This survey was carried out with
an attempt to explore how pandemic has affected the employment and income generating
opportunities of both returnee and non-returnee migrant workers.
The survey with returnee women migrant workers enquired on issues related to wage theft, their
impressions of quarantine shelters in Nepal, if there has been any change in their status with
their family and friends as a returnee at times of stigma attached pandemic, considering they
may not be in an earning capacity. Their views on how they see themselves benefitting from
government’s plans related to employment opportunities and mental well-being of their family
members were also explored. In-depth interviews with all 25 respondents from six districts -
Morang Udaypur, Terathum, Dang, Doti and Kailali – respectively representing Provinces 1, 5
and 7. The interviews were conducted in Nepali language. The same applied to non-returnee
women migrant workers who participated in the survey through Facebook messenger.
Two set of separate survey questionnaires were prepared for these two groups of respondents.
Both of the questionnaires focused on i) their reason of return to Nepal in the context of
COVID-19, ii) response to their return at the government and social level, iii) their financial
prospects and employment opportunities in future, and iv) their knowledge to government
policies on reintegration programme/package for returnee migrant workers in Nepal.
Nepal’s nation-wide lock down effective 24 March 2020 due to which 25 interviews with the
returnee women migrant workers were also conducted over telephone and use of social media
applications like facebook messenger, WhatsApp, etc. This limited the tone of survey findings
as presented in this report which might have been otherwise, if the interviews were made in
person.
The survey findings confirm that personal, social, financial and political aspects of women migrant
workers have always been subjected to public scrutiny of Nepali society deeply entrenched in
patriarchal norms and values. Some of the key findings are as outlined below:
On a personal front, all of the 25 returnee women migrant workers claimed that they made
a conscious decision to return to Nepal because of the pandemic. The respondents who had
returned to Nepal as early as October-November 2019 had returned on their own. Only one
had returned in June 2020 in the government chartered flight to Nepal from Kuwait.
These respondents returning in between January and March 2020 had either left their jobs
or were laid off by their employers. One respondent coming in June 2020 returned from her
country of employment in an extended leave provision and was receiving half wage.
Three out of the five non-returnee migrant women workers consulted with their family and
decided to stay back. Two respondents could not come back since their country of employment
suspended flights before their flight date.
Social Status of returnee women migrant workers was tied to their family relationships, mainly
with their husbands who were either deceased or alive but separated. Larger part of their
remittance goes towards maintenance of their household, in case of married women, their
husband played a larger role in how the money would be spent. In case of unmarried single
respondents, fathers were the key user of income sent by the respondents. The Married but
single (divorcee, widow) respondents were staying with their maternal parents or siblings who
were the caretakers of their children.
Stigma attached to the pandemic on their return affected only one of the respondents who did
not communicate with anyone outside of her immediate family. Rest of the respondents felt
a varying degree of passive aggression in their neighborhood, that subsided after they were
tested negative during their 2-week-long stay in quarantine shelters.
Financial Situation of the returnee migrant workers in Nepal and women migrant workers in
countries of employment is different. Returnee migrant workers have little or no savings of their
own to sail through uncertain times brought by pandemic.
The uncertainty around their employment opportunities was the biggest worry. Therefore, at
present, they are willing to work as daily labour even for a half wage. Being underpaid is not an
issue for the returnee women migrant workers. Same views were expressed by non-returnee
women migrant workers who are being paid half wage by their employing companies. They are
hopeful that their companies will compensate for this once situation normalize.
The respondents with small scale business in destination country or home country expect their
business to be negatively impacted by the pandemic.
Wage theft had been there for two of the twenty-five returnee women migrant workers who
had not been paid the same amount as mentioned in their work contract. One of them had not
even received any increment during her 2-year-employment.
Placement agency were also found to be extorting money from the women migrant workers.
Every month, one of the respondent’s placement agency would take 2000/- INR from her as
placement fee.
Working Hours had increased for the non-returnee women workers as in case of Oman. However,
for the ones in Kuwait and Baharain, the work was on call basis. One of the respondents in
Kuwait works in her company’s online customer service which is lesser than her working hours.
Employment opportunities in future is uncertain as pointed out by all of the respondents. They
stated that it is due to them being either unskilled or semi-skilled labour, their level of education,
and their age. The respondents’ highest level of education was higher secondary dropout and
lowest is basic literacy.
The respondents especially the unskilled and semi-skilled are worried of their financial
up keeping, and are oblivious to government policies related to skill upgrade training and
employment opportunities including loans on subsidized rate. However, when informed of these
available means, they were still sceptic about their access to such government facilities and
benefits from it. For many migrant workers foreign employment still remains a lucrative option
than working in Nepal.
Self-employment is an option that they would like to seek, however, they are equally skeptic
of government’s policies on subsidized loan schemes, entrepreneurial grants, skills based
trainings, and employment funds.
Quarantine shelters set up by the government lacked not only the adequate infrastructure
to deal with COVID-19 issues but also other common health related issues, such as drinking
water, medicines for diarrhea, fever, etc. This survey’s respondents who had stayed in quarantine
shelters of their respective districts did confirm mismanagement.
This survey’s Dalit respondents, were not subjected to discrimination since they had come
months before these shelters had been set up and lock down was enforced.
Though hurt and mindful of social stigma attached to their timing of return, they are unfazed
by it and question rather the intent and double standard of the society, including their family
members who benefit from their remittance.
Federal Government Package/Programmes such as Prime Minister’s Employment Program,
Small Farmer’s Credit, Youth and Small Entrepreneur Self Employment Fund and Private
Sector were unknown to all of the respondents. They were skeptic that such schemes will be
accessible to them. Forty seven percentage (47%) of the survey respondents are keen to work
in Nepal if such schemes are availed to them.
