A recent study examining sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) faced by Sri Lankan migrant female domestic workers finds that abuse is widespread, economically driven, and reinforced by structural labour systems in the Middle East. This research from the Institute of Policy Studies analysed 42 complaints filed in 2024 with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), describing how violence, exploitation, and financial pressure intersect.
To begin with, most women migrated due to severe household debt and responsibility for dependents. That economic pressure often prevented them from reporting abuse. Many workers accepted advance payments of USD 1,000 to 2,000 before departure, which later functioned as debt bondage. When abuse occurred and workers sought repatriation, employers or agents frequently demanded repayment of these sums, effectively trapping workers in unsafe environments.
This was worsened by a recurring complaint: wage exploitation. Several workers reported receiving less than their agreed monthly salary, such as SAR1,000 instead of SAR1,125 in Saudi Arabia. Employers commonly withheld initial wages to stop workers from leaving. Others manipulated exchange rates by promising salaries in Sri Lankan rupees, resulting in lower-than-expected remittances and financial strain for families at home.
This was not the only form of exploitation, however. Many women reported working 18–20 hours per day with no rest. Some employers rented workers out to other households for profit, without providing additional pay.
The study classified reported abuses into physical and mental harassment, sexual harassment, deprivation of basic needs, communication restrictions, and contract violations. Sexual abuse cases frequently ended in repatriation rather than legal redress. Confiscation of phones and SIM cards was used to isolate workers and prevent contact with authorities or families.
The Kafala sponsorship system, used in many Arab states, underpinned these abuses by tying an immigrant’s legal residency to a single employer. Sponsors could cancel visas or report workers as absconding, exposing them to detention or deportation. The live-in nature of domestic work further concealed abuse from oversight.
The report proposes a four-pillar reform framework, including early risk assessment of employers, faster reporting through digital tools, stronger survivor support such as a repatriation fund and counselling, and binding penalties for abusive employers and recruitment agents.
The study concludes that SGBV against Sri Lankan domestic workers is not isolated misconduct but a continuous process rooted in economic vulnerability and systemic legal gaps. Addressing it requires both protection mechanisms and recognition of domestic work as labour deserving enforceable rights.