‘Unclean’ Cleaners Of Islamabad

Asma Kundi

Islamabad: Nida, 42, a Christian housemaid, rang the doorbell of a house nearby where she worked as a cleaner.When the door opened, she asked the house lady if she could use their toilet.The lady asked why she needed the washroom, saying she worked for neighbors and could use their washroom as well.The answer surprised her because she was not allowed to use the washroom, even in an emergency, even though she cleaned it every day.

Frazana Begum is a resident of G-8 sector in Islamabad.

She told ThePenPK.com, “I am shocked by the way people treat Christian women.If they have such biases, why are they hiring them for housework?Not allowing them to use the toilet is a violation of basic human rights.”

Kiran, another Christian housemaid, got divorced because her husband was a drug addict and used to beat her for money.

She left her hometown at Sahiwal and moved to Islamabad with her four children and a widowed mother.Now both the mother and daughter work as housemaids for cleaning and washing.

Kiran said she works in five different houses, cleaning and washing dishes and clothes.

She shared her experience, saying, “We face very humiliating treatment from the people we work for.We are not even allowed to drink water from their kitchen taps.Once I was drinking water from the kitchen tap with my hands, and the house lady saw me and warned me that if I did it again, she would fire me.She told me to drink from the terrace tap instead.Even though I used to wash their dishes in the kitchen.”

Interviews with various Christian women revealed that they are treated in a humiliating way and are not allowed to touch kitchen utensils.

Some people keep their utensils separate for themselves, like glass or cups.They clean toilets but are not allowed to use them.To make sure they don’t use them, they are asked to clean toilets while keeping the door open.

These interviews uncovered many sad truths about society and the daily discrimination these women face.

In many cases, male members of the house harass the girls when they have the chance.On the other hand, the women are constantly threatened with accusations of theft if anything is missing from the house.

Many maids shared their stories with the hope that their experiences might make people feel compassion and help change how they treat these women.

Nargis, another maid, lives in kachi-abadi of G-8 with her husband and only son.

She told this writer that her husband was working in Islamabad as a cleaner in the secretariat.”When my son turned four, I asked my husband to take me with him from our hometown Faisalabad, where I was living in a joint family with my in-laws.I made this decision for my son’s future because I want him to get a good education in Islamabad.”

Talking about her work as a housemaid, she said, “I work in various houses from 8 a.m.

to 5 p.m.mainly as a cleaner.I get tired and hungry, but I and many others like me don’t get food to eat.Sometimes we are given leftover food in polythene bags to take home, but we are not allowed to eat there.”

She admitted that there is one lady who is kind and lets her eat in her house.

When Nargis is extremely hungry, she visits her for food.In Islamabad, most Christian men work in sewage and gutter cleaning.In the community, most women are housemaids.They are not treated well and are considered ‘impure’ human beings.These women are not allowed to work as cooks but are only hired for cleaning and washing.

Christianity is the third largest religion in Pakistan, making up about 1.27 percent of the population according to the 2017 Census.

They are the largest minority group in Pakistan.Although there are other minorities, the poorest and most vulnerable women and girls are often housemaids.

Rubina Bhatti, Executive Director of the Youth Development Association, told ThePenPK that her organization helps the Christian community and provides job skills for a better life.

She shared that she personally knew a girl who graduated but had to work as a housemaid because she couldn’t find a job.”I saw while working that these women are a very deprived group in society.They leave their kids alone while working.No one is there to feed them.When they come back in the evening, they just put meals on the table,” Rubina said.

She explained that there is no legal protection for housemaids, especially Christian maids who face more discrimination than Muslim maids.

They are paid as little as 2000 rupees per month for each chore.

Rubina also shared her own experience when she visited a friend and saw her friend yelling at her Christian maid for washing her hands with her soap after cleaning the bathroom.

She warned the maid not to do it again and asked her to take that soap with her.

She suggested the government should provide job opportunities for poor women so they don’t have to work as maids and earn a livelihood through other means.

“Community activists, law enforcement agencies, and the collaboration of local, provincial, and federal governments should take action against this act.Minority females need protection in Pakistan,” she said.