In Bahrain, female migrant domestic workers (MDWs) face a multitude of obstacles in achieving rights and liberty. Class, race, religion and gender intersect to create barricades excluding MDWs from Bahraini society. With nearly half of Bahrain’s population made up of migrant workers, there are thousands of MDWs facing unjust working conditions. While Bahrain has officially[…]
12
Nov
Nov
Kuwait implemented the Kafala (sponsorship) system around the 1950s, initially implemented to control migration into Arab countries. Under the system, states are usually supposed to provide employers with enough funding, visas, and residency to allow the workers to be employed. Although Kuwait has made promises to reform its labor system, the Kafala framework still places[…]
04
Nov
Nov
In June of 2025, Saudi Arabia announced its decision to abolish the Kafala system. This announcement forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 Initiative, and claims to replace the previous sponsorship framework with a contractual employment model, better reflecting modern labour standards. If implemented appropriately, this decision would represent a significant development in human rights[…]
15
Sep
Sep
On 12 September 2025, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) delivered an intervention during the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. During the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, ADHRB drew the Council’s attention to the exploitation of migrant workers in GCC countries, which[…]
24
Jun
Jun
On June 23, 2025, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and partner organizations delivered an intervention during the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. During their intervention under Item 3, in the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, ADHRB called for[…]
