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Center call for a meeting as states differ over its move to ban migration of women workers from India to Gulf Countries[/intro]
Hyderabad: Consensus eludes among different states in the country leaving the Government of India (GoI) not able to take any decision on its proposed move to ban migration of women workers from India to Gulf countries. The move has come following increasing incidents of assaults and human rights violations against migrant women works from the country living in Gulf countries. In particular, incidents of abuse of women migrant workers from the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala are reportedly on the raise in Kuwait, United Aram Emirates, Oman Bahrain and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and others. According to officials in Andhra Pradesh Non Resident Indian Affairs Department, it was against this backdrop that the Center has called for a meeting of all the States on November 6, at New Delhi, to hold consultations on the issue.
Women from rural background from Andhra Pradesh, especially from the districts of Kadapa, East Godavari and West Godavari have been regularly flying to Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Bahrain and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most of these women are going to these countries to work as Ayas, helpers, cooks, attendants, gardeners, nurses and the like.But, a summary on status of “House Maids from AP” working in these countries comes up with shocking revelations on how these women migrant workers dreams of earning Arab Emirates Dirhams (AED), Saudi Riyals and Kuwaiti Dinars doomed and their families back at home in India devastated.
An official of the AP NRI Affairs Department pointed out “Turning into sex workers, physical and mental torture, non-payment of promised salaries, denial of overtime work wages are a few to name the plight of women migrants from India to these countries.”
The report claims that city of Hyderabad stands first followed by Mumbai, Kochi and Trivandrum account for high volumes Emigration Check Required (ECR) clearances of women migrant workers. While Kuwait stands first to which nearly 89 per cent of women migrants from India has migrated as housemaids, followed by UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And, on an average 30,000 to 40,000 housemaids leave to gulf countries, the status report said.
It was in these countries “48 per cent women migrant workers assaulted by someone from the employer’s household , 52 per cent are not paid the promised salaries and a whopping 84 per cent of women workers in these countries are not paid for their overtime work,” the report pointed out.While this is the plight of women migrant works in those countries, back at home in India, their absence is having a devastating effect on their families, the report pointed out calling for urgent measures and interventions.
The report pointed out that woman migrant workers going abroad leaving their families behind is resulting in “increased incidents of incest, and “some teenage children are getting pregnant.” While “Husband starts drinking, or becomes unfaithful,” children living in these families face “abuse” and most of them are “dropping out from the schools,” it added.
Further, “Lack of mother’s care and love, families are becoming dysfunctional “ and in most of the cases, whatever money that the woman migrant workers earned and sent to their families in India had spent away by the time they return from abroad, “ a senior official NRI Affairs said.
Taking serious note of the situation, Union Minister for External Affairs Sushama Swaraj has called for a meeting of different sates scheduled on November 6. This is to arrive at a consensus and to take a stand before the woman migrant workers issue turning into a diplomatic row between India and the Gulf countries, the sources said.
