This briefing paper examines the widespread and institutionalized exploitation of women migrant domestic workers across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman.

Despite public commitments to reform, the kafala (sponsorship) system remains the primary mechanism governing migrant labor. Under this system, a worker’s immigration status is tied to their employer, giving employers excessive control over women’s mobility, wages, working conditions, and legal recourse. Domestic workers are often subjected to overwork, unpaid wages, confiscation of passports, verbal abuse, and physical violence—conditions that amount to forced labor in many cases.

Because most of these workers live in their employers’ homes, they remain invisible to legal oversight and are largely excluded from national labor laws. Their isolation makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation, while their gender, race, and nationality compound their marginalization. Workers from the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh make up the majority, and women comprise a disproportionately affected demographic.

The briefing also highlights the ongoing failure of GCC states to uphold international human rights standards, including CEDAW and ILO Convention No. 189. The absence of meaningful legal protections and weak enforcement mechanisms reflect a systemic disregard for migrant domestic workers’ rights and well-being.

ADHRB calls on GCC states to:

• Abolish or fundamentally reform the kafala system.

• Extend full labor protections to domestic workers.

• Establish independent complaint and enforcement mechanisms.

• Ensure transparency and accountability in labor recruitment and oversight.

• Cooperate with countries of origin to protect migrant workers throughout the migration cycle.

True reform requires more than symbolic measures. Protecting migrant domestic workers demands legal recognition, gender-sensitive policies, and international accountability.

Read the Full Briefing Paper: Trapped in the System- Women Domestic Workers and Kafala in the Gulf States

The post Trapped in the System: Women Domestic Workers and Kafala in the Gulf States appeared first on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain.

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