UPDATE: Ethiopian Woman Beaten on Camera Kills Herself: Vigil for Alem Dechassa
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Sunday, March 11, 2012
New York (TADIAS) – The recent, disturbing video of an Ethiopian woman who was violently mistreated outside the Ethiopian embassy in Lebanon, appears to have caught the Lebanese media and authorities by surprise. For many Ethiopians, however, the incident is the latest example of the prevalent culture of violence against female Ethiopian migrant employees in many Middle Eastern countries.
“It is time to end the unchecked exploitation of migrant women in the Middle East,” said Ms. Zewditu Fessehaa,” Chairwoman of the Ethiopian Social Assistance Committee in New York City. ESAC recently hosted a public forum to highlight the plight of Ethiopian female domestic workers in the Middle East. “As the world can see from this video the treatment of domestic workers in that part of the world is inhumane, barbaric, unjust and must be stopped,” Ms. Fessehaa said.
Meanwhile, local media in Lebanon say that the government is calling for an investigation. “The scenes of the Ethiopian domestic worker being beaten outside the Ethiopian consulate were considered as a crime by all those who saw them,” reported the Beirut based Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International. “The Lebanese state mobilized its efforts, especially the cabinet and the Lebanese public opinion that strongly denounced what happened, calling for harsh sanctions against the perpetrator of such acts in the future.”
LBCI reporters identified the abuser seen in the video footage, via his license plate number, as Ali Mahfouz. “Ali tried to justify his act by denying that he beat her; he stressed that the worker tried to commit suicide more than once and that he tried dealing with her humanely, but she refused to go to the airport for deportation,” he told the TV station. Labor Minister Salim Jreissati told LBC that the Ministry of Labor “decided to take the necessary measures to punish the perpetrator who turned out to be an employee in the domestic workers’ office. Jreissati said that the ministry summoned the domestic workers’ office for an urgent meeting on Monday, adding that a formal complaint will be registered.”
In New York, Ms. Fessehaa said she is urging everyone to speak out on behalf of the workers. “Men or women, it is time to break the silence on this urgent crisis,” she said. “We need to demand that our women are treated with dignity and humanity.” She added: “We need to start thinking about alternative solutions to the larger problem that continues to lure them to unsafe work conditions in foreign lands. This issue must be permanently solved.”
Tadias Magazine has contacted the Ethiopian consulate in Lebanon to shed light on the actual circumstances of the woman, her whereabouts, and whether or not she has received assistance. We will update the story if we receive a response.
Watch: Ethiopian Domestic Worker Beaten Outside the Ethiopian Consulate in Lebanon (LBCI)
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Related:
Related:
Photos: Vigil for Alem Dechassa Outside Lebanon Embassy in D.C. (TADIAS)
Maltreated maid in video aired on Lebanon TV kills herself (MSNBC)
Maid Commits Suicide After Attack Video (Reuters via The Root)
Maid hangs herself after scandal (Independent Online)
Lebanon: Abused Ethiopian maid kills herself – VIDEO (Global Post)
In Lebanon Abuse Video of Ethiopian Domestic Worker Surfaces (TADIAS)
Video: Woman seen in Lebanon abuse video kills herself days after this footage emerged
Very sad. This too shall pass.
This is a reply to Hayat Sleiman, are F’m sick or what telling ethiopian people need to relax? i beg you say it infront of me.
People on the street of London find a knive in thre back or neck for disrespect another fella let alone been disrespected in that manner. Relax? what the f do you know about relax when one quier man handle a woman like that for what?
Hayat if you aint got nothing to say it’s best you keep quiet. unless you are another stupid
I am very saddened by the video outrage shown here- It may transmit equivalent message for ethiopians residing in their own country and abroad. This is barbaric act and should be condemned.The ethiopian embassy, the people at home who act and negotiate with the arabes to send our sisters to these countries, and the people who hire these domestic workers would largely be held responsible for this inhuman Activities. As a tradition,Ethiopia is known for treating well the strangers and guests of any kind. When the Arabes come to ethiopia for many reasons, they will be treated well by the people and the Government. They should do the same for any ethiopian citizen when they go to to these countries. But, instead, the people of Arabs severly abuse and miltreat our sisters in any way and any form is not acceaptable. The ethiopian people in diaspora with the collaboration of the government should do the something to prevent this wildish act as soon as possible
This is wrong in God’s eye. This is wrong in human eye. What happened to treating other human-beings the way you want to be treated by others? Does Ethiopia has any men left anymore who can stand up for her? Not men of violence and immaturity that we see today. But men of courage and sense of justice and truth? Men who fear above all only the creator. And only him.
Can you imagine if this poor woman was an American citizen or a British citizen being abused like this in front of her embassy? OMG hell will break loose in England and in America. David Cameron and Barack Obama’s ass would be on fire. That’s called government by the people.
Today in the news.
Ethiopian domestic worker beaten on camera commits suicide.
BEIRUT: The Ethiopian domestic worker whose beating outside her country’s consulate was widely publicized on video committed suicide Wednesday morning, Ethiopia’s consul general in Lebanon confirmed to The Daily Star.
