However, upon reaching there, Rai realized that her agent had actually sold her to a rich family there. “Upon reaching Dubai I was told that I was sold by my agent. I had no choice other than to submit to whatever the family wanted me to do until I managed to flee from there a year and a half ago,” said Rai. [beak]She had spent Rs 110,000 to reach Dubai for the job. “I think women should never go for employment abroad. Women are not treated like human beings. Instead, they can do a lot back home if the government supports them.”
About a dozen other women who have returned from the Gulf countries echoed Rai at a function organized in the capital on Wednesday on the occasion of international Migrants Day. Kalpana Giri from Bajura district, Ashamaya Gurung from Dhading, Geeta Pandey from Gulmi and Jagat Dhakal from Syanjya, among others stated that there is too much explotation of women workers in the Gulf countries.
“Thousands of Nepali migrant workers continue to work in foreign countries for meagre pay which they could have earned easily back home with little support from the government and social organizations,” said Khem Nath Poudel who returned from Saudi Arabia recently. “Low-interest loans, incentives to start up a small venture, and traninigs could be provided to them so that they can stay back home and earn their livelihoods,” he added.
Speaking at the function organized jointly by Paurakhi and UN woman, migration specialist at UN Woman Sharu Joshi stated increasing number of people leaving the country is a matter of worry and this calls for better mechanism to help the youths stay back and work at home.
Speaking at the function, Director General of the Department of Foreign Employment Purna Chandra Bhattarai said foreign employment should be the last choice for Nepali workers. “The social cost of mass migratoin is huge,” he said.
As per the latest census, 1.9 million Nepalis, including 200,000 women, are migrant workers.
Related story
Malaysian govt decides to impose ban on migrant workers from Ju...
