After eight years of research, I had the privilege of presenting my findings at Nepal's National Labour and Employment Conference (#NLEC) 2025.
Dr Ayushman Bhagat reports on his experience of presenting his research and recommendations to Nepal's Labour and Employment Conference.
I shared key findings and policy recommendations to reduce the vulnerability of female migrant workers from Nepal to exploitation.
Policy Recommendations (General):
- The ban on domestic work emigration be lifted.
- Provide unconditional recognition of their presence in destination countries by registering them with Nepali missions
- Strengthen support mechanisms for migrant Nepali domestic workers in receiving countries (eg. legal desk, health attaché, hotlines etc).
- Develop and implement gender/caste specific reintegration programmes for returnee migrant workers at the local level of governance.
- Regulate unliscensed recruitment agents in Nepal at the local level (mandatory registration for every local agent!)
- Understand 'human trafficking' as a labour-related issue, focusing on a rights-based approach to trafficking.
- Discuss the social protection of Nepali migrant workers (seasonal work, care work, sex work etc.) in India.
- Ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CRMW) and the ILO Convention 189 (C189).
Policy Recommendations (to make Bilateral Labour Agreements on domestic work BITE):
- Make BLAs legally binding (under both domestic and international labour standards) with clear arbitration clauses and accessible judicial channels (rather than “amicable” channels) for resolving labour dispute.
- Include relevant stakeholders (Trade Unions, Returnee Migrant Workers' Groups, NHRC, DoFE, community organisations, etc.) in the Joint Committee and hold periodic meetings to ensure compliance with labour laws
- Include a clause mandating the NHRC Nepal to coordinate with human rights NGOs (or NHRIs) in destination countries to investigate cases of labour exploitation, abuse, and death.
- Include a clause on human trafficking in the BLAs and negotiate the rights of trafficking survivors.
- Include a clause to expand telemedicine services, establish twin insurance support between source and destination countries, and collaborate with hospitals and insurance companies in destination countries.
- Include a mandatory impact assessment before renewing any BLA, involving independent bodies and a feedback mechanism, to evaluate its effectiveness.
The full talk: (20:36 - 31:35)