Exploitation of Women

Indian Missions/Posts in the Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries including Gulf Countries have reported that complaints have been received from Indian women workers, regarding non-payment of salaries and denial of legitimate labour rights and benefits such as non-issuance/renewal of residence permits, Overtime Allowance, weekly holidays, working for longer hours, refusal to grant exit/recruitment –entry permits for visit to India, refusal to allow the worker on final exit visa after completion of their contracts and not providing medical and insurance facilities etc. Incidents of confinement, abandoning of housemaids by their sponsors have also been reported. A statement showing the number of complaints received by the Indian Missions in the 18 Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries, including the gulf countries, during the last three years, year-wise and country-wise, is at Annexure.

The Government has already put in place the following measures to safeguard and regulate emigration of Indian women workers, including maids holding ECR passports, for overseas employment in Gulf countries:

      i.                   All women emigrants (Except Nurses) emigrating on ECR passports to ECR countries irrespective of nature/category of employment must be above the age of 30 years.

    ii.                   Since August, 2016, emigration clearance of all female workers having ECR passports, for overseas employment in 18 ECR countries has been made mandatory through six State-run recruiting agencies only. These are NORKA Roots and Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC) of Kerala, Overseas Manpower Corporation Ltd. (OMCL) of Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation (UPFC) of Uttar Pradesh, Overseas Manpower Company Andhra Pradesh Limited (OMCAP) of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Overseas Manpower Company Limited (TOMCOM) of Telangana.

  iii.                   The Foreign Employer is required to deposit a Bank Guarantee equivalent to US $2500 for recruiting each woman worker, in the respective Indian Mission.

  iv.                   Embassy attestation has been made mandatory in respect of direct recruitment of all ECR passport holder women workers in respect of all ECR countries;

    v.                   With effect from June 2015, registration of foreign employers in the e-migrate system has been made mandatory.

ANNEXURE

NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED FROM INDIAN WOMEN WORKERS BY THE INDIAN MISSIONS IN 18 ECR COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE GULF COUNTRIES, DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS

S. No.	Name of Countries	2014	2015	2016
1.	Afghanistan	Nil	Nil	Nil
2.	Bahrain	87	104	84
3.	Indonesia	Nil	Nil	Nil
4.	Iraq	Nil	1	1
5.	Jordan	Nil	2	Nil
6.	Kuwait	877	1005	1206
7.	Lebanon	Nil	Nil	Nil
8.	Libya	Nil	Nil	Nil
9.	Malaysia	30	21	31
10.	Oman	86	140	174
11.	Qatar	Nil	Nil	Nil
12.	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia	210	309	440
13.	Syria	Nil	Nil	Nil
14.	Sudan	05	1	Nil
15.	South Sudan	Nil	Nil	Nil
16.	Thailand	Nil	Nil	Nil
17.	UAE	123	219	239
18.	Yemen	Nil	Nil	Nil

This information was given by GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD), the Minister of State for External Affairs, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today (August 2, 2017).

Courtesy: pib.nic.in