Domestic helpers are treated like animals

By Hani Hazaimeh

AMMAN - When Ishara Hemanthi arrived in Jordan in November 2008, she hoped that she’d be able to save enough money to help her family in Sri Lanka. But in less than four months, her dreams turned into a nightmare when her employers started to abuse her physically.

She told her story as authorities were mulling tougher measures against abusing employers, including a ban on any future recruitment of domestic helpers.

Despite enduring the daily beatings, the 23-year-old Sri Lankan worker refused to give up hope that life would improve when she became more accustomed to her employer's habits and customs. But the situation only got worse and on Monday Hemanthi ended up in the emergency room with severe bruising and swelling all over her body.

Speaking to The Jordan Times yesterday, the Sri Lankan, who eventually made it to her country’s embassy in search of help and was later taken to hospital, said: "At first they were very nice to me, although they didn't pay the salary that we had agreed upon in the work contract. Four months later, however, things started to change and I have not been paid my salary for the past eight months."

According to the work contract, a copy of which was made available to The Jordan Times, Hemanthi's monthly salary was meant to be $175 but she claimed that her employer paid her only $100 for the first four months of her work....click here to read the whole story.