Foreign Employment Board (FEB) is developing migrant worker and their families focused
guidelines specifically to address their needs at times of pandemics like COVID-19. Additionally,
the board has already introduced repatriation guidelines which holds recruitment agencies
and employing companies responsible to cover evacuation costs of the migrant works in such
situations. The guideline with this provision is being opposed by the recruitment agencies on
the ground that they were not consulted while drafting the guidelines, and also they are not in
a position to cover such costs. The objective of the recommendations made below have been
made with an aspiration to ensure the rights of women migrant workers, mainly the returnees
are ensured at all times irrespective of perceived normal times and age of ‘new normal’
induced by situations such as COVID–19 pandemic. The basis of these recommendations are
conversations with the respondents, review of media reports, statements, and participation in
consulting webinars on concerns of migrant workers’ rights and their advocates/lobbyists with
the government.
Government of Nepal’s policy on Women Migrant Workers:
Since the 1990s, Government of Nepal has backtracked on mobility of Nepali women seeking
foreign employment, reality of which have shown that women become more vulnerable to human
trafficking and irregular labour market. The present COVID-19 crisis has also reflected how
they can be denied return to their home country. Therefore, this survey would like to support the
advocacy of migrant rights community and women rights movement in Nepal that such restrictive
policies are not an answer to protect women migrant workers. The government should introduce
policies that allows women to opt for foreign employment with dignity and safety.
Employment Schemes of the Government has budgeted 1.474 trillion1 in fiscal year 2020/21
among which employment generating, conducting training programme, and availing small
financial grants for self-employment are the key focused areas. This will be availed for all
Nepali citizens through Prime Minister’s Employment Program, Small Farmers Credit, Youth and
Small Entrepreneur Self Employment Fund and Private Sectors. Therefore, this survey calls for
a concrete laid out implementation plan from the government on how returnee migrant workers,
especially the returnee women migrant workers will benefit from this. This implementation plan
should also include a dedicated detailed information dissemination plan which will ensure that
none of the returnee women migrant worker will be left out.
Nepal’s present three-tier administrative structure – local, province and federal – can serve the
migrant workers and their families only through proper data analysis. Therefore, Government of
Nepal has to use its quantitative data available with its line Ministry of Labour, Employment and
Social Security to identify and explore areas through which skills and knowledge of returnee
women migrant workers can be absorbed for a financially sustained dignified life. This can
only be done through the best practice of consulting with right holders, i.e., returnee women
migrant workers and their families while introducing any policies. Such policies should also
consider how non-implementing agencies can be held accountable should there be absence
of effective implementation of these policies and programmes. These consultations should
also include returnee migrant workers who were on irregular working status in their countries
of employment and have now returned to Nepal. They should not be excluded from benefiting
from any of the government policies and programmes implemented to benefit returnee migrant
women workers.
Identified Areas of Support outlined in this survey is the expression of 30 respondents (25
returnees migrant woman worker and 5 non returnee woman migrant workers) and it covers
their concerns related to finance, social security and mental health. The government and its
line agencies should consider these indicated areas and plan implementation and execution of
its policies accordingly.
Comprehensive Technical Assistance should be provided by the government to set up
businesses for returnee women migrant workers seeking self-employment opportunities.
Considering this reality, the government should provide basic financial literacy skills including
1 a) Factsheet published on 14 July 2020, Centre for Social Change;
b) https://risingnepaldaily.com/main-news/fm-khatiwada-unveils-rs-147-trillion-budget-for-fy-202021
taxation training for the self-starters. This should also include promotion of their service in
larger entrepreneurial scene, investment and saving of their earnings, etc.
Foreign Employment Board has plans to introduce guidelines2 focused on COVID-19 and its
impact on migrant workers and their families. Therefore, migrant rights community especially
those who work for the rights of women migrant workers need to see if this guideline has
feminist lens or not.
Foreign Employment Board’s proposed pilot reintegration programme in pipeline for migrant
workers should be prepared in consultation with migrant rights community and women migrant
workers and their families themselves. It should also address how the above mentioned
implementing agencies and announced budget can be availed by returnee migrant workers,
especially returnee women migrant workers keeping in mind how diverse this group can be in
terms of socio-cultural background.
This survey brings the attention of the government and migrant rights community that returnee
women migrant workers, irrespective of her migration employment status with Department of
Labour – Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security, should also benefit from this
fund, especially in context such as COVID19.
Consultation with returnee women migrant workers, especially with the ones who were given
amnesty by Kuwait government on the reasons behind their undocumented and irregular stay.
This will be helpful in understanding their choices, situations they have to live in which will be
a good reference for the Government of Nepal to revisit its agreement with the countries of
employment on employment policies benefiting Nepali women opting for foreign employment
opportunities.
Psycho-Social Counselling, though not raised by any of the respondents, the survey
conversations with the respondents indicate that they are in need of a counsellor who can walk
through with their anxiety and stress induced by the pandemic, strained relationship with the
family members, and uncertainty around their financial wellbeing.
2till this report was prepared, the guideline was still in preparatory phase
Ratification of UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Their Families has to
be the priority of Nepal Government as urged by the migrant rights groups since the last
decade. The government’s initial stand on evacuation of migrant workers from their countries
of employment at the time of pandemic has shown how critical it is for a labour export country
like Nepal to ratify this convention so that migrant rights community as well as government
bodies and recruitment agencies including employing companies are clear about their roles.
