Kathmandu: Rights activists have urged the government to establish an official channel for women migrating abroad as domestic workers. They raised concerns about women traveling abroad on tourist visas or through unofficial routes to work as domestic help.
According to National News Agency Nepal, at a programme organized on ‘Safe and Legal Migration’, participants called for the withdrawal of the ban on women migrating as domestic workers, especially to Gulf countries. The event was organized by the Women Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC). They emphasized that such bans have pushed women to seek unofficial routes to find jobs as domestic assistants in these countries, exposing them to constant risks of exploitation and abuse.
During the event, a study report titled ‘Invisible in Life and Death: Visibilising the Deaths of Female Nepali Migrant Domestic Workers and the Struggles of Their Families’ was unveiled. The report highlights women who died while working abroad and the struggles faced by their families. It is based on interviews with families of 17 women, including two missing persons, from Sindhupalchowk, Jhapa, Dang, Surkhet, and Karnali districts.
The deaths of migrant workers should not be normalized as mere accidents. The report argues that these consequences are linked to policy and systemic failures. It stresses that if Nepal accepts remittances sent by migrant workers, it must also be responsible for their lives, safety, and their families, as stated by Sulochana Khanal, WOREC program manager.
The publication of the report was supported by Brunel University, London. Dr. Ayushman Bhagat, a lecturer from the university, emphasized the need to ensure non-discrimination when dealing with women migrant workers who go abroad through unofficial channels, as well as when repatriating the bodies of those who die abroad.
Dr. Bhagat also raised concerns about the future generations being raised by elderly parents of deceased women migrant workers without any support, emphasizing the need for long-term mental health services, legal assistance, and public recognition for these families. Additionally, he highlighted the necessity for those without necessary documents to have access to insurance and compensation systems.
Rights activists present at the programme stressed the importance of the state addressing the challenges, sufferings, disappearances, and deaths faced by women migrant workers.