Amnesty report: Saudi reforms fail to protect Filipino domestic workers

A recent report from Amnesty International indicates that the labor reforms in Saudi Arabia, such as the elimination of the kafala sponsorship system, have not succeeded in curbing the widespread mistreatment of Filipino domestic workers. The findings, based on interviews from March with 19 Filipino women employed as domestic staff, highlight ongoing abuse patterns, including long working hours, severe movement restrictions, confinement, and sexual violence. To safeguard their identities, the women's names were altered. One worker, referred to as Joy, recounted working 20-hour shifts beginning at 6 am, with her employers frequently waking her for additional tasks. Amnesty noted that these results mirrored previous studies on Kenyan domestic workers in the kingdom, showcasing similar abuses regardless of nationality. Advocates argue that employers maintain unchecked power over domestic workers, despite the kingdom's assertions about the abolition of kafala.