Abuse and 20 hour shifts: Plight of Nepalese domestic workers seeking 'Gulf Dream'
Restrictions on women going abroad to work as maids set to be eased after several states agree to ensure rights amid reports of abuse
Shanti Nepali shelled out 70,000 rupees to complete a six-month housekeeping training programme in order to work as a housemaid in Hong Kong. But when the territory's visa ban on Nepalese workers in 2005 scuppered her chances of working in the city, she ended up paying a middleman to work as a maid in Lebanon.
"I had to support my family financially," said Nepali, who was 23 at the time. "And I needed to recover the money to repay my loans."
Tilsara Oli, meanwhile, was married at 13 and lived through an abusive relationship for years. When she decided to take control of her life, a distant relative approached her with the "Gulf Dream". Oli had never heard of Oman but agreed to leave for a monthly salary of about US$300. She was 22.
"I could have never earned that much money here - not even in a year," Oli said. "I also wanted to prove I could do something on my own."
But for Nepali, now 34, and Oli, 24, their quests for personal and financial freedom came at a cost. While Nepali was jailed for working illegally, Oli faced physical abuse and worked 20-hour shifts without a reliable salary.
Their stories underscore the plight of hundreds of Nepalese domestic workers in the Gulf working in precarious conditions, many of them defying laws aimed at barring them from migrating.