Many Nepali women continue to reach Arab countries despite the government ban on women workers from going to the Middle East countries for employment.

At a ‘Public Hearing’ programme organised by Paurakhi at the National Human Rights Commission on Sunday, office bearers of NHRC, representatives of government and non-government offices and human right activists said that women workers have been facing more problems as they use illegal routes to go the Gulf for lack of legal permission.

On the occasion, NHRC Chair Anupraj Sharma said that although the government has prohibited the women workers from going to Gulf countries, it has not been stopped in practice. “The women workers are entering the Gulf countries via India and Sri Lanka,” he said.

Likewise, Chairperson of Paurakhi Manju Gurung said that the country should not prohibit the women workers from going to any country. The women workers in the Gulf countries have been facing health problems as they have to do hard labour.

Similarly, Asia Pacific member of an international organisation of domestic helps Gyanu KC called on the government to take up the issue of women workers—both in and outside the country—seriously.