Qatar has approved a draft law which would provide legal protection for tens of thousands of female domestic workers for the first time, according to state media. The law is expected to specify how many hours staff such as nannies, drivers and gardeners should work per week, how many days holiday they receive annually and how they are paid, reported the Qatar News Agency (QNA).
Legislation has been agreed by the cabinet, said QNA in a statement posted on Wednesday.
"The law applies to sponsors and domestic helpers, specifies their rights and duties and regulates the relationship between them," it added. In a 2014 report, Amnesty International claimed there were some 84,000 women migrant domestic workers in Qatar, mostly from south and southeast Asia. It alleged that many "face severe exploitation, including forced labour and physical and sexual violence".