Kuwaiti Influencer Sondos Alqattan Is Facing Backlash for Her Comments on Domestic Workers' Rights
A Kuwaiti beauty influencer is facing backlash following comments she made regarding domestic workers's rights.
On July 24, Yahoo! reported that blogger Sondos Alqattan posted a now-deleted video of herself publicly denouncing new regulations in Kuwait protecting Filipino domestic workers. In May 2018, the governments of Kuwait and the Philippines came together to issue regulations regarding domestic worker’s rights, ensuring that employees are properly housed and fed. However, Sondos took particular issue with regulations that prohibit employers from retaining the passports of their employees, and requires them to give workers at least one day a week off.
“Honestly I disagree with this law. I don’t want a Filipino maid anymore,” she reportedly said in her original video. In response, advocacy group Migrante International released a statement on July 20 calling on the makeup artist and influencer to issue a public apology.
On July 25, Sondos issued a statement on Instagram that addressed the public response to her initial video, but didn’t offer the apology many were looking for. “Due to the spreading rumors it was only necessary to make a responsive clarification,” she began. “The passport of any expat employee should be in the possession of the employer to protect the employers interest. Irrelevant of the employee/employer nationality.” In a July 25 story with Arabian Business, Sondos responded to critics, calling the scandal a “foreign media campaign” that wrongfully targeted Islam, the hijab, and Kuwait.
Yet no one other than you or your legal guardian should ever be in possession of your passport, especially if you're traveling or working abroad. Such a practice can hinder your ability to leave safely and identify yourself in emergency situations.
In the wake of her inflammatory comments, people have called on beauty brands including Anastasia Beverly Hills, MAC Cosmetics and Too Faced to cease all ties with Sondos.
"Hit her where it hurts and keep reporting her pages until they’re all taken down," one person tweeted. "When she no longer has a platform for her makeup, she can stay at home & clean her house herself! After all, she thinks a day off a week is already asking too much of employers." BuzzFeed News also shared several reaction tweets that were translated from Arabic: "A day off is the minimum. She's a human being, not a machine," read one. "Why don't you work seven days a week and give your passport to your boss? Where is your humanity?" questioned another. (Sondos has said in her Instagram post by claiming that she has never “degraded or in any way mistreated an employee,” and that she treats her employees fairly.)
"MAC embraces diversity and individuality. We are committed to our fans and employees around the world. As a brand, we strive to align ourselves with partners that share our core values and in no way tolerate excluding anyone," a MAC spokesperson said in a response to Teen Vogue's request for comment. "Sondos Alqattan’s views are her own. We wish to make it clear that we do not support the beliefs recently expressed by her. We currently do not have any partnerships with her and will no longer be working with her on any brand activities. MAC is All Ages, All Races, All Genders."
British makeup brand Chelsea Beautique has already taken steps to distance itself from Sondos, by removing her sponsored videos from its channel and tweeting its support for worker’s rights. “We believe that decent working conditions should be provided to everyone and such behavior does not represent our brand’s core beliefs,” the company wrote. According to Gulf News, Max Factor Arabia was "shocked by the comments" and has "immediately suspended all collaborations with Sondos."
On May 31, 2017, the UAE’s Federal National Council adopted a revised version of a 2012 draft law that granted 19 categories of workers, including domestic workers, a weekly rest day and paid leave. According to a 2013 Human Rights Watch report, over 25 countries have improved legal protections for domestic workers in the past two years, with Latin America leading the charge.
According to WFF’s Global Slavery Index 2018 report, the fashion production industry is one of the biggest contributors to modern slavery, but working situations like domestic employment are by no means exempt from protecting employees’ safety and wellbeing.
Teen Vogue has reached out to Sondos Alqattan for comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.
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