no doubt that it exists, quite regardless of what may or may not be happening in that picture which has been looked at by tens of thousands in just a few weeks and commented on by many of them.
Perhaps generating discussion on the issue is helpful. Certainly, it has brought forward a wide range of perspectives and attitudes. Some are shocking. We hear these during other discussions too. For instance, there are those who apparently believe, quite genuinely, that maids – and presumably other domestic help – belong to a category ‘different’ to ourselves. This category, it is argued, is somehow inferior, less intelligent, less able and less moral.
Possibly it is this perception that leads to the horror stories we hear regularly – such as the recent one from Lahore involving a 12-year-old maid who had been beaten with hot utensils by her employers. Like others before her, she was held in a kind of debt bondage, working to pay off a small loan her mother had obtained. It appears the abuse meted out is made easier by holding on to the belief that these workers are different creatures, different beings, who deserve the treatment they deserve. In some cases it has led to death, and a majority of female domestic workers, according to the data available, have suffered some kind of abuse.
The problem perhaps is that we do not speak up; or that we do not speak up loudly enough. We have persuaded ourselves that some people are less important, less valuable, than others. We have also learnt to accept things as there are. To keep the status quo intact, we may mutter privately about child maids but we do not challenge those in our social circle who hire them. We do not express disapproval when we see these small girls in other homes or in public places. And the owners of businesses do little to help, failing to offer a chair, or perhaps a glass of water, for fear that their customers will object. In such an environment bringing the treatment of certain members of society to public notice is undoubtedly a service. Doing so is more important than the matters of privacy that have been so widely discussed.
It is significant that people have begun to speak out more and more. The child maid subjected to mistreatment in Lahore was rescued after a neighbour called the authorities. Doing so requires a degree of courage and moral fortitude. It is good to know that we seem to be discovering some of this. Even taking a picture requires a degree of desire to make a difference. It is after all easier to simply ignore a particular situation. It is only when people stop maintaining the cycle that has existed for too long that we can expect any kind of change to take place.
Raising awareness among citizens will be a quicker process than providing people with the education and awareness required to speak out for their own rights. They have been able to do so in other places. In Kenya for example, domestic workers have a strong union and work only when conditions – such as implementation of labour laws – are agreed on. Employers have been taken to court for failing to abide by these.
We are a long way away from a similar situation; a very long way. Essentially, our domestic workers have no protection. Women and children are especially vulnerable to abuse. Given these factors, bringing abuse to the forefront is a welcome trend – although it is also important to remember that a single picture can speak in many different ways.
Ideally, we should be hearing all sides of a story before passing judgement. But conditions are not always ideal. There are many problems linked to the use and misuse of cyber-space. But it has also opened up room for discussion and the presentation of ideas. Citizens have been able to develop forums, even to begin minor campaigns. Its use will inevitably grow.
Using this means to talk about issues rarely brought up before can then help change mindsets, and we certainly need a change.
Child labour or the treatment of domestic help is a matter that goes beyond the question of whether a maid has been fed, or treated with the basic respect due to all human beings. It illustrates the inequities and injustices in our society, which play a role in creating so many of the crises we face. To build a more stable, less violence-prone nation we need to make our society fairer.
The treatment of domestic help is just a tiny example of what goes on in our country, on its agricultural estates, in its factories and in so many other places. Implementing the law and initiating social reform is one way to address this. But there is no evidence of will on the part of the government. To fill this gap it is citizens who will then need to act. They have limited tools to work with, much to do, and given this reality every available means needs to be used to mobilise opinion and create the change we urgently need.
The writer is a freelance columnist and former newspaper editor.
Email: kamilahyathotmail.com