‘Qatar best and safest destination for Nepali women’

Women in Nepal have started moving abroad in increasing numbers. They are spread all over the world for work and education, and Qatar serves as a desired destination for many of them thanks to its secure working environment and higher wages. The country hosts a large number of Nepali women working as professors, engineers, staff nurses, HR assistants, beauticians, security guards, marketers, salesladies, cashiers and cleaners.The Nepalese Women Society (NWS) in Qatar aims to bring all women under a single roof and encourage them to get involved in social activities. The organisation has supplied funds to help stop human trafficking from Nepal, and for educational support of orphaned and street children. Community caught up with Hillary Rai Tamang, NWS secretary, and talked about the activities of NWS among other matters. When and how was Nepalese Women Society formed?NWS was founded in June 2012 by a group of Nepali ladies led by Rekha Rai. The aim was to unite Nepali women staying and working in Qatar, to assist each other during the time of need, and to frequently organise programmes to promote Nepalese art and culture. As of now, we have a second working committee led by Sushmita Bhattarai Bhusal. Any Nepali women working and living in Qatar can come and join NWS. We have a vibrant women’s community here. We annually celebrate the International Women’s Day and the Teej festival. This time too, we are organising a Teej programme on August 25, in which singers as popular as Amrita Limbu, Sandhya Budha and Chanda Aryal will come from Kathmandu to perform. How many Nepali women are working and staying here in Qatar? What are the jobs they have?My estimate is that there are approximately 20,000 Nepali women in Qatar. Most of them work and others are under family sponsorships. Some of the women run their own enterprises. A large number is working in superstores, beauty parlours, cleansing companies, hotels and restaurants. Some are security guards, nurses, engineers, medical professionals and office managers. Are there any challenges that women face while working here? There is no gender discrimination and no bar on work in Qatar for working women. Here, we see women from Nepal, India, the Philippines, Egypt, Africa, US and Europe working at various places. And, Nepali women can learn a lot from other nationalities. Nepali women have more privilege and a secure environment here. Are there any recurring problems faced by Nepali women workers?Our sisters face problems associated with the lack of proper training, skill, orientation and language. I suggest all to receive proper training and learn English language before coming to work here. Other problems faced by Nepali women come from manpower agencies in Kathmandu and the Nepali immigration department. Agencies frequently provide fake information about their jobs. The immigration department, on the other hand, asks all kinds of questions that are less polite and less appropriate to women – even if they have all the necessary documents. What are the current programmes to support Nepali women in Qatar and community as a whole?First, I request all our Nepali sisters in Qatar to come under the banner of NWS. Membership is open to all. Our organisation recently completed a blood donation camp and the Teej celebration is coming up. As you know, Teej is the biggest festival of Nepali women, and it is pleasure to celebrate among our sisters here, away from home. How do you collaborate with other agencies to support the community and Nepali women?Currently, there are around 50 Nepali community organisations in Qatar, and we are collaborating with all of them. We are participating in their programmes and they are participating in our programmes. Do you also support women in Nepal?We are definitely thinking about it. We need to first make ourselves large and strong. Thereafter, we will actively participate in supporting disadvantaged women in Nepal. In the past, however, we have done some Nepal-based activities. How do you differentiate the work environment for women in Qatar from that of Nepal?The work environment here is very good. We don’t have to face any gender discrimination. Qatar is one of the safest countries for women. Here, I can drive alone in the middle of night, go anywhere during emergencies and there is no bar on work. We can work in any sector we want, and get better salaries. These prospects are few in Nepal. Do you have any message for women in Nepal who aspire to come to Qatar and support their families?Qatar is the best and the safest destination for Nepali women to work. There are a lot of jobs and opportunities that pay better and provide good exposure. I warn them to be careful with manpower agencies, some of whom tell all kinds of lies and take more fees than needed. Those who want to come here need to gather details about the work they are going to do, learn skills pertinent to the work and also some basic language and computer skills.