BBC Africa Eye investigates the plight of Malawian women lured to Oman with offers of domestic work, only to be trapped in a cycle of exploitation, with little hope of escape.
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Through WhatsApp voice notes, videos, and texts, this documentary reveals their abusive ordeals, and exposes the tactics of agents that traffic and then abandon them. The investigation also examines the poverty and desperation that leads young people to seek opportunities in the Middle East, and the weak justice system that often allows their employers to abuse them with impunity.
Intimate testimonies reveal widespread accounts of sexual and physical abuse, or worse, of African workers – and the film follows the work of an extraordinary network of women working across three continents fighting to bring them home, often against impossible odds.
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🎥 Watch this documentary in SWAHILI here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QeZA0eZkfg
and in FRENCH here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89r0LMqW38Q
🎧 LISTEN to ‘The Documentary: Trapped in Oman’ from @BBCWorldService and #BBCAfricaEye here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct6q7y
🗞 READ about this investigation here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-68565425
Africa Eye brings you original, investigative journalism revealing secrets and rooting out injustice in the world’s most complex and exciting continent. Nothing stays hidden forever.
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Credits:
Head of Longform – LIZ GIBBONS
Africa Eye Editor – TOM WATSON
Director and Executive Producer – NICOLA MILNE
Film Editor – FINLAY MILNE
Investigative Producer – KASSIM MOHAMED
Reporter – FLORENCE PHIRI
Archive – VOICE OF AFRICA, VOA, NEWS CENTRAL AFRICA
Additional Camera – ROBERT MBETEWA
Additional Translation – SUSAN MATIYA
Online Editor – CHRIS STOTT
Colourist – BOYD NAGLE
Dubbing Mixer – JEZ SPENCER
Reversioning Producer and Film Research – ANNA PAYTON
Digital Producer – TAMASIN FORD
Impact Producer – ADELLE KALAKOUTI
Social Media Producer – ANUSHA KUMAR
Production Coordinator – ABIGAIL KNIGHT
Production Manager – SIMON FROST
Camera – Malawi – PETER MAZUNDA
Camera – USA – DEREK ELLIS
Camera – Greece – VANIA TURNER
Fixer – HENRY MHANGO
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#Malawi #Oman #DomesticWorker #Migrants #MigrantLabour #WomensRights #MiddleEast
39 Comments
🎥 WATCH this documentary in SWAHILI here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QeZA0eZkfg
and in FRENCH here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89r0LMqW38Q
🎧 LISTEN to 'The Documentary: Trapped in Oman' from @BBCWorldService and #BBCAfricaEye here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct6q7y
🗞 READ more about this investigation here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-68565425
This is happening not only in Oman but through out the Middle East.
Oman are poor country they drive taxi,,, they are behavior is rude,, i saw this documents how they give punishment soo saaad,, they are also human being,,, in quran says all people are human being treat them in peaceful and being huminity,, islam did not say to torched the people,,😢😢😢😢😢😢😮😮
It's because the agents charge people usd 2600 to bring domestic workers for 2 year contract and if they take them back to office agents refuse to pay them back
As a woman , as an african , as a mother, as a sister and as a daughter…… I AM FURIOUS!!!!!!!!!
I wish if only they themselves can stop accepting to go to such countries in search of work
For the love of God, why do they keep going to those cesspit middle eastern countries. The BBC is way behind. These horrors and atrocities have been well-documented and publicised for decades, starting with the Filipino, Ghanaian, and Kenyan women and girls' reports. And yet, even those same Filipino and Kenyan women continue to return to those evil lands and evil people. Please stop thinking you will be the exception to the rule. Heed the warnings given by those who have gone before. Do not gamble with your lives. It is better to eat beans every day at home in peace than to end up a slave at the hands of demons whilst chasing dollars.🙏🏾🙏🏾
I dont understand what wrong with arabs🤬🤬🤬why do they mistreat fellow human ,yet they claim islam is peace and love 😢😢😢😢😢why dont they show love to fellow human,,,just because they come from poor country,,it doesnt mean ,they dont deserve to be treated as humans,,,😢africans governments ,you van do better generate job opportunities for us youth so this human trafficking,force labour can end ,,,,that why we are afraid to have kids ,because we aint sure of their future
Thank you, Phililani, Florence and Ekaterina, for all of your work. Formidable women with the hearts of angels. Thank you, the BBC, for the exposure.
It is true. My grandma worked in Saudi Arabia to make money for her children to walk away from war.
