The government is preparing to introduce a provision under which only trained and certified workers will be allowed to leave for employment as domestic help in foreign labour destinations.

In line with this move, the Foreign Employment Promotion Board plans to provide free skill training to women wanting to work as maids in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The board has listed 12 training schools. Recently, it signed a contract with Hill Top Training Centre, Basundhara to impart training to domestic workers for a fee of Rs 5,300 each.

Addressing an interaction organised to mark the UN International Migration Day, Executive Director of the board Sthaneshwor Devkota said, “Nepali women are leaving to work as domestic help without proper training.”

He added that the board would ask the government to come up with a “policy level decision” after which only trained and certified workers would be permitted to leave for such jobs.

This year, the board aims to train 500 women utilising the resources available in the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund. It plans to publish a notice soon asking for applications from potential trainees.

Devkota said that the government had readied the criteria to send domestic workers to the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait after the training. Nepali domestic workers have been facing difficulties and exploitation at work due to their lack of skills.

Meanwhile, participants at an interaction organised by the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) demanded that the government ratify Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers and formulate laws to implement it to ensure the rights of Nepali workers in and outside the country.

“Nepal must ratify the convention to protect the rights of domestic workers in the local labour market,” said Umesh Upadhyay, general secretary of GEFONT.

He added that the government should lobby with countries that have not ratified the convention to sign a memorandum of understanding to ensure the rights of domestic workers.

International Migration Day is marked on Dec 18 to recognise the efforts, contributions and rights of migrants worldwide.

Though there is no official data on the number of workers who have left the country for employment, estimates put the number of migrant workers at three million, with 10-15 percent of them being women. And around 90 percent of them are employed as domestic help, according to Safe Migration Network, Nepal.

Published on: 19 December 2011 | The Kathmandu Post