Government is preparing to lift the ban imposed on sending female workers for foreign employment in domestic help sector. In this regard, the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) will bring a guideline to supply such workers only to those countries that sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nepal.

After cases of Nepali female domestic workers facing various problems, including mental and physical abuses, surfaced, the government barred Nepali women leaving for employment as domestic help in Middle East since May this year. MoLE is currently awaiting guideline inputs from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Ministry of Finance (MoF). “As per the draft guideline, only those countries that sign MoU on domestic workers with us can employ them,” said Budhi Bahadur Khadka, spokesperson and joint secretary at MoLE. He said that after they receive suggestions from the two concerned ministries the guideline will be given a final shape and presented in the Cabinet for approval.

The draft guideline has talked of a provision which enables aspirants to go for work as domestic help at zero cost. This means all the expenses, including the fee of Nepali sending agency, will be paid by employers of the hiring countries. Besides, the ministry is also mulling a provision in MoU that would require the employer to deposit a minimum $3,600 in the Nepali embassy of respective destination, which would work as a safety net for the worker.

MoFA will take comments on the proposed guideline from Nepali embassies in different possible destinations, while MoF will suggest whether or not to charge any fee for attestation of documents and demand letters. After the implementation of the guideline, aspirants will be allowed to go for work as domestic helpers only through manpower agencies and such workers will be entitled to get minimum monthly salary of $300, besides other facilities.

Before the government imposed the ban, female workers were leaving to work as domestic helpers only through personal channels or individual approaches. Due to lack of labour agreements, the workers had been facing problems such as low pay, total isolation from family and friends, exploitation and abuses. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are some of the destinations where demand for Nepali female domestic workers is high.

When the government imposed the ban, it faced immense criticism from activists stating the move was against the right of females for mobility and employment and displayed its failure in managing foreign employment and making it safe. Article 8 under Foreign Employment Act, 2007 and Foreign Employment Rules, 2007 state there should be no discrimination in foreign employment on the basis of gender.

Draft highlights

• Only countries that sign MoU on domestic workers with Nepal can employ them

• All expenses, including fee of Nepali sending agency, will be paid by employers of hiring countries

• Provision being mulled that would require the employer to deposit minimum $3,600 in the Nepali embassy of the respective destination country, which would work as a safety net for the worker

Delegation arriving today

A delegation of Saudi Arabia is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on Thursday to discuss on the MoU regarding domestic workers. MoLE said that a joint secretary level meeting will be held with the Saudi Arabian officials regarding the draft MoU that Nepal had sent. MoLE is also working on a plan to sign similar MoU with Malaysia and Kuwait, the other major destinations for female domestic helpers. MoLE officials said that they will correspond with the Malaysian government after dealing with Saudi Arabia. — HNS

Published on: 4 December 2014  | The Himalayan Times