Kathmandu, February 13

Stakeholders have stressed on the need for land ownership, entrepreneurial skills for the forced and bonded labourers in the domestic, farm and industrial works.

Though the government has launched various programmes aimed at eliminating forced and bonded labourers, the programmes have failed to bring positive results due to lack of effective implementation of livelihood support programmes, according to Madhav Gadtaula, joint secretary of the Ministry of Land Reform and Management (MoLRM).

“The MoLRM, in cooperation with various development partners, had launched a programme to build houses for the freed-ploughmen (bonded farm labours) few years back, but the programme stalled as the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation has still to clear the process of providing wood to build the houses.”

He stressed that effective collaboration and coordination is fundamental to end the practice of forced and bonded labour in the country.

Speaking in the programme organised by International Labour Organisation (ILO) to disseminate information on its initiative to fight against the forced labour, Gadtaula further said that the effective implementation of the livelihood support programmes will be instrumental to uplift the living standards of bonded labourers and rehabilitate them in the mainstream society.

In the programme, Miranda Fajerman, standard specialist from the ILO regional office in New Delhi, suggested the government to frame an umbrella act to protect and provide livelihood enhancement support for forced and bonded labourers.

In Asia-Pacific region, around three out of 1,000 in the working age group are compelled to work as the forced labourer, according to an ILO report. There are around 21 million forced labourers across the world — among them 5.5 million are children, 11.55 million are male and 9.45 are female.

A labour survey carried out in 12 districts by Central Bureau of Statistics in 2008 had revealed that around 12 per cent of the total workforce in Nepal are forced and bonded labourers.

ILO’s forced labour convention was held in 1930, and since then it has been fighting against forced labour. In Nepal too forced or bonded labour is prevalent in farm works, domestic works, manufacturing and other sectors.

Richard Howard, country director of ILO Nepal, emphasised that a decent working environment for all is the need of the hour.

Stakeholders highlighted that the abuse of child labour in brick kiln, transport and manufacturing and sexual exploitation of female are examples of the forced labour and urged the government for the effective intervention in these sectors. They also urged the government to ratify the ILO convention on forced labour, which will pave way to frame the legal provisions in the country.

ILO has a project named ‘The Bridge Project’ to fight against the forced and bonded labour. It is working jointly with MoLRM, Ministry of Labour and Employment and Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and also with security agencies and employees’ organisations in the country in the project. The project is focused on ending forced and bonded labour practices, human trafficking through awareness, livelihood support programmes, among others.