Alem Dechasa, 33, hanged herself using her bed sheets between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., Ethiopian General Consul Asaminew Debelie Bonssa said doctors told him.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Mar-14/166626-ethiopian-beaten-on-camera-commits-suicide.ashx#ixzz1p6VoPkgr
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Mar-14/166626-ethiopian-beaten-on-camera-commits-suicide.ashx#axzz1p6NWIHnd
RIP.
Alem Dechasa is a daughter maybe a mother, aunt or sister in law for one poor Ethiopian family. The poverty that sent her to make money in Lebanon ended up in tragedy. How long our sisters should be treated as money making machine for Woyane Regime who is colluding with their abusers barbarism not to lose business.
Alem Dechasa’s only crime is coming to Lebanon to make some money for her poor family back in Ethiopia. The poverty and death she run away finally caught her in a very tragic way. If she had been beaten back home at least there were family members to run for her defense. There was no one on Beirut street that day for our sister. I am crying at this moment for let her down !!!.
The least I could have done for her was to protect her from the heavy blow she endured that day. I wish I should take that blow for her. There was no one for her that will be a shame for all of us we call ourselves Ethiopians. Our men the defender of family honor failed her. Our sisters did not call for help, no one say “Ou Ou”, it was only her fainted voice we heard while the Arab thugs jump on her.
These cowards and the Woyane representative both are responsible for what happened to Alem Dechasa. Alem is now a symbol of Barbarism against Ethiopian women in the Arab World. I would like to make it clear that the case of Alem Dechasa is not closed even after her death. Independent body has to investigate how she came to Lebanon and all she met while in Lebanon until her death.
There is no one to speak on her behalf and she died with her secrets of abuse and torture. We watched the glimpse of her story thanks to the people who made the footage public. What happened after that until her death is still not known. The Ethiopian Mafia in Beirut has no credibility to speak on her behalf and we demand international women organizations to send their team and come with a report on Alem Dechasa. she is our Visible Woman for the many Invisible Ethiopian housemaids in Middle East.
If there is anything to learn from her death it is now not tomorrow. Many Ethiopian maids return to their home country in body bags if they are lucky. Some whereabouts have been unknown and no one bother to find. This modern day slavery can only be defeated first and foremost if the Diaspora Ethiopian Women take this fight to the doors of Arab Embassies who are torturing and killing our sisters.
Enough is Enough !!!! Let the March in the name of Alem Dechasa begins in Lebanon Embassies all over the world. Abusing of Ethiopian women has been possible because Ethiopian women have no one to speak on their behalf. We are their defenders !!! The so called Ethiopian Council is part of the problem because it is profiting from shipping our ladies for money. It is all about the money generation of our women while they are under captivity.
Sister Alem Dechasa forgive us for not coming to your defense. We will make sure that your name will be read together with Yenesew Gebre who was martyred on 10/11/11 rather than being humiliated in his own village. You preferred to take your own life after being publicly humiliated by the thugs in the Lebanon. We will not rest until justice served
Why this footage is not shown here in America. If it did it would have made a diff. The Ethiopians, in Lebenons with out legal paper should be able to return to their home land, and each and every one of them should be able to regester to wherabouts. What happened to Alem will be happen again . The Ethiopian gove should step in and stop the explotations of young kids in to this kind of work force. As I was leaving Ethiopia, many young kids were leaving to Arabic countries…..I looked at them and said….” This is modern day slavery” I had never felt and betrayed by the so called self loved gov…what had done to our people and country…….We used to be a country with pride….let alone that now….we became invisible and the most abundance unwanted grass on earth… I call this inhuman and a digrace selfish act by Arabic people…..God doesn’t kill people….I don’t know ur God…you have a blood in your hands…in the end Alem killed herself…..How could she? why was she put in mental hospital? she needed a freedom….in the end they killed her to silence the media to defend their actions.We are now labelled as Crazy Ethiopian’s…..We should urge the American station to show this footage..Once your freedom , pride and soul is taken.. you have nothing left..even if she killed herself…justice needs to be served…Every Arabic people have Alem’s blood in their hands..Die with dignity and pride…we are struggling here post 9/11…Justice to all human being
In Ethiopia, humanity is treated as less-valuable than pets do in Europe. I see many comments around here, and most of them are filled with ‘zeal’.
But do we ever recognize, men treated like dogs in the streets of Addis?
Are we zealous about ‘Ethiopia’ the name, or its individual citizens?
Is there any of you, who don’t know the homeless, hopeless and orphan kids spending the terrible nights outside?
Why don’t we mobilize to curb that problem? Why don’t we help Organizations like Mary Joy, Abebech Gobena to end the seemingly ‘endless suffering of homeless’ citizens at least in Addis Ababa?
Dear all Ethiopian netizens, let action speak!
Respect to all of you!
I called this morning several T.v station including Msnbc to report this tragic story….I also Called the Labenon Embassy…We all should do something….stop using the word Maid ” her name is Alem
This is for Sayat. How dare u to tell as to relax? Are you not a woman? Are you not see the video? What is wrong with you? I bet one of them is your son. Who cares about Lebanon democracy & what is the point of having. Country full of ignorant people like yourself. Shame on you as a woman & a human being you should say much better than take it easy. By the way you Lebanon peopl show the world how uncivilized you are.