Saudi Arabia’s reforms fail to halt abuse of Filipino helpers, Amnesty warns

Filipino domestic workers continue to endure widespread labour exploitation and sexual abuse in Saudi Arabia, according to a new Amnesty International report.

The rights watchdog found conditions had barely improved despite years of promised reforms, including last year’s abolition of the kingdom’s notorious “kafala” sponsorship system.

The report, based on interviews conducted in March with 19 Filipino women who worked as domestic staff in Saudi Arabia, found consistent patterns of abuse, from excessive working hours to severe restrictions on movement, confinement and sexual violence. The women’s names were changed to protect their identities.

Amnesty said the findings echoed its earlier research into the experiences of Kenyan domestic workers in the kingdom, revealing near-identical abuses across nationalities.

One of the workers, identified as Joy*, described 20-hour days that began at 6am, with her employers repeatedly waking her throughout the night for more chores.