Qatar is one of the countries that attracts many immigrant workers, many of whom, especially women, choose to work as maids for wealthy families.
The BBC contacted Gladys, a migrant maid in Qatar, to learn about the work she has to do every day.
In a short conversation, Gladys shared that she usually works from 8 am to 11 pm every day.
Previously, foreign workers needed the employer’s consent to change to another job or return to their home country.
Although in recent times, Qatar has begun to introduce some reforms for workers.
The biggest reason why Gladys wants to continue to maintain her current job is because she always thinks that, at her age, it is difficult to find a better job.
According to 2021 data from the Qatar Planning and Statistics Authority, there are an estimated 160,000 migrant workers working as maids in the country.
In 2017, Qatar introduced a Labor Law for domestic workers, limiting working hours to 10 hours a day and providing for daily and weekly rest periods and paid leave.
In 2020, the law added a minimum wage and gave workers the right to change jobs or leave the country without permission from their employer.
These changes have made the lives of immigrant workers better, giving them more motivation to continue doing their jobs well.
In another story, a maid for the Al Thani Royal family shared that she was treated very well while working for the palace.
From her room in a Royal mansion, Althea shared with the BBC that the owner of the house gave her a phone, clothes, jewelry and shoes that she could not buy elsewhere.
Like Gladys, difficult family circumstances pushed her to this strenuous job.
`I often watch videos about bad working conditions online, which is why I feel so lucky. For me, every day is like living in a fairy tale.`
The royal maids’ working day begins at 6:30 a.m. by preparing meals for the family. After completing everything, they will enjoy their breakfast.
Once the dishes were cleaned, they moved on to cleaning the room and preparing for lunch, taking care of every detail such as the ceiling, chandeliers, gilded antiques, glossy mother-of-pearl inlaid table tops and
`It’s a pretty light job because we have a lot of people,` Althea said.
The maids will rest in their rooms from 3 to 6 p.m., then start getting ready for dinner again.
Mary Grace Morales, a Manila-based recruiter who specializes in `linking` migrant workers with wealthy families in the Gulf, said working for the palace is `enviable` because `the family is very generous.`
In a comment referring to the difficulties maids may face, Morales added: `The girls became healthier while working for the palace. The family fed them well.`
Regional director of the International Labor Organization (ILO) for Arab countries, Ruba Jaradat said they are in the process of working with Qatar to re-establish new rules, ensuring workers have
Qatar as well as international organizations are making more efforts than ever to ensure the rights of not only domestic workers but also the immigrant workforce, helping them to work with peace of mind and have a source of income.
