Layla Quran
Adalah Center for Human Rights Studies
Amman, Jordan
Every summer in Amman, the King Hussein Park amphitheater on the western outskirts of the city holds dozens of music festivals and concerts. Under the cloudless sky, young and old fill the venue as the music drifts into surrounding alleyways, inviting onlookers. Among the musicians who performed at the theater last summer was Iraj, Sri Lanka’s hottest pop singer. The venue was packed with thousands of Sri Lankans, who would leave as quickly as they entered the theater, going back to work at garment factories, agricultural farms, or in private homes as domestic workers. They are among the 1.5 million migrant workers in the country. This summer, I plan to return to Amman to document their fight for equality and fundamental human rights.
Domestic workers are often overlooked in mainstream media. The image of the disempowered domestic worker is most commonly seen, and sentiments toward them are usually those of pity or disregard. What would happen if these workers could be viewed as powerful, resisting forces in the country? How might this shift the way employers treat them and the way the workers interact with their employers? In the precarious environment of the home, where work is performed in an indeterminate space and time, how can domestic workers demand better treatment from their employers? These are questions I hope to help answer over the summer.
The Adaleh Center for Human Rights Studies is an NGO that advocates for the rights of all marginalized peoples in Jordan. The organization served as a partner along with the Solidarity Center in the launch of the first Domestic Workers Solidarity Network. I will follow the activities of the Network this summer and speak to domestic workers who actively resist the hegemonic narrative of helpless victim. The Network includes women from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It is the first of its kind in the country and sets a precedent in the region, as it is difficult for migrant workers to join unions there. For domestic workers in Jordan, the Network can be a way to build strong connections with other workers and further develop a sense of community.
Follow me as I share what I learn from them this summer!