A PETITION urging authorities to introduce a family law and a labour law to stop violence against women and protect expatriate workers was launched by a Bahrain human rights group yesterday.
More than 100 people have already signed the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) petition, which specifically requests the protection of women and children.
The petition was launched by the BHRWS' Respect Movement on the occasion of International Women's Day at the Philippine Embassy's Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Zinj.
Signatures will be collected until the end of the month and the petition will be presented to the UN, in Geneva, on April 7 at a meeting to discuss Bahrain's Universal Periodic Review. It will also be sent to the UN Human Rights Commission and international organisations.
BHRWS regional and international relations director Faisal Fulad said urgent action was needed from the Bahrain authorities because people were suffering.
"There are more than 55,000 expat domestic workers whose wages are around BD45 per month and who work more than 12 hours a day with no rest," he said.
"Many who are running from abuse still have cases in court.
"The clerics have stopped the implementation of the family law for Sharia, but Bahrain joined the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2001. "In October the UN will discuss the first CEDAW report that has been submitted by the Supreme Council for Women. We will also submit a shadow
report on this.
"There are many cases to address, for example there are many Bahraini women married to expats who are still waiting for their children to get citizenship and some are in a bad situation."
BHRWS secretary-general Houda Nonoo said efforts from all sectors were needed to ensure that women, children and domestic workers had the rights they deserve.
Gender-based violence, she said, was a form of discrimination that seriously curbs women's ability to enjoy rights and freedoms on a basis of equality with men.
"We have to take appropriate measures, especially in the field of education and legislation, to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women and to eliminate prejudices, customary practices and other practices based on the idea of the inferiority or superiority of either of the sexes and on stereotyped roles for men and women."
The petition was welcomed by female victims of abuse who are temporarily being housed at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration shelter and the women were the first to sign the petition.
"This law will ensure the basic rights of all mothers and their children and grant them dignity and respect in the society that they live in," they said.
"It is important to include domestic workers under the labour law so they can also be assured of their basic rights."
To electronically sign the petition, which remains open until the end of the month, go to www.bhrws.org.
becky@gdn.com.bh
