NHRC issues booklets in 11 languages for domestic workers

To enhance and protect the rights of the domestic workers in Qatar, the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has released a detailed booklet in 11 languages about their rights and duties as well as general information about the country, vice chairman Dr Mohammed bin Saif al-Kuwari told Gulf Times."We distribute the booklet to all the workers to make them aware of the country, its culture, as well as the details and nature of their work,” he said on the sidelines of a recent event, organised by NHRC to mark Domestic Workers Day.The NHRC vice chairman said that before coming to Qatar, the countries of the workers can educate them on their jobs. He stressed that educating and informing domestic workers about Qatari legislation, including their rights, redress mechanisms, and legal assistance, before they leave their home countries, is primarily the responsibility of their countries.Dr al-Kuwari, explained: "You need to educate the people. I advise the government, and the countries, to educate the people about their rights and duties. They can also distribute the booklets to the workers and can check the website of NHRC for further details. If the workers can be briefed about their duties and rights before they travel to Qatar, it will help them to be familiarised with the nature of their job as well as about the culture of Qatar.”The NHRC vice chairman highlighted Qatar's initiative to establish 14 visa centres in labour-sending countries to ensure workers are not exploited, highlighting the importance of expanding these centres to other countries.The official noted that NHRC conducts workshops for the domestic workers. "I advise the domestic workers to attend these workshops, and they can discuss their issues with the representative from NHRC as well as some of the government entities such as Ministry of Labour or the Ministry of Interior. In future, we will be conducting more workshops and forums to give opportunities for the domestic workers to interact with the officials.Dr al-Kuwari stated that the Ministry of Labour and NHRC constantly monitor the working atmosphere of the labourers. He also highlighted the important role of the NHRC in protecting the rights of domestic workers as embodied in the international human rights system, analysing and expanding good national practices, and advocating for the adoption of international best practices."We along with the officials from the Ministry of Labour monitor and visit the houses of the workers where they are employed to make sure that the workers are well taken care of. We communicate with the people, and ask them, if they have any challenges or have any other issues,” he added.