Facts:
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According to International Labour Organization (ILO), Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) hosts about 23 million migrant workers.
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Among these, Women account for 39% of migrant workers, and this count is continually growing.
How working women in West Asia can be divided?
In West Asia, Working Women can be divided into two categories:
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Skilled: include persons in the organized sector, mainly health care workers in West Asia.
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Semi/Unskilled: They are domestic workers, care workers, cleaning crew, manufacturing workers, salon staff and salespersons.
What are the job hardship and marginalisation faced by women in the West Asia region?
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Skilled women employees:
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Increased working hours without any remuneration.
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Not provided enough safety equipment like masks, PPE kits to health care employees,
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Increased mental stress levels of nurses and hospital staff.
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Semi/unskilled women employees:
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Business enterprises were bankrupt forced women to leave the country or work for lower wages.
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Not able to finance their health costs as their health insurance does not cover all the costs.
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illegal employees face more exploitation and abuse.
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How to address job hardship and marginalisation of women employees in West Asia?
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Address the lacunae in the system to identify the root cause.
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Implement Right-based policies to safeguard the interest of migrants.