Domestic Work in Lebanon Post-2019: Reflections on Emerging Trends

Abstract

This report is the result of collective work and cumulative thinking that happened over the course of two years among staff of the Anti-Racism Movement (ARM) and with members of the extremely diverse migrant communities in Lebanon, at a time when the country is witnessing an unprecedented decline from bad to worse. The information presented here was primarily collected to inform an advocacy campaign to improve working conditions for SEDWs. The idea behind the campaign was to accompany the trend of self-employment among domestic workers which emerged organically, and to ensure that workers actualize the potential for self-advocacy and organizing in this new mode of employment. We offer here our observations and preliminary conclusions to caution against future threats to domestic workers’ rights, and to help identify opportunities for change. This is an invitation to all practitioners in the interconnected fields of migrant rights, workers’ rights, and women’s rights, to reactivate our roles as listeners and exercise some flexibility to adapt our strategies and tactics to new realities.