This was my third time migrating. The first time I was in Medina for four years. The second time I was in Ta’if for two years. My previous employers were good and provided my full salary.
[The third time in Riyadh], the wife of the employer beat me, she did not work. Everyday she beat me. She beat my head, so I would cover it with my hands. She hit my foot with her sharp high heels. Everyday she did this until my foot was injured. When I told the husband about his wife’s behavior, he also beat me. After she beat my hands and they became swollen, [they made me] wash my hands with … one whole cup of bleach. I felt very hurt and had a lot of pain. I never got enough food. After one year, they still had not paid my salary.
I never got a chance to rest, I woke up at 4 a.m., made breakfast for the children, I worked all day without rest. I went to sleep at 3 a.m. So many times I didn’t get a chance to sleep at night, I worked around the clock.
My employer had my passport. He is a policeman [a member of the National Guard]. I never got a chance to leave the house. They locked me in from the outside. When I had stayed there for one year, I got a chance to escape, it was a Thursday and I ran out. My condition was bad, my left eye couldn’t see, I was swollen all over. I got a taxi that took me to a police officer…. My employer came to the station and took me back. I refused, I said, “My employer is a bad person.” My employer said, “You haven’t finished your contract yet, it should be two years.”
When I reached the house, they beat me again. They beat my mouth and one tooth fell out [shows scar on her lip]. After that, they locked all the doors, only the bathroom door was unlocked. I was never allowed to go out, not even to throw out the garbage. They didn’t let me use the telephone. The situation got very bad. The husband and wife beat me every day, they never gave me medicine.
It got worse after I tried to run away…. In the last month I slept in the bathroom…. they put tape on my mouth so I couldn’t say anything because my employers didn’t want the neighbors to know about me.
I didn’t escape, I asked [my employer] to take me to the hospital because of my condition. First I had to promise not to tell about their behavior to me. They forced me to stay silent.
[…]
[crying] I just worry I cannot work because of my hands. I don’t know about my future .
Narrative as told to Human Rights Watch for their report “As If I Am Not Human”:Abuses against Asian Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia.
All credit given.
