The atrocious story of the abuse and death of Nepalese national Lila Aacharya in Lebanon caused a major uproar among Lebanon's human rights activists, and served to highlight yet again the failure of Lebanese authorities to address the problem. Lila, who had moved to Lebanon to lead a better life for her two daughters, started working at an affluent family's house in Lebanon. Much like other foreign workers in Lebanese houses, she was subject to mental and physical abuse and months later, her body was found hanging from the building's balcony. It was sent back to her family in Nepal, scarred and decomposed.

Lila's story is one in hundreds of incidents; in fact, one local study reports that one domestic worker dies in Lebanon every week. An estimated 150,000 migrants work in Lebanese households, and many experience a range of abuses that their perpetrators are not held accountable for. These abuses include violations of labor rights as well as verbal, physical and sexual abuse.

Domestic workers interviewed by human rights groups often report excessive working hours, lack of freedom, and delayed or nonpayment of wages. Almost 80 precent are not allowed to leave their employer's house at all. In light of the prevalent abuse cases combined with the inability of embassies to truly assist and protect their citizens, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Madagascar, and Nepal have all set bans on their citizens from traveling to Lebanon for employment.

The reasons behind the abuse are multifold, but at the core is an unfavorable attitude towards migrant workers, especially those from sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, and a lack of awareness. Lebanese families often do not consider that those workers have basic human rights, and they do not see their abuse as a violation in any way.

The Lebanese government has failed to take proper action to address this problem. Although it approved a standard employment contract and started an emergency hotline in the Ministry of Labor, these measures in no way guarantee the protection of domestic workers. Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas last week did not approve a draft law covering the rights of migrant domestic workers, arguing that including racial reference in the law is discriminatory. The issue is now slated to be debated by various parties, and civil society groups are lobbying for more rights. Even when the law is passed, the mechanism to enforce it is typically absent, as is judicial support for such cases.

In spite of this tragic situation, there is a growing civil movement pushing for the rights of the workers. In January 2011, a volunteer group known as the Migrant Workers Task Force began operating in Lebanon. The group has managed to attract the attention of both local and international media for their innovative approach to changing the perceptions of both workers and employers. This mission is crucial to safeguarding both the democratic ideals that Lebanon claims to uphold as well as the international relations Lebanon has worked to build. The group is planning to release a film that follows the lives of a group of young Ethiopian women in Lebanon and is intended to shed further light on the issue. The continued and expedited work of government officials combined with the work of volunteer groups and the growing attention being paid to these abuses will hopefully bring change to the fortune of these workers so that Lebanon may become a place of safe opportunities for all.