Kerala - Kochi   

Curbs on women workers' migration

Staff Reporter

Kochi: Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi has said that the Union Government will regulate the migration of unskilled women workers to Gulf countries.

At a press conference here on Saturday, he said the Government was trying to bring in rules regulating women workers' migration in view of complaints of sexual harassments. They were often offered job as housemaids, but when they reached the Gulf they were forced to work as shepherds. The Government was thinking of a ban on sending women below 35 years for unskilled jobs in the Gulf.

He said the Government would urge employers abroad to allow women workers to get in touch with Indian Embassies once a month. Besides Kerala, Cuddapah in Andhra Pradesh sent the maximum number of women workers to the Gulf. The Government was open to any suggestions made from any quarter on the issue.

The Minister said that most of the Indian workers in the Gulf could not come back to their homes for years on end because they were not granted leave. The Government would try to persuade the employers to give them leave once in a year so that they could be with their families.

Mr. Ravi said his department would take up the issue of allowing more private airlines on the Gulf sector with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. The introduction of more private airlines would enable them to travel on reduced air charges.

The Minister said a welfare fund for Non-Resident Indians was under consideration. During last year, of the 10 lakh Keralites who had gone to the Gulf, only 5 lakh had gone through proper emigration procedures.

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