by Amrit Paudyal
Kathmandu, June 28: The need for equipping women heading for foreign employment with training on different skill sets for securing their profession and destination was emphasized on Sunday.
At an interaction organized jointly by Foreign Employment Promotion Board and Media Mobilization for Sustainable Development, the concerned stakeholders pointed out that majority of the women workers heading abroad were involved in domestic work and in the entertainment sector drawing increasing violence against them.
Board Director Shivaram Pokharel spoke of the preparations for launching various skill trainings for would-be women migrant workers in view of the possibility of more women heading abroad for employment in the aftermath of the massive earthquake.
On the occasion, Shova Kharel, a representative of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare said the human trafficking racket had become active in trying to allure women with various schemes so as to sell them. Kharel stressed the need for giving consultations to the women at various levels before they acquire passports.
Foreign Employment Promotion Board member and former entrepreneur Sita Devkota and Women’s Rights Forum Chairperson Srijana Pun underscored the urgency on part of the rights activists to stop the trend of traffickers alluring the women towards countries banned by the government and taking them there through a different country.
Media Mobilization for Sustainable Development Chair Neha Sharma said that of the total of 415 women that have returned from foreign employment, 86 were pregnant while more than 100 women were in prison in African countries and Dubai including other Middle Eastern countries. Sharma added that 41 women migrant workers had committed suicide.
At the programme, a documentary on the unwarranted sufferings of the women working in various countries was shown.
from DC Nepal (http://www.dcnepal.com/news/news.php?nid=156088)