2019 Statelessness & Citizenship Review 1(1) and were evicted or were at risk of being evicted for not paying rent on time. 20 This persistent lack of employment put many families in vulnerable positions in the middle of a health crisis. Some families are living in tents in the desert because they cannot afford to rent a house. 21 B Employment Given their precarious status, many Bidoon do not have access to jobs and can only work if they have valid security cards. Some private companies hire Bidoon employees regardless of their status, taking advantage of their vulnerability and desperate need for income. 22 However, these companies pay lower salaries, force Bidoon employees to wait months to get paid and require long working hours. 23 Many are not eligible for vacation days or sick leave. Bidoon women are made especially vulnerable. For example, they are unable to take maternity leave; 24 have fewer job options than their male counterparts; 25 and, when faced with sexual harassment at work, they are likely to stay silent in order to keep their jobs. 26 Employers are aware that the Bidoon are unprotected and the Bidoon rarely challenge the abusive conditions so they do not risk losing their jobs, especially if they are the sole income provider for their families. 27 This precariousness and lack of protection for the Bidoon meant that they were among the first to be laid off when the pandemic hit. For those working in informal settings for day-to-day income, like selling merchandise and produce in public spaces or trading in cars, the curfew and lockdown made it difficult for them to continue this work and make money. Finally, even when paid promptly, some Bidoons may not necessarily have access to the funds if they are paid into bank accounts. The Central Apparatus requires banks to block the Bidoon from accessing their accounts if their security cards are expired. 28 C Education The Kuwaiti Government banned the Bidoon from accessing public education after criminalising their status. 29 Consequently, illiteracy rates have grown because many families have been unable to afford to send their children to private schools. 30 For those who were able to afford it, they sent their children to low-fee 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 ibid. ibid. Prisoners of the Past (n 13). ibid. Conversation with Bidoon activists (n 11); See Manshoor, ‘The Forgotten Feminism: What Bidoon Women Face’, Manshoor (Article, 3 July 2020) <https://manshoor.com/society/bedon-women-forgotten-from-feminism/>. ibid. ibid; Kuwait: Bidoon (n 10); Conversation with Bidoon activists (n 11). Conversation with Bidoon activists (n 11); ‘The Forgotten Feminism’ (n 24). ‘The Closure of Bank Accounts for the Bidoon: Anger in Kuwait and the Ghanem Hints at Radical Solution’ Teller Report (online, 18 April 2019) <https://www.tellerreport.com/news/-the-closure-of-bank-accounts-for-the-bidoon----anger-in-kuwait-and-the-ghanem-hints-ata-radical-solution-.Hy-rzxIq4.html>. The Bedoons of Kuwait (n 6). ibid. 126