Letter.

Letter Published in The National UAE on 19Dec 19Domestic violence is an issue; so is violence against domestic helpers

I write to you in reference to your editorial Domestic violence is a silent scourge that must be banished (December 17): it is important to talk about domestic violence, because it is a global issue. But I think it is just as crucial to highlight another menace that occurs in several households around the world – that of violence against domestic helpers.

Many of them are not treated with respect by their employers, with some of them even being regularly subjected to verbal and physical abuse. Several such instances have been reported in India where I live.

On the one hand, it appears to be a local problem that deserves local solutions. But given that many cases involve migrant labour, the international community must also intervene – if only to apply pressure on the authorities of the country in question to intervene.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru