Abused child domestic workers even more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS

The exploitation of children employed as domestic workers in the tiny kingdom of Lesotho has, until now, been shrouded in secrecy. But as the kingdom grapples with high HIV/AIDS figures and growing levels of poverty, a new report is forcing people to confront the risk of child abuse, when employing young domestic workers. According to the study, commissioned by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation (MOGYSR), child domestic workers were poorly paid, often worked in isolated and difficult living conditions, and vulnerable to sexual abuse. "This is the worst form of labour because they are like a commodity for the family [they work for]. They are totally isolated and ignored, they have no private life, and don't even know how to play," the UNICEF country representative in Lesotho, Bertrand Desmoulins, told PlusNews. Their educational needs were also overlooked - researchers found only 11 percent of about 800 children interviewed were in school, but almost all said that was where they wanted to be. Although most had heard about HIV/AIDS, their knowledge of the disease remained limited. "When asked what they knew about HIV and AIDS, 34 percent said that it kills people and 15 percent said it was incurable," the report noted. "They are still lagging far behind in terms of AIDS education, which makes them even more vulnerable," principal study investigator Selloane Mokuku warned. To get the children mainly between the ages of 13 and 17 to talk about their experiences was difficult, she admitted, but the study encouraged those who could write to keep diaries, and also used drama to get the children to open up. The diaries became an "incredibly powerful" communication tool for the children, as accounts of sexual abuse or advances from their employers were written down. "To secure a job and continued support to my grandmother and four siblings, I once succumbed to the luring of my employer, who coerced me into stroking his penis in exchange for 100 Maluti (approximately US $16) extra pay," a 16-year-old orphaned domestic worker wrote. Mokuku commented to PlusNews that the continuing severe drought and food shortages in Lesotho would force more children into work and the threat of exploitation. The hiring of child domestic workers is common in the kingdom and when people travel to rural areas it is perfectly acceptable to bring back a "young girl" to work as a domestic. Traditionally, the children were brought into wealthier, urban homes in order to help support their families, while also receiving an informal apprenticeship in keeping house. But children are now increasingly becoming victims of exploitation. "This is a situation we are all aware of but pretend is not there, and it's people like us who conduct studies and dress well that are practicing it [abuse of child domestic workers]," Mokuku remarked. However, with such high levels of adult poverty, one had to ask why people chose to employ children under 18 as domestic workers, Desmoulins said. "It's not normal for a child younger than 18 to be working 24/7." But, as delegates attending last week's launch of the report in the capital, Maseru, heard, people preferred younger domestic workers as they were more malleable and would not "take their husbands". Nevertheless, the government is taking notice of the exploitative nature of this industry, and the rights of children are now currently being tackled in legislation. "We don't need this kind of sector in our economy - we should do away with it," the JK Thabane, principal secretary of the MOGYSR said during the launch. But Nts'ikeng Qhubu, a former employee in the ministry of justice, was of the opinion that all the talk of curbing the practice would "stay in these conference rooms". "People will get away with murder where children domestic workers are concerned, as long as there are inadequate monitoring mechanisms and there is no framework to implement the legislation," she told PlusNews. One of the major obstacles to ceasing the practice, the study found, was the significant level of antagonism to children's rights by communities, who viewed it as a foreign concept. "Rights were seen as something that would spoil kids and make them irresponsible," Mokuku said. "They are not comfortable with it [children's rights] because it threatens their authority," Desmoulins said, calling for the eradication of the use of children as domestic workers. Against the backdrop of the kingdom's humanitarian crisis, the study recognised that Lesotho could not afford to be romantic and lose sight of reality, as many children did not have a choice, Mokuku said. "We are not saying children should not work, but we need to come up with action and practical suggestions to prevent abuse - people can no longer be complacent," she added. The study called for more formalised work agreements, which could be drawn up by local chiefs and employers, as well as non-formal methods of education, including HIV/AIDS messages.