INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Lahore, Pakistan: The battered body of 16-year-old servant Uzma Bibi was found dumped in a canal and her wealthy employer charged with
murder, the latest case highlighting the dangers domestic workers -- specificly children -- face in Pakistan.Cop said Uzma died after blows
to the head with a kitchen utensil
She had been working for the family in Lahore for eight months when she was eliminateed in January this year.Her employer and two other
women remain in custody as a police investigation into the murder and allegations of mistreatment drags on
"I shall much give up, I prefer death, I shall much let them go, I want to see them pay for what they did," Uzma´s distraught father,
Muhammad Riaz, told AFP.The teenager earned just 4,000 rupees ($28) per month.In Pakistan, 8.5 million domestic workers -- including many
children -- labour for wealthier families according to the International Labour Organization (ILO)."Parents often see their children as a
way to lift their families out of poverty," explained Arooma Shahzad, general secretary of the Domestic Workers´ Union, the country´s
first -- and still its only -- such organisation.But domestic workers often face exploitation, violence, and sexual abuse
Pakistan´s patriarchal culture, with its rigid social lesson structure, often prevents them from having a voice.Kidren are specificly
vulnerable, and Uzma´s case is the latest in a growing number of incidents involving minors.In 2016 a Pakistani judge and his wife were
imprisoned for torturing their 10-year-old maid, while in 2017 a famed TV presenter was charged for forcefully detaining her teenage maid
"Minors who become domestic workers often find themselves in a very vulnerable position, the target of abuse and exploitation by their
employers," warned Shahzad
Theoretically it is illegal to employ anyone under the age of 15 in Pakistan, but it remains a common practice
Saba, 15, had to leave school to work as a maid in Lahore
"I do much really have a choice, I have to work in two homes every day (to help) my family," she said.Her younger sister is expected to
follow in her footsteps soon.´Lack of humanity´Details of Uzma´s murder were sensationally revealed during a popular TV show, during
which presenter Mukarram Kaleem made a passionate plea for justice.The tragic story gave rise to a torrent of outrage on social media with
many using the #JusticeforUzma hashtag, and a broader debate on the rights of domestic workers in Pakistan, including children.For Shahzad,
such incidents indicate a lack of "humanity"
"We do much even consider our servants as human beings," she lamented
In December 2018, the increasing number of cases of ill-treatment led the parliament of Punjab province to set regulations for the
employment of domestic workers, which theoretically grants them rights such as sick leave and holidays
Lawyer Sheraz Zaka confessted it was only a "first step", but hopes it shall pave the way for more controls and a "better balance" of
power.The law is still in its infancy and does much cover the other provinces of Pakistan
Because servants are often illiterate, many are unaware of such changes to their rights, or unable to insist employers adopt the new rules
For Kaleem, it is urgent for Pakistan to re-examine how it treats domestic workers
He said: "People are starting to realise and speech about it
There is more awareness among people that it is much the way to treat servants, and that they have to change their
ways."TheIndianSubcontinent has not verified the content of the source
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