37,000 women as housemaids to Middle East

The Bureau of Foreign Employment says 37,002 women had left in the first eight months of this year to serve as housemaids in Middle Eastern countries.

Quoting latest statistics by the Bureau, BBC Sandeshaya says the figures for the years 2015 and 2016 stood at 73,226 and 65,023 respectively.

The figure will decline further for the whole of 2017, the Bureau says.

Subject minister Thalatha Athukorale has said she aimed to send fewer women as housemaids, and encourage them to take up jobs with high earnings.

The country can earn more income by sending skilled workers, she has said.

In 2015, the number of women who went for jobs overseas as skilled workers stood at 17,429 and the following year, the figure was 17,495.

Statistics show there will be no big increase this year as well, with 11,372 female skilled workers taking up foreign jobs so far.

At the airport

Of the 141,725 Sri Lankans who went for overseas jobs this year, 48,374 were women.

Most went to Qatar

Most of them took up employment in Qatar, a change from 2016 when the highest number went to Saudi Arabia.

Repatriated group of harassed housemaids

The western province sent the highest number of workers (64,901), while the Uva province recorded the least number, 7,305.

All these figures relate to those who had gone overseas after registration with the Bureau only.

Some go on tourist visas to do jobs, and they are not included.

The Bureau believes nearly 1.7 million Sri Lankans work overseas.

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