Porteadoras

Porteadoras is a name that refers to bale workers in the autonomous Spanish city enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta, located on the north coast of Africa.

History

Due to a second duty called Biutz anything physically carried across the borders into Morocco is duty-free. This created a cottage industry of sorts for people in the district to carry good across the border for merchants.[1]

Every year, more than €1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) worth of goods are carried by Porteadoras into Morocco across the borders of Melilla and Ceuta.[2]

It is typically a "job of last resort", performed mostly by widows, divorcees, or wives with severely disabled husbands.[1][2][3][4] Typically aged and/or ailing women carrying bales of trade goods that weigh more than themselves.[2][3][4]

The governments of Spain and Morocco could work together to eliminate the loophole or improve conditions for workers, but instead allow conditions to deteriorate making a difficult job dangerous.[3][4] In 2008, porteadora Safia Azizi fell and was promptly trampled to death.[2] In 2009 two women died at Ceuta Biutz border crossing, overwhelmed by an avalanche of 200 carriers, four policemen were also injured.[5][6]

The women ask for safer working conditions, limits on the bale weight and more reliable border opening.[3][4]

References

  1. 1 2 Gianfranco, Tripodo. "porteadoras". Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Laia, Abril. "Melilla's porteadoras cross the border between Spain and Morocco up to five times a day, carrying loads of up to 90 kilograms.". Colors Magazine. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Pressly, Linda. "The heavy-lifting 'mule women' of Melilla". BBC World Service. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 DALEY, SUZANNE. "A Borderline Where Women Bear the Weight". NYTimes. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "El Biutz de la vergüenza". Geógrafo Subjetivo. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Mueren arrolladas dos mujeres en la frontera de Ceuta". Retrieved 17 May 2014.
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