Equal pay lures women labourers to community work

Dhading / February 23: The number of woman labourers has shot up with a new provision introduced by a non- governmental organization- equal wage to men and women.

The women workers who were left bound within home for family chores owning to low wages have now found new hopes. The number of woman labourers that do manual works in road construction, irrigation projects and others in the northern villages of Dhading has increased.

An NGO, Sahayatri Samaj in collaboration with Care Nepal has launched a cash programme for work in Baseri, Budhathum, Mulpani, Fulkharka, Aaganichowk and Salyantaar VDCs.

Samaj’s Executive Director, Radhika Sapkota, said the participation of women in the programme numbered more than half of the total participants.

Customarily, a male manual worker received daily wage of Rs 500 while a woman attending the same task received Rs 300 only.

Social worker Shova Koirala said workers regardless of their gender working in road construction and canal repairing works will now receive Rs 525 as daily wage and Rs 175 in supplement for lunch. Women’s participation has surged all of a sudden with the assurance for equal pay. RSS