and have recently visited Jordan. It order to minimase the cost, I asked the partnering organisation to organise a cheap accommodation, preferably in private residence. This is how I learned the story of a lovely Filipina who is working 20 hours a day and is still smiling. Like many others she fell victim to some loose agreement between the host family and the recruitment agencies. Her passport has been confiscated upon her arrival to Jordan, mainly to prevent her from running away.

She was told that she will pay a fee for terminating her contract. She is not allowed to leave the premises and works total of 140 hours a week.

She is a loving and careing Mum who wants to support her children and to give them better future.

Why do Jordanian’s (those who are the subject of this article) treat another nation with so much hatred and incivility?

http://traffickingproject.blogspot.com/2008/01/domestic-abuse-rampant-in-jordan.html
Alicja

I work for non profit organisation and have recently visited Jordan. It order to minimase the cost, I asked the partnering organisation to organise a cheap accommodation, preferably in private residence. This is how I learned the story of a lovely Filipina who is working 20 hours a day and is still smiling. Like many others she fell victim to some loose agreement between the host family and the recruitment agencies. Her passport has been confiscated upon her arrival to Jordan, mainly to prevent her from running away.

She was told that she will pay a fee for terminating her contract. She is not allowed to leave the premises and works total of 140 hours a week.

She is a loving and careing Mum who wants to support her children and to give them better future.

Why do Jordanian’s (those who are the subject of this article) treat another nation with so much hatred and incivility?

http://traffickingproject.blogspot.com/2008/01/domestic-abuse-rampant-in-jordan.html
jade

the reason why all the domestic worker run away from their sponsor its because of the mal-treatment and non-payment of salary.
i meet a lot of domestic helper from different countries, all of them having the same story.
if they wanted to go back home to their country the employeer who bring them will taked them to the agencies. In the agencies they are asking to pay all the expenses to be paid to the sponsor by the poor servants.

in this place there is no human rights.
jade

the reason why all the domestic worker run away from their sponsor its because of the mal-treatment and non-payment of salary.
i meet a lot of domestic helper from different countries, all of them having the same story.
if they wanted to go back home to their country the employeer who bring them will taked them to the agencies. In the agencies they are asking to pay all the expenses to be paid to the sponsor by the poor servants.

in this place there is no human rights.
moath

why Filipino girls running away from there families or employers here in Jordan??
OK that’s because of the fear inside them, if she did wrong they cut the salary , beat her up , yell , or even acting like they where animals .
then Filipino leave the employer and we plame them???
they dont know that they can go to the police station , they could lose there job or there passports.
once i was in aqaba and on my way going back to amman i found a young filipina girl right beside me on that bus, i asked her what happened …… iam shocked… really
back in the famili the father was beating her in a wire in the bathroom and the mom beating her with every thing in her hand….. and the lady escaped
i took her to the embassy and she is fine now.
but what they need to know about jordan that they can go to police any time, they should have there day off work 2 days monthly , becouse here in jordan all they should find is hospitality and kindness .
and i think we can fix that and make things right.
and if they left Jordan we got to be sour that they willing to come back here
moath

why Filipino girls running away from there families or employers here in Jordan??
OK that’s because of the fear inside them, if she did wrong they cut the salary , beat her up , yell , or even acting like they where animals .
then Filipino leave the employer and we plame them???
they dont know that they can go to the police station , they could lose there job or there passports.
once i was in aqaba and on my way going back to amman i found a young filipina girl right beside me on that bus, i asked her what happened …… iam shocked… really
back in the famili the father was beating her in a wire in the bathroom and the mom beating her with every thing in her hand….. and the lady escaped
i took her to the embassy and she is fine now.
but what they need to know about jordan that they can go to police any time, they should have there day off work 2 days monthly , becouse here in jordan all they should find is hospitality and kindness .
and i think we can fix that and make things right.
and if they left Jordan we got to be sour that they willing to come back here
http://www.kinziblogs.wordpress.com/ kinzi

Emily, thanks for this piece and hitting the nail on the head. One would think the JT and this author would know better, but the lack of depth reveals they they don’t, and don’t want to.

There is a backlash movement among wealthy Ammani women who claim that these women are ripping up the fabric of society by ‘stealing their men away’. Reverse victimization. One friend said it was a given: work for a poor family, get beaten and worked to the bone. Work for a rich family, same work, but expect to the the sex toy of all the men in the house as well.

It’s not just indentured servanthood, as Sam said, but regulated sex slavery.

I have a group of women friends who raise money to buy plane tickets home for the girls in prison and in the safehouse. My kid’s school collects cans to raise money for their rice.

Have you read Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Global Woman: Nannies, Maids and Sex Workers in the New Economy?”. It is a must on the topic.
http://www.kinziblogs.wordpress.com kinzi

Emily, thanks for this piece and hitting the nail on the head. One would think the JT and this author would know better, but the lack of depth reveals they they don’t, and don’t want to.

