By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : Realising that women are the most vulnerable among emigrant workers, the Government has decided to unveil steps for their protection abroad and amend the Emigration Act to provide for strong punishment for those indulging in human trafficking.
It will also soon establish a council to serve as a think tank to help emigrant workers benefit from the labour supply gaps in the overseas job market and set guidelines in the Act to hold recruiting agents in the country accountable.
Government was of the view that women emigrant workers, particularly housemaids, should be at the centre of all its policy initiatives as they suffer “gender and economic bias” and do not get the protection of labour laws.
“They are the most vulnerable … We need to make special efforts to address their concerns and problems,” Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) Vayalar Ravi told a conference of Indian Heads of Missions of Gulf countries here.
A host of measures for the protection and welfare of women emigrant workers have been finalised and the government hope to implement these immediately, he added.
Also, the amendments to the Emigration Act have been finalised and are expected to be in place shortly which will give a “statutory role” for Indian missions in the protection and welfare of overseas workers.
“Two important changes are relevant. One will give our missions a statutory role in the protection and welfare of workers and another will provide for stringent action against those indulging in human smuggling,” he said.