In the construction works of the stadiums and infrastructures, 6,500 migrant workers died. But the violence also affects domestic workers, who are exploited or mistreated by their employers. The German Church promotes a campaign whose visible face is the Benedictine nun and activist Mary John Mananzan.
Doha () – Red card for Qatar for the lack of respect for human rights and the exploitation of migrant workers. Whether they are the workers hired on the construction sites of the stadiums for the World Cup, a “historic and controversial” event that will begin on November 20, or the domestic workers. The German Church has launched a campaign with a strong symbolic value involving a Filipina nun (pictured) who years ago became famous for her struggles for human rights, as well as being a respected educator specializing in Theology.
The figures, which bear witness to a real carnage, justify the battle. According to The Guardian, since the assignment of the highest soccer competition on the planet ten years ago, nearly 6,500 immigrants from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in the works carried out by Qatar. Many of them worked in 50 degree temperatures and extremely miserable living conditions. And it is no coincidence that the competition takes place in November and December and not following the traditional calendar of June and July, when the climate in the region is prohibitive. For the footballers, sure, but not for those who have spent years under the scorching sun building the facilities.
With less than a month to go before the competition begins, the German Church, through the NGO Missio, has launched the campaign in which the Philippine sister Mary John Mananzan, a Benedictine nun who has already led many battles in the country, participates. and abroad. The nun waves the red card for Doha, a symbol of a policy based on exploitation to achieve objectives that are also shared by various petromonarchies and Gulf emirates.
Although one in six Qataris can count on millions in income, at least nine out of 10 residents are foreigners, and the vast majority come from the south of the continent, Southeast Asia and Africa The cost of living is high, but the minimum wage is only 280 euros a month, insufficient to cover all expenses. Over the years, Doha has introduced some forms of protection that, however, are not sufficient to satisfy the legitimate requirements of full dignity of the worker.
But exploitative situations bordering on slavery affect not only the World Cup workers but also the many foreign maids (173,000 according to some estimates) hired by the families of (more or less) wealthy Qatari citizens. And the campaign intends to focus the focus on them, collecting stories and testimonials from people forced to work up to 15 or 20 hours a day, often seven days a week, for only 230 euros. Missio also denounces the abuse and rape suffered by “nine out of 10 women” in the emirate, without being able to avail themselves of legal protection because the courts punish the victims for having sexual relations outside of marriage and leave the aggressors unpunished. And if they are found guilty, they risk being flogged and imprisoned.
One of these 173,000 victims is the Filipina Jeannie Dizon, who was hired to care for a young child and then forced to cook, wash and clean for a family of eight, 15 hours a day, for a daily compensation of about one euro. Her day began at 4 in the morning after having rested for a few hours in a room without windows, a victim of harassment from her employer. This situation pushed her to return to her house, but she only allowed it after signing a confidentiality agreement about her abuse.
Women are often forced to accept violence in silence because they need to send money to families in their home countries. Missio cites Nepal as an example, where a substantial amount of foreign exchange comes from domestic workers who migrated to Doha. Missio’s campaign, under the slogan “Protect women in Qatar”, is set to continue after the World Cup. “This legislation is cruel to the victims! It must be repealed,” Sister Mary John asserts forcefully as she waves the red card.
