Renu Rajbhandari, Namita Nepal

Nearly 50 percent of all migrants are women. While previously women often migrated as “dependents”, they are now increasingly migrating as individuals. An increasing number of cases have pointed to the potential for female migrant workers to improve the living standard of their families. Based on research conducted by the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC), migration can lead to high income levels and decreased discrimination and gender-based violence.

The Factsheet on Gender and Migration, 2009, states that migration can also increase women’s access to information and education, help them to gain work experience and economic independence, combat relegation of women to traditional roles and allow them to exercise their human rights more effectively. With the opportunity to become economic decision-makers, women’s roles are changing within the family, the community and the workplace. This is contributing to women’s empowerment.

Nepal has witnessed an increase in the number of women migrating for employment. Currently, the total volume of remittance accounts for 23 percent of Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The proportion of female contributors has reached 11 percent of the total donors.

Despite the local and national economic value of remittance provided by Nepali female migrant workers, their migration for employment is still an issue of public scrutiny. There is a dual value associated with women’s migration for work. If women can make money and support the family financially, they start being respected within the family. But if they fail to bring back money and support the family, they face the double stigma of being looked down upon by society and even their family. They get criticised for failing to adhere to traditional practices, and their life becomes difficult to live.

Women’s work has been gendered and stereotyped in the labour market that remains within the domestic and other forms of the service sector. This has made women’s work invisible, informal and low valued and opened the potential for different forms of abuse. Similarly, as women’s work in the service sector is not considered as work, they do not fall within the radar of the labour rights movement nor do they get protected by labour laws. This is shown by the increasing number of women returning being abused, exploited and tortured. Compounded with the existing social norms and values about women’s work mobility, this situation has resulted in women being more stigmatised, abused and tortured when they return home.

The decision of the government of Nepal to restrict migration of women under 30 years of age, which is directed at potential migrants to the Gulf countries for employment, is an outcome of its protectionist approach, and it has further obstructed women’s right to mobility. This situation has also created grounds for greater stigmatisation and abuse of women below 30 who have migrated to the Gulf to work.

Human rights of migrants The human rights of migrants and their families are established under international laws and standards promulgated by the United Nations (UN), International Labour Organisation (ILO), World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international and regional bodies. States are responsible for protecting the human rights of migrants, whether the migrants are citizens or foreign workers, passing through the country in transit to another location or expecting to reside within the country for employment. The most comprehensive framework for the protection of the rights of migrants and their families remains the UN 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

Areas of intervention

It is necessary to understand that women’s migration for employment is benefiting women at the personal and state levels besides helping the destination countries. With globalisation and free migration policies and adoption of structural adjustment programmes, social security is being cut in different countries. In this situation, migrant women workers are the ones who are taking care of the elderly and children and doing household work. This is contributing to family income and women’s empowerment besides creating safety nets in the destination countries where women work.

Similarly, women’s migration for employment contributes to women’s empowerment, changes socio-cultural discriminatory values towards women and establishes women as economic agent of the family and society in the country of origin. This changes women’s stereotypical role and largely contributes to women’s empowerment. The work done by women is contributing to the GDP of both the countries. This needs to be understood clearly, and a mechanism has to be created to make women’s migration and work safe, visible and compliant with human rights mechanisms.

The government is responsible for protecting women’s right to mobility besides protecting them from all forms of abuse, deception and coercion. Restricting women’s mobility reinforces traditional discriminatory values towards women. It reinforces stereotypes and creates challenges to retain the gains which the government has made in the area of women’s empowerment. Preventing women from travelling abroad to work promotes clandestine routes used by traffickers. This contributes to human trafficking. Similarly, the governments of the destination countries need to understand that female migrant workers are contributing to their social security and economy besides creating an environment for the family in the destination country to work, take care of their family and contribute to the national economy. It is very important for destination countries to ensure that all migrant workers in the country are workers, and their rights to fair wages, social security and safe environment are protected.

The government should exercise due diligence to protect the rights of migrating women and migrant women workers by following the suggestions given by international treaty bodies and the ILO standard. It should respect women’s right to mobility, work and work in a safe environment with fair treatment and wages.

Raj Bhandari and Nepal are associated with WOREC Nepal

Published on: 13 December 2012 | The Kathmandu Post