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‘They Called Us Monkeys’: Kenyan Women Tell Of Racist Abuse In Saudi Domestic Jobs

Kenyan women employed as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia are enduring extreme abuse, racism, and exploitative conditions that amount to forced labour and human trafficking, Amnesty International said on Tuesday in a damning new report.

In its report titled “Locked in, Left Out: The Hidden Lives of Kenyan Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia”, the human rights organisation documents the harrowing experiences of more than 70 women. Many were deceived by Kenyan recruiters and ended up working in grueling conditions in private homes in Saudi Arabia, often with no days off, extremely long hours, and severe restrictions on their freedom.

“These women travelled to Saudi Arabia in search of work to support their families but instead endured unspeakable abuse in the homes of their employers,” said Irungu Houghton, Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya. “The Kenyan government is actively encouraging labour migration, and the Saudi Arabian authorities claim that they have introduced labour rights reforms, yet behind closed doors domestic workers continue to face shocking levels of racism, abuse and exploitation.”

The report details how employers regularly confiscated passports and mobile phones, leaving the women isolated and unable to contact their families. Many faced physical, verbal, and sexual abuse, and were forced to work more than 16 hours a day for as little as $0.50 per hour.

“She [the employer] didn’t think that I could get tired. There was no chance to rest... I would work for her the whole day and then even at night, I would still be working. I felt like a donkey and even donkeys find rest,” said Rashida, one of the women interviewed.

Others echoed similar experiences of confinement and psychological stress.

“I have no freedoms, because once you are inside you never go out. You don’t go out and do not see out. This made me feel like it’s a prison,” said Joy.

Eve added: “The first thing my boss did was to take my passport. If you ask, they will tell you ‘I have paid for everything for you,’…and you will not dare to say anything because you are in a foreign country.”

Malnutrition and denial of food were also common. Some were given only leftovers, while others survived on dry noodles, bread, or biscuits.

“Food was the main problem,” said Katherine, explaining that her employer threw out meals she made for herself.

The women’s testimonies also revealed substandard living conditions—many were forced to sleep on floors, in cupboards, or children’s rooms without proper bedding or ventilation.

The abuse often extended to sexual violence, with some women reporting rape by male employers.

“He did rape me and even threatened me not to tell the wife. I kept quiet. It was like his daily routine… I tried [to tell him stop] but men are very strong. So eventually he did rape me, five times…” said Judy, a single mother who had fled an abusive marriage in Kenya.

Victims who tried to report the abuses were often met with retaliation, including false accusations, wage theft, or detention.

The report also highlights a deeply entrenched system of racial abuse. Many of the women said they were regularly referred to using racist slurs.

“Because of my dark complexion, I was always called a Black animal. The children would also come to my face to point and laugh, saying how I am a monkey,” said Niah.

“They called us monkeys or baboons,” said another woman, describing the degrading treatment by employers who viewed African domestic workers as inferior.

“At the heart of the abuse lies a labour system underpinned by historical and structural racism, where racialized migrant domestic workers – including Black African women – are dehumanized and treated as disposable,” said Houghton.

Despite reforms under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, domestic workers remain excluded from full labour protections and continue to operate under the kafala sponsorship system, which gives employers disproportionate control over workers’ movement and employment.

In 2023, Saudi Arabia introduced updated regulations for domestic workers, but Amnesty says these are toothless without proper enforcement. Many abuses reported by the women are already illegal under Saudi law but were committed with impunity, the group said.

“Kenya has a big role to play in the protection of domestic workers abroad. It must work with Saudi Arabia to ensure the protection of migrant workers by better regulating recruitment practices and ensuring embassies are equipped to urgently support domestic workers in distress, including providing safe houses as well as financial and legal support for those in need,” Houghton added.

Neither the Saudi nor Kenyan governments responded to Amnesty International’s request for comment.

