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.
At a programme organized here on ‘Safe and Legal Migration’ today, the 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).
“Such ban has pushed women to seek unofficial routes to find jobs as domestic assistants in these countries, exposing them to constant risks of exploitation and abuse,” they said, citing a study report. 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. “These consequences are linked to policy and systemic failures,” it is said. “If Nepal accepts remittances sent by migrant workers, it must also be responsible for their lives, safety, and their families,” said 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.
“During our conversations with the elderly parents of deceased women migrant workers, we learned that they are raising future generations without any support. These families deserve long-term mental health services, legal assistance, and public recognition,” he said.
He also highlighted the need to ensure that those without necessary documents have access to insurance and compensation systems. Rights activists present at the programme stressed that the state must address the challenges, sufferings, disappearances, and deaths faced by women migrant workers.