The setting up of a new public prosecution section and specialised judicial departments in Abu Dhabi emirate to look into crimes against domestic workers is a laudable move. The UAE has always been committed to the welfare of domestic workers and in September, this segment of society received an additional assurance of protection in the form of a law stipulating working conditions for domestic workers, including a regular weekly day off, 30 days of paid annual leave and the right to retain personal documents, all of which are reiterative of the security extended to them.
Against this fortified context, the provision of an efficient, dedicated judicial system that will address, and redress, any complaint of a domestic worker arising from any sort of a crime committed against them is a great societal facilitator that will ensure that the principles of tolerance and human rights that the UAE determindedly pursues will be fully functional at all times.
By creating an institutional infrastructure that will actively work towards ensuring justice for the aggrieved in accordance with international guarantees and standards governing the issue of human rights, the UAE is abiding by its commitment to domestic workers that they are in safe hands. With this step, they will have direct access to redressal of their grievances and that is a hugely empowering and transformational privilege they deserve to be accorded. This legal system will also lead to the creation of a database of cases that will help courts develop the expertise in this domain, an important requisite.
As service providers of immense value to social and familial welfare, the concerns and well-being of domestic workers are central to every society’s state of balance.
