Trapped In Oman

For the past few months, I have been keeping up with the news on the Malawian women trapped in Oman . Over 300 Malawians, predominantly women and girls, are said to be stuck in Oman, where they are exposed to horrific work conditions and have no way of escaping. Recently, on June 2nd, it was reported that a young woman who was not on the list of those in need of repatriation died as a result of awful living conditions. This is even more disturbing news since it implies that there may be more unaccounted for women and girls who are permanently trapped in a foreign country.

Things have been so awful economically here for so long, with high living costs, low job opportunities, and low wages, that when people find appealing job opportunities abroad, they don't hesitate to take them. However, this search for greener pastures ends up putting our citizens at risk of being victims of human trafficking as is the case with the women in Oman. According to reports, the women stranded in Oman left the country on the pretense of employment, only for them to wind up as slaves.

The Malawi government, through the ministry of foreign affairs, has been communicating that it is doing the best it can to repatriate the stranded women; yet, until today, we have only heard of how they were able to get 50 air tickets for some of the stranded women,who until today haven’t yet made it home. We, as a nation have not been informed of the mission's status or how the government intends to proceed to ensure that all of the women are safe and returned home. Which means that all we can do now is hope for the best and pray that we don’t lose any more women.

I am certain that our government, backed by our laws is doing everything in its power to combat human trafficking; but I believe that much more has to be done, particularly in raising awareness among disadvantaged and marginalized people who are most likely to be targeted. I am sure that very few Malawians, particularly the less educated and lower-income Malawians are aware that "human trafficking" occurs in Malawi, let alone the severity of the situation on the ground.

Vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls, as well as the economically disadvantaged, must be made aware of the problem and how easy it is for one become a victim. Human trafficking, particularly its link to work prospects abroad, needs to be widely highlighted. People must be made aware of the need to investigate and question some of these opportunities abroad and, more importantly, they must have information on where they can seek help and report if ever approached with such dubious opportunities.

I look forward to the safe return of the women and girls trapped in Oman, and I hope that when they finally arrive, they will be given the assistance they require for them to regain control and independence.