Arabian Nights on Kuwait's beaches

Kuwait Times, Monday, May 22, 2006
Muna Al-Fuzai

Today I want to shed light over the humiliation carried out by some sponsors towards their maids. Most of us may pass by this behaviour without giving it any attention.
Most families enjoy the beach these days. They love to take their kids out for a few hours. But what I can't understand is why families do not take into consideration who will take care of the children, while they are swimming, playing or buying ice cream.
I can understand if families took their maids with them to have some fun and spend some time with the family outside. Let's see what a normal housemaid does.
First of all, she is the one who takes the lion share of carrying the family's bags, balls, rugs, food etc. Secondly, she is the one who arranges all of these items according to the madam's orders. Thirdly, she is a full time guard for the children while they are swimming or playing on the beach. Fourthly, participation is compulsory and she should play with them all the time until they are exhausted or need to eat.
Fifthly, she must prepare the food for the children and if the family is kind, they may give her some food to eat, or she have to wait until they finish and give her the leftovers. Finally, when the picnic is over, she is asked to pick up all the family's items again and take them to the car. She makes sure the kids take a bath and washes all their dirty laundry for next trip. What a job!
What the maids wear for these trips is not a concern for these families. Most maids go to the pool and beach with in their kitchen clothes or what ever else she is wearing! I can understand that there are no regulations regarding what clothes to wear to swim in the sea.
But, swimming in public pools is not acceptable without proper swimming clothes.
I can imagine that her clothes might have a lot of germs. Besides, wearing a swimsuit is necessary in case she has her period. I certainly would vomit if I saw some menstrual blood in a public swimming pools, simply because a maid was forced to join a little monster when she is not suitably dressed.
Another daily humiliation practiced by some cruel sponsors involves where a family chooses to sit. The seats are usually limited to two or three people. The lady and her husband sit while the maid is kept standing all the time like the slave, except she is not carrying a fan for her masters. Come on people! This is a scene from the Arabian Nights! What you are doing is shameful and abusive to a poor person, just because she is maid and works for you. What harm can be done if she is given a space to sit or asked to go for a walk on the beach on her own, or what ever she would like to do?
I think this is abuse and those abusers need to wake up. We need awareness campaigns media to shake them from their fantasies of slavery. This is 21st century, and the days of empire are long gone.

munaalfuzai@kuwaittimes.net