The Immigration Department has proposed a discriminatory amendment in the working procedure to restrict women going abroad alone.
The department has sent the proposal to amend the provision about visit visa to the Home Ministry. Women below 40 years will now need to produce recommendation from the ward office and family consent if they are travelling alone.
The department says the amendment has been proposed due to rise in human trafficking, exploitation of Nepali women abroad, difficulties in rescue if there are problems, difficulties in treatment while abroad and other problems.
Communication Officer with the department Tek Narayan Paudel told Setopati that the proposal was sent to the ministry three days back and the working procedure will soon come into implementation after necessary discussion at the legal section of the ministry.
He defended the discriminatory provision of family consent for women pointing that some women have been going abroad without family consent.
Women travelling abroad, meanwhile, must also buy non-life insurance of up to Rs 1.50 million. Women under 40 years don't need to buy insurance or produce recommendation of the local body if they are accompanied by another family member whether a man or woman.
The women until now needed to produce two-way ticket and hotel booking among others.
"There is no guarantee about where they will stay if they worked there. There have been risks of trafficking of women going for employment in that manner, problems in treatment if they are unwell or suffer accident, and problems in rescue in case of other problems," Paudel argued. "We are trying to update the working procedure to ensure they can be rescued even if they face problems."
Director General of the department Ramesh KC said the working procedure is being amended as the current one has been misused and to ensure that women are not exploited.
