Doc World

WHY SLAVERY? Maid in Hell

By Søren Klovborg. A production of THE WHY Foundation.

In 2016, Mary Kibwana, who works as a maid in Jordan, is returning to her home of Kenya with 70% of her body burned. She is rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital where her relatives gather, not knowing if she will survive. All they do know is the shocking story of events that unfolded in Jordan as told by Mary herself.

Every year, women in Africa and Asia return from the Middle East with accounts of being trapped in the Kafala System - a set of laws governing migrant labor that binds laborers to their employers. The women are subject to harassment, abuse, rape and 18-hour work days. With passports confiscated, they are unable to flee and risk punishment or imprisonment if they try. Against a network of unscrupulous employment agents, and rich and powerful families, the women are forced to give up and try to forget the trauma. For Mary, her high profile case reveals the truth about an employment system hiding a reality of torture and humiliation. MAID IN HELL exposes the inner workings of the Kafala System. By following employment agents who describe the trade, and maids who struggle to find a way home, we come to understand the horrific reality faced by thousands of women each day. Silver Winner, 2nd Annual Anthem Awards, Human & Civil Rights - Film, Video, Television or Show.