Summary
Several hundred marched Sunday from Dora to Sin al-Fil to protest the continued discrimination and abuse suffered by many migrant domestic workers. The ninth annual edition of the event, held on the heels of International Domestic Workers Day, was organized by various initiatives in Lebanon working to advocate for domestic workers' rights.
The march protested the "kafala" sponsorship system, which subjects migrant domestic workers to a large degree of control by their employers.
Organizers stated four main calls to action, including gaining the right for workers to resign and legally stay in Lebanon to seek alternative employment, halting the administrative detention of workers suffering violence and exploitation, and closer monitoring of recruitment agencies.
The mood was somewhat doused when it was suggested two workers attending the march had been arrested.
As one domestic worker from Ethiopia said: "Every year this march happens, and every year I come – but not much is changing.
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