It was reported this week that Sri Lanka would gradually bar women of all ages from traveling abroad to work in menial jobs, following an outcry in the island over the recent execution of a maid in Saudi Arabia. There are concerns that a complete ban would have a drastic impact on Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange earnings. Reports say that early 1.7 million Sri Lankans are employed abroad and the $ 6 billion they sent home last year is a key source of foreign exchange for the government. Also, Sri Lanka’s bureau of foreign employment is being blamed for not taking effective measures to curb corruption at Sri Lankan agencies that recruit domestic servants to work in the Middle East. There are also concerns whether Sri Lankan lawmakers and politicians are seriously committed to protecting the welfare of migrant workers who are toiling to earn foreign exchange for their homeland. The politicians showed more interest in the impeachment of the chief justice rather than focusing on poverty alleviation. It has to be noted poverty drives families to send their daughters to the Middle East for menial jobs. — Sarath Kumar, Colombo
Political hypocrisy
