.jpg)
KABUL (SW): Unpaid work is a form of modern-day slavery which continues until one pays off the debt taken. One can be a witness to this form of slavery all over the world.
An unpaid employee is forced to pay off the debt by selling one’s labor for a long period. But, unpaid employment has a different story in Afghanistan. Afghan women who struggle to find employment in the patriarchal society of the country, and are facing poverty, are often victim of this form of slavery.
Shaima and Kubra are the two of such women, who work for long hours in a handicraft factory with a meagre pay. The two women had taken loan from the owner of the factory, and now they work for long hours every day to pay off their debts.
Shaima is the only breadwinner of her 20-member family. Her husband is bedridden and her son is a bus conductor. The woman lives in her father-in-law’s house. Shaima had taken 200 thousand afghanis from her employer few months ago to pay a debt taken from a bank, but things turn out to be much more burdensome to her. “Until my debt is not paid, I am a slave to my creditor”, said Shaima. She is now working day and night, and even taking extra work on off days to pay her debt as soon as possible.
Kubra, another employee of this factory, owes 100 thousand afghanis to her employer. She had taken the money in order to launch an exhibition for her own handicraft work, but the exhibition failed and she lost all her possessions. “I could not pay the debt on time to my creditor, now I am working unpaid”, informed Kubra. Kubra works every day for 8 hours at the handicraft factory, she is only paid money for her commutation from home to workplace. Her son is the only person earning meager amount for the household as a butler.
These women cannot take their complaint to any one as they do not want their families to be further under debt.
Frozan, the owner of the handicraft factory and employer of Shaima and Kubra, said at least 25 women are employed in the factory, most of whom are unpaid workers under debt. “Until these women pay their debt, they cannot leave their employment”, added Frozan.
Forced labor and exploitation is forbidden in the Afghan Constitution and Law on Combating Abduction and Human Trafficking, such acts of abuse based on the laws are crime.
When asked if she knows that exploitation of a laborer is crime, Frozan said the government instead of asking about forced labor should provide employment for these women.
Shabnam Simyayi, deputy head women’s affairs at the Kabul chapter of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), said forced and bonded labor, unpaid employment and exploitation of workers are forbidden.
Meanwhile, Mahrukh Yusufzai, head economic affairs at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), has said if these women seek help from MoWA, the government will review their case.
Safiullah Ziayi, head of media affairs at the Afghan Women Skills Development Center (AWSDC), said they have not come across such exploitation case before. She said the (AWSDC) has an advocacy section, and these women can approach us for justice.
Mohammadullah Rizayat, spokesman for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), has said in this regard the exploited employees should contact judicial authorities as soon as possible.
ENDS
