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Year of Publication: 7 March 2013 | The Himalayan Times
Publication Type: NEWS
Published by: CESLAM
The government has approved a manual related to providing trainings to housemaids (domestic workers). The board meeting of the Foreign Employment Promotion Board approved the manual on Tuesday, said president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies Bal Bahadur Tamang, who is also a member of the board.
“The training manual was introduced to develop the skills of housemaids. Hereafter, not a single housemaid will join a foreign job without receiving training,” he said. The government has taken this initiative to reduce the chances of housemaids being exploited by developing their skills. A UN Women study reveals that housemaids are more vulnerable due to lack of skills to operate modern home appliances.
According to the manual, aspirants for jobs as housemaids will have to take a 21-day training at institutes. The manual has given equal emphasis on theoretical and practical aspects of the job.
“It has also included information about the culture of the destination and hygiene of the worker,” Tamang said.
During the practical course, aspirants will get operational training on home appliances like microwave ovens, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and others. The government opened the housemaid sector in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait last year.
Currently, orientation institutes have been providing training to housemaids but new training institutes will be established soon according to the manual. “We will call for interest from training institutes,” an officer at the board said.
The board has made the training mandatory for aspirants who want to join jobs as housemaids in Gulf countries. Non-trained or unskilled Nepali women will not be given permission to join a housemaid’s job in Gulf countries hereafter, the officer said.
According to Foreign Employment Act, foreign job aspirants must acquire a foreign job permit from the department. The government has set strict criteria for women to join foreign jobs to safeguard them.
About 58,000 Nepali women have joined foreign jobs using the formal channel but the total number rises to around 244,000 when undocumented/illegal migrant workers since 2007-09 are also included. About 30-40 Nepali women are believed to be joining foreign jobs everyday in Gulf countries through illegal channels.
Published on: 7 March 2013 | The Himalayan Times
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