Filipinos who are employed as household service workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have a lesser chance to experience maltreatment from their employers as domestic abuse in Saudi is now considered a crime. In what is referred to as a landmark decision, government officials in Saudi recently approved the implementation of the domestic abuse law.

Prior to the passing of the law, victims of domestic violence in Saudi is considered a private matter and the offender would face minimal legal consequences. The new policy obligates the police authorities in Saudi to conduct investigation and resolve domestic cases.

The new law would encourage victims of violence to report cases to the Ministry of Social Affairs of KSA. It also grants the victims of violence access to psychological treatment, shelter and healthcare. The Cabinet of Saudi said in a statement, “All civilian or military employees and all workers in the private sector who learn of a case of abuse — by virtue of their work — shall report the case to their employers when they know it. The employers shall report the case to the Ministry of Social Affairs or police when they know it.”

However, the statement from the Cabinet of Saudi did not clearly specify the punishments for those who will be convicted with domestic abuse.

The idea of coming out to report cases of domestic violence is actually a new concept in Saudi Arabia. According to an article in Arab News site, a survey conducted in 2009 revealed that 25.7% of 687 women seeking services in health centers in Madinah, Saudi said that they experienced physical violence. However only 36.7% of these women report the abuse to their doctors.