Women workers migrate to town mainly due to financial problems: Study
Most of the women workers migrated to Kathmandu due to financial problems,
not due to conflict as is widely believed, according to a study conducted
by International Labour Organization (ILO).
The latest study conducted at the work places like carpet industries,
shops and cabin and dance bars revealed this fact.
The study released on Thursday stated that 32.7 percent women workers
responded that they migrated to Kathmandu due to financial problems but
only 3.6 percent women said they came to the capital due to conflict.Research consultant Dr. Ava Darshan Shrestha said that most of the women
workers had discontinued their study to help their families. They were
found contributing to their family at significant level with average
income of Rs. 3595 per month.
The study divulged that the women were deprived of many labour rights
provisioned by the labour law of Nepal and prescribed by ILO. They were
found working almost seven days in all three types of workplaces.
The working hours for a worker should be 42 hours a week as per the ILO
standard. Shrestha said they worked for longer period to earn more and
were forced to do so without extra payment. The study also reveals that
the women workers engaged in dance and cabin restaurants earned more than
those working in woolen carpet and commercial shops.
But the women working in cabin and dance restaurants were working fewer
hours than those engaged in other workplaces. But, Shengjie Li, director
for ILO office, Nepal said that question was whether the women workers
were engaged in decent jobs.
He however opined that the increasing participation of women labour forces
in different areas had contributed to empowering women.
The study revealed that most of the women were unaware about their rights
and most of them were beyond the reach of trade unions. nepalnews.com ps May 15 08
