Parbat Portel

Despite the government’s effort to curb illegal departure of women migrant workers to foreign countries, many women are using the Nepal-India border points in the Eastern region to go abroad for employment .

Gobinda Ghimire, regional chief of Maiti Nepal, said his office returned many women going abroad through the Kakadvitta border point. Besides Kakadvitta, he said, many women were going abroad through Nakalbanda, Bahundangi, Satighatta and Bhadrapur border points.

According to data available at Maiti Nepal, the office returned 340 women heading for Gulf countries for employment through Indian route via Kakadvitta border point this year alone. The figure stood at 251 last year. “The statistics itself speak of the trend of women going abroad illegally,” Ghimire said.

A report made public by the International Labour Organisation in 2001 said that 10,000 to 12,000 Nepali women and children are being sold off every year. It is said that half of them are sold abroad on the pretext of foreign employment .

A study carried out by Maiti Nepal said that some foreign employment agents help women acquire passports by giving them required money. “Agents send women to foreign countries at their own expenses and pocket a huge amount of commission from each client,” Ghimire said.

Mostly women, who have already been to foreign countries, are found to be sending other women abroad for employment illegally. Ghimire said although police and Maiti Nepal officials are rescuing such women, agents behind them are always at large. Kul Prasad Karki, vice-chairman of the Pravasi Nepali Coordination Committee, said a number of women are sent abroad as domestic helper but they end up being subject to physical and mental tortures. “Those, who go abroad for employment legally, can get assistance from the government even if they return after facing tortures there,” he said.

Maiti Nepal has rescued 175 women, who were sold off or trafficked on the pretext of foreign employment , and handed them over to their parents this year.

Published on: 30 December 2012 | The Kathmandu Post