HUMAN RIGHTS | Defending human dignity
06 June 2008
Woman Proves Great Things Can Be Accomplished in Retirement
Retiree founded service to help tens of thousands of migrant workers in Bahrain
Washington -- Marietta Dias, an Indian retiree and naturalized Bahraini citizen with no formal training in social work or counseling, works through her nongovernmental organization the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) to care for migrant laborers from any country.
MWPS maintains a small shelter for trafficking victims and works to influence the press to publish victims’ stories and raise awareness of their plight. The organization assists laborers in court, facilitates mediation between workers and their sponsors, and educates workers about their rights in Bahrain. It also works with employers to improve working conditions for migrant laborers.
Dias heads MWPS’s action committee and functions as the face of its efforts, coordinating her work with embassies, government agencies and welfare groups to seek justice or repatriation for workers.
Between August 1, 2007, and February 1, 2008, the MWPS action committee helped many of the almost 60,000 workers who took advantage of the government’s amnesty by legitimizing their presence or returning home. Dias also has worked to increase international awareness of Bahrain’s migrant labor force.
Dias is one of 17 “Heroes Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery” named in the 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report. (See “Reducing Demand Is Key To Curbing Human Trafficking, U.S. Says.”)
The heroes designation began with the Trafficking in Persons Report for 2004 under then-Secretary of State Colin Powell to recognize ordinary people who have done extraordinary work to combat modern-day slavery. Since then, the State Department has identified each year in its Trafficking in Persons Report individuals who have shown great courage in the face of adversity in fighting this worldwide problem.
