GLOBALISATION has contributed to the increasing flow of migrant workers from countries with limited economic opportunities, making up for dwindling labour supply in the developed and the developing world. While globalisation may foster the acceleration of trade and investment, it dœs not create an environment that protects migrant workers’ economic, social and physical security. This is more of a reality when it comes to female migrant workers, who now make up more than 50 percent of the migrant workforce. Therefore, proper mobilisation and effective utilisation of a country’s available human resources are essential for broad-based national economic development, from which men and women of all social groups enjoy benefits equally.

Nepali women, both rural and urban, have been facing increasing poverty and difficulty in meeting their basic needs. In this view, women are rightfully seen as active components of the economy, whereby their labour and economic output are essential for supporting their families. The patriarchal structure of Nepali society has traditionally treated women as subordinate to men; as a result, they have poor access to resources. It is therefore crucial to impart education and skills for gainful employment to girls and women, especially in the lower strata of society.

After 10 years of armed insurgency and with the ongoing political instability, opportunities in the domestic market have been severely curtailed; compelling many men to leave their homes to ensure both physical and economic security. This has led to women taking the lead role in families to enter the job market and foreface economic activity. However, low literacy levels, lack of asset ownership and skills, and their household duties as mothers and carers, keeps them from maximising the gains of employment. The number of Nepali men and women entering jobs in the foreign market are on the rise. Their exact number is unavailable due to the difficulties in the absence of a thorough registering mechanism. However, it is estimated that approximately 700 Nepali workers per day are reaching various labour destinations working in construction, factories and agriculture. Women commonly take jobs as care givers and domestic workers. Many are reaching their employment destination without any skill and proper information as required by the job, often resulting in exploitation. On the other hand, the remittance has been the backbone of sustaining the conflictridden economy when domestic industry was forced to a halt.

Foreign employment remittance is contributing to 23% of the GDP—a formidable sector with substantive contribution. In such a situation, supporting women’s entrepreneurship is vital. It is equally necessary to provide a complete pre-departure package that also includes reintegration packages to migrants, prior to their departure. Reaching out to potential migrants with required skills and information— including the analysis of cost and benefit within foreign employment—provides them with informed choices and helps protect them from exploitation. Nepal has invested heavily in employment and entrepreneurship training, but such training has not been significantly able to cater to the needs of the 400 thousand of people that enter labour force annually. Ironically, Nepal is currently experiencing a deficit of workers in the very sectors where Nepali workers have found employment abroad. There is a big challenge to bridge the gap between supply and demand and generate opportunities in Nepal that will attract those vulnerable to abuse and exploitation abroad, as well as providing reintegration opportunities for returning migrant workers. Forced or unplanned migration for women is more costly due to the nature of their work as domestic workers and care givers, which are not always regulated by national laws in their countries of employment. It is critical to educate women on their work requirements and their rights as migrants to ensure a safe and comfortable working life. The pilot initiative being tested in some districts of Nepal with the support of UN Women must also be replicated in Nepal.

In the Nepali context, the leading organisations in female entrepreneurship, like the Industrial Enterprise Development Institute (IEDI), need to collaborate with government departments like the Department of Cottage and Small Industry and the Department of Labour, as well as NGOs like Women for Human Rights, in order to provide entrepreneurship development training to returnee women, and provide opportunities for utilising remittance through identifying and creating alternative livelihood opportunities in Nepal. In addition to this, there is also a need to involve the Central Bank to influence directives and policies, as well as to expand the existing criteria for loans among cooperatives. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) that financial institutions must adhere to includes the need to break the chain of micro approaches when it comes to women and enterprise development. In many instances, women have shown that they are more than capable of doing business, but they often require support financially. However, historical subordination and patriarchal approach of laws, policies and practices still keeps women from attaining equal access and control over resources. Hence, it is difficult for women to get loans from financial institutions, and so they end up taking loans from cooperatives. Recently, enterprise development guidelines have been developed to support enterprise development for female migrant workers and their families, based on the pilot intervention of UN Women. It has been a interesting to note that such programmes have to be specially designed to address the needs of female migrant workers. There is a challenge to identify and provide follow-up support to returnees, as they are never settled in one cluster. At the same time, the methodology to be applied in identifying and developing entrepreneurial qualities to optimise their social and economic remittance is very different among this target group. Looking back at the initiatives taken by the authorities, international and national NGOs, professionals and organisations advocating female migrant workers make us hopeful that we will find a solution to these problems very soon. It is urgent to take action, in order to save ourselves from regret and to save female migrant workers from drifting due to accumulated frustrations.

There is a need to generate opportunities to attract those vulnerable to abuse and exploitation abroad

Published on: 9 June 2011 | The Kathmandu Post