She had to give away her passport to the persons. Had to pretend beeing moslem, she did it for us. She had a tattoo on her forehad, a cross bc she is christian. So she was on a high level to die, if a person saw it.
Back in the day it was hard to escape, nowadays it is harder.
They were crul, too!!!!!
Yeah No, we will only talk about Gaza.
Not true this is part of media war to Oman
The oman govt register entry of all domestic workers and keep track of them and their welfare. Govt should monitor their overall living conditions and their well-being. On any sign of abuse action should be taken against the hiring person/ family.
Que vergonha esse pais que tem melhores relações com os Estados Unidos da América e comete crimes que nem os Animais na selva não fazem
Não sei porque pessoas da Africa vão nesses pais onde não existe moral
Estados satânicos
This is a made up story totally untrue!
You must find out from other women who happened to be in Oman but not these who talks nonsense! If it happened by any reason there must be a wrong reason created by themselves. Don't believe in any story you hear until you find the fact!
That's not Oman at all….. It is another place but portrait as Oman
Those women go there willingly nobody force them they are hardheaded.
I personally feel it is not the full picture of this situation.. Oman is a country which believes in hospitality first.. There could be minorities who would have been into such devil acts but that does not symbolise complete country.. But this minority acts also could be spoken and actions should be taken to punish these individuals..
Geoginas boss should be arrested..this is soo sad
I am Omani, and I am not shocked at all. Oman is a dictatorship, so what is happening to these victims is an extension of the nature of its regime. We Omani women when we speak out against Kafala system, we are silenced by the regime. Please don’t come to gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain). Inhuman countries, their regimes are evil, and most of their people are complicit with evil.
I'm a Nigerian living in Oman for 5+ years now I appreciate Albalushi families 🎉❤my boss never maltreat me or suffer me the wives,children and grandchildren all good to me i never regret coming Oman… People are different other boss can be wicked, but my boss is far different. their male treat me as a sister, seeing this post really shock me and make me sad 😢I thank God 🙏 i have the best boss ever 🎉❤❤❤❤❤
The BBC is attempting to distort the public image of Oman, using its media content as part of a targeted campaign against the Omani people. Meanwhile, it ignores violent crimes such as murder, robbery, and assaults carried out by individuals of African origin in residential neighborhoods, which are causing fear and unrest among the public. It is crucial to address these barbaric crimes.
Oman is a country of law. If someone is wronged, they
should go to the nearest police station or embassy. However, it is clear that this video contains lies. My father is Omani and my mother is of African origin. We do not see these violations. If they exist, this is an individual act and exists even in other countries. If there is negligence in pursuing criminals, then the blame lies with your embassy.
The evil going on in the middle East is not being called out by the world I wonder why, these people still enslave humans.
As black African woman I will never holiday in the middle east or use any of their airlines.
😢
Good job Malawian government for bringing them home
This is a situation that the world governments and the United Nations have to get involved to stop this kind of abuse to the Women of Malawi 🇲🇼. I will reach out to the Malawi Government to see if I can help bring employment to the Government 🙏🏾
Oh what a disgrace. I'm a Muslim from South Africa. May Allah guide these woman to not fall into this trap. Happy to see their government is doing something.
😢😢
For all the arabs black people are nothing but slaves. And than you see black people protesting for Palestinians with other arabs who are more than half of the population in Jordan. Mind bugging. I did not see Palestinians protesting for the rights of thoes poor girls. Racism in Arab countries is real
This is recent. 😳
May God help those poor souls
STOP SLAVERY NOW!!!!
Evil .I do not understand how someone could treat people this way !💔🙏🏻
Sadly these agents go to the villages because they know people there are desperate, and not so exposed to what's happening out there. And let's not forget, Arabs don't like Africans. To them we're slaves and to be used as they please.
Let me 1st apologize for my ignorance. I do not know all I should know about the specific situations in Oman. I horribly of sex trafficking rampant in countries, some worse than others. But if they have camera phones to film their conditions why can't they call for help? If I am locked in a room with an active phone I will use it. Or is the so-called police dept here part of the issue? Sex trafficking is common in the US as well. But IF the government or police are aware they are coming to save the victim. I have always heard their is no real government in some of these countries. My heart aches for these women some NOT 3ven women only girls😢😢
Thank you girls for tha job well done
And you people why not arrest this madam Rita and the greedy agents? And also Tanzania has proved to be the wee link to Oman. Please raise the concern with the TZ government to mitigate this