According to Saudi labour statistics, around 4 million domestic workers are employed in the country, all of them foreign nationals. An estimated 150,000 are Kenyan. With rising unemployment, Kenya continues to encourage migration to Gulf states, with Saudi Arabia among the country’s top remittance sources.

Note: Names have been changed to protect identities.

[color=orange]SaharaReporters[/color]

If you are not monkeys, then you won’t go and slave for cursed Arabs. So they are right

anyone volunteering to go the middle east and be a slave and a monkey is a slave and a monkey.

They refer you as monkey........I hope they feed you enough banana??

Saudi and Israel is one of the most useless countries,that any sane black won't want to have anything to do with,if you see the way both Jehovah and Allah take hate black but it's our mumu people that keep worshipping them.

GOFRONT:
They refer you as monkey........I hope they feed you enough banana??

Learning from NwaAmaikpe I see.

If they called you black money called them white he goat.

Well

Lol u no get country....


Nothing wey u wan even call me for this world wey go touch me...

nA u get ur mouth mak Dem free me nd u 1 on 1 if na u win fine if na me win fine... All this talk no dey move me...

..

We blacks are better than Arabs 100%..

The arabs and white will always see black as slave and not as a equal.

Ok

... then respond by chanting Tissue Paper or Toilet Roll

Arabs are first class racists

It doesn't matter if they call you monkeys, as long as you they gave you jobs, ignore the insults and collect your money

Arabs (most) are the worst people to work under. Libya, SA, Egypt et al. Experience of our people with them are worst.

Stay in your country and hustle you say no. You deserve it

When Africans know their worth and hold themselves accountable they would have solved 70% of their problems.

Can an Arab or Asian or European come to Africa for domestic work??

Woman they are like that don't let it surprise you, that is country some are spending Nmillions to go every year.

Same is Isreal to tell you going to thse country for pilgrimage I see it a total waste of resources and time.

Shm

You cannot blame them entirely because black African leaders make black people look worse than monkeys.

If black African leaders like Tinubu were doing well by leading their nations with honesty, sincerity of purpose, and carrying all the different ethnicities that make up their countries along for the purpose of communal progress for all their citizens irrespective of their ethnicity or religion, believe me, black Africans will be respected by other races. In Nigeria for instance, some tribes believe they are superior to others and they use this foolish mentality to be destroying Nigeria politically and otherwise, and they still foolishly believe that Nigeria will become a better nation with such insanity.

So why would other races respect you when you don't even respect or value your own people in your country? Fulani herdsmen will wake up and carry gun to shoot and kill vulnerable, defenseless people struggling to survive for no justifiable reason and they feel so good and proud about it and the person ruling Nigeria folds his arms and go about his daily business like it's nothing in this 21st century, how can others respect you?



Check the world, every other race have one or two nations of their race making them proud in technology, science, innovations and economic development, only the black race have no single black nation making them proud in the global arena.



Whites (Caucasians) have all of Europe, America, UK, Australia, Canada, Russia, etc making the white race proud.


China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and India are making the Asian race proud.


Brazil, Argentina, Bahamas, Cuba, etc are making the Carribeans proud.

Tell me which black nation is making black race proud?


Nobody respects failure.


Nobody respects the destitute or the foolish person, that's the sad truth. Blacks remain the fools of the world that refused to put their house in order. It's disheartening that black people cannot govern themselves in their own black nations and lead their nation to a communal prosperity. This is the singular reason other races don't respect black people.

As if you people are better




Didn't your government joined Nigeria government to kidnapped your fellow black.

RichBoy247:
If you are not monkeys, then you won’t go and slave for cursed Arabs. So they are right

If Africa is better then I'm not sure if Africans would want to go slave in Arab countries.

Arabs are the real racists

Why anyone will want to work for those stinky dirty Arabs is beyond me.

RichBoy247:
If you are not monkeys, then you won’t go and slave for cursed Arabs. So they are right

Their leaders caused it all.

Chai

But just collect your pay and go back to your country or continent when you have earned enough to where you will be valued.
Point of correction, avoid South Africa.