The Protection of the Rights of Migrant Domestic Workers in a Country of Origin and a Country of Destination: Case Studies of the Philippines and Kuwait

During the spring semester of 2013, the SAIS International Human Rights Clinic researched the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant domestic workers in a country of origin and a country of destination by example of the Philippines and Kuwait. The students embarked on a weeklong fact-finding mission to gain insights into (a) the underlying causes and social consequences of labor migration, (b) the mechanisms to protect migrant domestic workers from abuse and exploitation, and (c) the preventive activities carried out in the two countries. The findings of the two fact-finding missions, supported by academic research and scholarship, policy papers, and press releases, are published in this report. The report describes the situation of migrant domestic workers from the start of their journey in the Philippines, through their arrival and work in Kuwait, and through their repatriation. The report aims (a) to raise public awareness about the rights of migrant domestic workers; (b) to offer practical solutions to policymakers in countries of origin and destination; and (c) to offer practical solutions specifically to the Kuwaiti and Philippine governments to take decisive action to better prevent human rights abuses, punish human rights violators, and protect vulnerable populations. By focusing on Filipino migrant domestic workers, the report aims to facilitate the further development of Kuwait–Philippines intergovernmental cooperation that may serve as a model for labor-receiving and labor-sending countries