There is a backlash movement among wealthy Ammani women who claim that these women are ripping up the fabric of society by ‘stealing their men away’. Reverse victimization. One friend said it was a given: work for a poor family, get beaten and worked to the bone. Work for a rich family, same work, but expect to the the sex toy of all the men in the house as well.

It’s not just indentured servanthood, as Sam said, but regulated sex slavery.

I have a group of women friends who raise money to buy plane tickets home for the girls in prison and in the safehouse. My kid’s school collects cans to raise money for their rice.

Have you read Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Global Woman: Nannies, Maids and Sex Workers in the New Economy?”. It is a must on the topic.
medessa

HELLO SAM I READ YOUR COMMENT AND CONCERN FOR A FILIPINO LIKE ME, I HAVE STUDY IN PHILIPPINE AND ALSO BY MY EXPERIENCE HERE IN JORDAN, THAT YOU MUST NOT HIT OR BEAT THE PEOPLE WHO'S SERVING THEIR HOME. THEY ARE SAME HUMAN HURTING EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR SAYING THESE THAT THEY DON'T GO TO SCHOOL WHO EDUCATE THEM WELL, FRANKLY SAID THAT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESPECT, AS THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESPECT THEMSELVES.
medessa

HI,.

i'm a simple woman working here in JORDAN , only i want to announce this for the police department and for head police, i want to tell ya story about my friend who took the police in a taxi, when she done finish here work for extra job outside, after my friend took away, she put on a police bus, and asking like this “IF YOU WANT TO GET OUT EASILY YOU MUST TO GO WITH ME TOGETHER WITH 3 POLICE MAN on their house and make them happy”

my friend do not accept that, she said hard NO i do have husband and children in PHILIPPINE'S so if you want just put me on a jail if all they could happy.

i'm shocking when she told me that thing, i don't know what could i do to help them even just to say this,.

i'm sorry but police and government don't know how FILIPINO'S dedicated for their jobs and for their promises,.

yes thats right…
why did they running away…?
the answer is not for a man or not for any thing that they made talking or story,
they run away because of their employer,.

even they don't know the life outside world FILIPINOS work harder and harder just for the sake of their family,.

i hope the government will know these kind of situation,
i'm hurting too much when i heard some FILIPINO'S arrested
and they don't know what to do..
i'm crying for all the pain who did for them,.

i am MEDESSA
and i am a FILIPINO workers who survived here in JORDAN

and i'm asking for help,

please help the FILIPINO'S now in a jail, WHO SUFFERED IN MIS UNDERSTANDING SITUATION,.

THANK YOU SO MUCH..
AND GOD WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US.
medessa

HELLO SAM I READ YOUR COMMENT AND CONCERN FOR A FILIPINO LIKE ME, I HAVE STUDY IN PHILIPPINE AND ALSO BY MY EXPERIENCE HERE IN JORDAN, THAT YOU MUST NOT HIT OR BEAT THE PEOPLE WHO'S SERVING THEIR HOME. THEY ARE SAME HUMAN HURTING EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR SAYING THESE THAT THEY DON'T GO TO SCHOOL WHO EDUCATE THEM WELL, FRANKLY SAID THAT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESPECT, AS THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESPECT THEMSELVES.
medessa

HI,.

i'm a simple woman working here in JORDAN , only i want to announce this for the police department and for head police, i want to tell ya story about my friend who took the police in a taxi, when she done finish here work for extra job outside, after my friend took away, she put on a police bus, and asking like this “IF YOU WANT TO GET OUT EASILY YOU MUST TO GO WITH ME TOGETHER WITH 3 POLICE MAN on their house and make them happy”

my friend do not accept that, she said hard NO i do have husband and children in PHILIPPINE'S so if you want just put me on a jail if all they could happy.

i'm shocking when she told me that thing, i don't know what could i do to help them even just to say this,.

i'm sorry but police and government don't know how FILIPINO'S dedicated for their jobs and for their promises,.

yes thats right…
why did they running away…?
the answer is not for a man or not for any thing that they made talking or story,
they run away because of their employer,.

even they don't know the life outside world FILIPINOS work harder and harder just for the sake of their family,.

i hope the government will know these kind of situation,
i'm hurting too much when i heard some FILIPINO'S arrested
and they don't know what to do..
i'm crying for all the pain who did for them,.

i am MEDESSA
and i am a FILIPINO workers who survived here in JORDAN

and i'm asking for help,

please help the FILIPINO'S now in a jail, WHO SUFFERED IN MIS UNDERSTANDING SITUATION,.

THANK YOU SO MUCH..
AND GOD WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US.
Help Line

Hi

This does not represent true jordan tradition.

I would like to inform you that there is a help line for these cases. If you suffer from any problems in Jordan please write to acis.jo@gmail.com

In Peace
Jordanagarcia69

believe it or not its happening……..help those who wants to go home show your real traditon..