Despite widespread exploitation of domestic workers in Gulf countries, more and more Nepali women are leaving to these countries for foreign employment every year.

According to the data of Maiti Nepal, a total of 25,051 Nepali women left the country in the fiscal year 2069-70.

Of them, 8,992 females went to Malaysia, 1,489 to Qatar, 349 to Saudi Arabia, 10,345 to the United Arab Emirates, 1,348 to Kuwait, 321 to Bahrain, 342 to Oman, 152 to Lebanon, and 222 to Japan.

In the year 2067-068 and 2068-69, a total of 10,416 and 22,958 Nepalis female migrants left for foreign employment.

Achyut Kumar Nepal, communication officer at Maiti Nepal, said women were going abroad due to economic problems, political instability, and high demand for domestic workers in Gulf countries.

“Most women going to Gulf countries are uneducated and untrained,” he said. According to Maiti Nepal, out of the total women’s migrating to the Gulf countries, 66.3 per cent are involved in domestic work, 11.6 per cent work in factories, 9.3 per cent in restaurants, 7 per cent in office, 2.3 per cent work as cleaners, 1.2 per cent as labourers, 1.2 per cent as nursing home staff and 1.2 per cent work in shopping centres.

“Most returnee female migrant workers were mentally, physically and sexually abused. They did not get promised jobs, were forced to work extra hours, and did not receive the promised salaries,” the organisation said.

Patriarchal society, lack of awareness, misconception over women migration, and the government’s failure to implement and enforce anti-trafficking policies are the push factors for women migration in foreign countries.

In 2012, Nepal banned women under the age of 30 years from going to work in the informal sector in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar.

The government has set up information desks in border areas as well as the Tribhuvan International Airport and provides pre-passport counselling services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for those planning to go abroad for employment.

Published on: 30 December 2013 | The Himalayan Times