Kathmandu: “We are not destined to take a holiday. If we take leave out of urgent need, the next day we are forced to work double to ‘compensate’ for the previous day,” said Chiran Budha Magar of Chitwan. She was sharing her lived experiences with the media recently during the 2nd National Conference of the Informal Sector Workers. Her statement reflected what participants described as widespread violations of labour rights faced by women in the informal economy.
According to National News Agency Nepal, some 40 women workers from the informal sector travelled to the federal capital from 13 districts across five provinces, hoping that the central authorities would hear them and respond fairly. Talking to the media amidst the press meet held during the conference, they shared that their stories are painful and that they don’t even know where to start.
Nepal’s Labour Force Survey 2017-18 indicates that 84.6 percent of the total employed population in the country is engaged in the informal sector, with women making up 90 percent of it. This explicitly shows that the informal service sector is largely dominated by women, who have both occupational and specific needs, but are being overlooked. Workers with young children face additional challenges in continuing their work. At home, they have no reliable support to look after their young kids, and at the workplace, employees do not tolerate the presence of their children.
Their challenges and occupational obstacles are compounded. During menstruation, they find it challenging to find a decent space to change their menstrual products. The toilets accessed don’t lock properly and lack running water. The participants shared that being menstruators, they have specific needs which are not addressed.
As largely unregistered workers at the local level, they have neither appointment letters nor formal contracts and are barred from seeking legal remedies upon exploitation, which ranges from sexual harassment to non-payment, delayed payment, underpayment, and gender-based discrimination. In such cases, they lack evidence to claim legal remedies and lack a professional identity.
Gender discrimination is another persistent challenge that women workers face in the informal sector. For example, in agriculture, women earn around 10 percent less than men. Gita Kumal from Bardiya shared that women in agriculture get just Rs 500 for working the whole day, while their male counterparts earn Rs 600 to 650 per day. Their demand is for Rs 754 per day regardless of gender.
Anita Gaha from Baganaskali rural municipality in Palpa said her wages from agricultural labour have been Rs 400-500 per day for the past 10 years, while men earn Rs 700-800. Women from the waste management sector complained about receiving only Rs 400 per day with minimal provisions, and without appropriate safety tools such as gloves, boots, and masks.
Sita Kumari Parki from Doti explained that although their numbers may seem small, they represent the voices of many informal laborers. Traveling to the federal capital from distant areas is not easy for them; it requires financial resources, time, and a supportive environment both at home and in the workplace. They arrive as representatives of many.
According to Bhagavati Adhikari, Executive Director of Nepal Mahila Ekata Samaj, women from informal sectors reportedly do not receive the officially determined wage of Rs 754 per day. On one hand, they are underpaid, and on the other hand, they receive less than male colleagues. Though some local levels, including the Budhanilkantha Municipality of Kathmandu, have registered them, many remain unrecognized.
The conference emphasized the need for formal registration at the local level to ensure workers are recognized and entitled to legal protections. Fair wages, safe working conditions, and access to insurance were highlighted as necessary to protect informal workers from accidents, illness, and other job-related risks.
Considering women’s vulnerability to sexual harassment, exploitation, and discrimination, systemic changes to protect female workers were called for. Support for working mothers through childcare-friendly spaces and necessary facilities was also stressed. The establishment of a Labour Monitoring Mechanism at the local level was deemed essential to safeguard workers’ rights.
Furthermore, informal sector workers seek guaranteed, sustainable job opportunities and inclusion in social security schemes and insurance. Political support for workers’ rights is also demanded, urging political parties to prioritize informal sector issues in their election manifestos.
The conference theme, “Our Labour, Why Is It Undervalued?” underscores the lack of recognition and undervaluation of labor, specifically of women, in the informal sector. ActionAid Nepal, citing data from the Nepal Labour Survey 2018, acknowledges that women workers are deprived of minimum wages and decent working conditions compared to their male counterparts.