The ILO and the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut will unveil the findings of a first study on the status of Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) in the context of the care economy in Lebanon. The study examines the growing dependency on MDW to provide care and conduct household work in Lebanon and the extent to which measures have been adopted to ensure protection of MDW in the country and determine the degree of power of different stakeholders in determining the living and working conditions of MDWs. The study release will take place at a public event attended by government officials, labour recruitment agencies, civil society organizations and the media.

As part of the event, three sessions will be held to discuss the findings of the study, the care economy in Lebanon and recommendations for policy reform. Discussions will cover MDW issues such as: The dependency on MDW to manage households and care for the elderly, MDW vulnerability, forced labour; the MDW sponsorship system (known as Kafala) as well as labour legislation and social protection.

This initiative is part of the Work in Freedom (WIF) programme, a technical cooperation project implemented supported by the United Kingdom Department for International Development which aims to reduce vulnerability to human trafficking and forced labour amongs women and girls from South Asia engaged in domestic work and the garment sector in countries of origin and destination (Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Jordan and Lebanon).