East African women continue to face abuse and exploitation while working as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. A recent investigation revealed that at least 274 Kenyans have died in Saudi Arabia in the past five years, with autopsies revealing signs of abuse. Women are lured with promises of better wages and opportunities, only to be mistreated and exploited by their employers.
Recruitment agencies and their brokers often give misleading information and make workers sign contracts they can’t read. Some agencies even market women as products, with websites offering workers “for sale” to Saudi clients. Employers in Saudi Arabia often confiscate passports and belongings, denying wages and declaring ownership over the workers.
Powerful people, including high-ranking officials in Kenya and Uganda, are profiting off these women. Some officials own stakes in staffing agencies, while members of the Saudi royal family are also investors. Despite mounting evidence of abuse, leaders in East Africa have vowed to send more workers abroad, despite calls for better labor agreements.
Victims of abuse have little recourse, as governments have failed to negotiate better labor agreements with Saudi Arabia. Many abused workers are unable to access resources for help and often have to pay for their own return home. Families of those who have died face red tape, apathy, and impunity when seeking justice.
The investigation sheds light on the ongoing exploitation of East African women as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, urging for stronger regulations and protections to prevent further abuse.
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