Foreign Employment
Women's Hardships
At a time when large number of female workers are going abroad, the time has come to enhance their skills
By A CORRESPONDENT
Shanti Kumari Syangbo, a resident of Golche Village Development Committee of Sindhupalchowk district, is now stranded in Kuwait. Having no money to come back to Nepal and since the visa is expiring in less than a month, Syangbo is now calling for help from concerned authorities to make her return possible.
Manju Lama, a resident of Makwanpur district has more painful story to tell as she is now living as a prisoner in Saudi Arabia Prison. Like Syangbo, Manju is also searching for someone who can pay for ticket for her return.
Syangbo and Lama are not the only women suffering from painful situations in their life. There are dozens of migrant women who have gone to foreign lands have been suffering from such situation.
Along with the painful stories like these, many women who have gone for foreign employment have also contributed a lot to Nepal and their family members back in the country.
Whether one likes it or not, the foreign employment is now a reality. At a time when the country like Nepal is not in a position to generate employment inside the country, foreign employment has emerged as good option for Nepalese women.
With the implementation of new Foreign Employment Act, the restriction placed on women for foreign employment has now been eased and the number of women going abroad is definite to increase.
Easing the legal restrictions imposed by previous law is not enough to promote and provide the security to women and other workers going for foreign employment. As an initial step, basic training should be given to those Nepalese women seeking for foreign employment. "If we send women after giving them short term skill trainings as well as informing them about the local custom, law and other local issues of destination countries, vulnerability will decline and women's income will also increase," said Dan Bahadur Tamang, former president of Foreign Employment Association. "Just opening up the liaison offices will solve more than 75 percent of present problems."
The government must open the labor liaison office in all the country where Nepalese are currently working. "We are considering a proposals to open liaison office at least in all the countries of Gulf region," said Minister for Foreign Affairs Sahana Pradhan.
Compared to the men, women are more vulnerable in foreign employment for physical abuse. This is the reason why women workers need more protection in those countries where they go for work.
According to an estimate, women's contribution in remittances is around 12 percent of total remittances in the country and this is going to increase in coming days as the new foreign employment act has eased past restrictions..
Because of legal restrictions imposed by previous foreign employment act, many Nepalese women who aspired to go to foreign employment chose illegal way to reach the destination. Since they were not allowed to fly from Kathmandu, most of these women who are now facing painful situation, had flied to the destinations from New Delhi.
"Had they been allowed to go in a legal way, most of these women would not have faced such kind of situation," said Dr. Meena Acharya, a renowned economist. "Although some discriminatory laws have already been removed, we may still have to hear such painful stories for next few years as many women had gone there in the past in vulnerable manner."
As the number of women workers going abroad continues to increase, the country is yet to make any effort to train them and provide necessary support at the time of difficulties and crises.
At a program organized by Sancharika Samuha and UNIFEM, recently, minister, planners, experts and stakeholders related to the foreign employment had agreed about the need for protection as well as training for women who want to go abroad for employment.
