Nepal's Ban...

"Nepal has banned women under 30 from travelling to Gulf countries to work following reports of widespread sexual abuse and exploitation."

Fact: Nepal is among the poorest and least-developed countries in the world. Almost one-quarter of its population live below the poverty line. As a result of this prevalent poverty, thousands of women - mostly aged under 25 - leave the country every year to take up menial jobs in cleaning or construction, with many heading to Gulf Arab states.

Following widespread reports that these young female workers are being sexually and psychologically exploited in their destination Gulf countries, the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal has placed an age ban on women migrant workers. The government's argument is that women above 30 years of age are at a lower risk of being subjected to these sexual and psychological exploitation.

But the important question is: will this age ban be a long- or short-term solution? Besides, statistics have shown that sexual and psychological exploitation are as rampant among age group 30-40 as it is among age group 25 and below.

Bidemi Ologunde 

United Nations Volunteer

For: Initiative Nepal