DCW writes to Sushma seeking help to rescue women allegedly trapped in Oman

Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Swati Malliwal has written a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, urging her help to bring back 45 Indian women allegedly trapped in Oman.

The letter said that a few women sent a complaint to Navshrishti, an NGO associated with the DCW, alleging that many women from states like Pondicherry, Haryana and Punjab are trapped in Oman at the moment.

"These women have claimed that they went to Dubai in search of better employment. The agents had promised them nursing work in Dubai," the letter said.

According to the letter and the complaint, these women were placed in Dubai for a while, but later were taken to Oman and handed over to an agent there.

It further said, "The agent in Oman placed them in houses across Oman as maids. Their employers misbehaved with them, also giving them 'lots of work'."

The employers even deprived them of food and at times they were beaten too, the complaint said.

"They have claimed that they had approached the India Embassy in Oman for help several times, but they failed to receive any support," the complaint alleged.

It further said that few of these women have taken ill, while others are dying to meet their children.

"One of the women, who was brutally beaten up is a 60-year-old senior citizen," they further said.

They said that whenever they asked their employers to send them back to India they threatened them with jail time.

The women have appealed that they should be brought back to their country under "any circumstances" so that they can be reunited with their children and family.

The NGO forwarded the complaint to the DCW asking for help after which the DCW forwarded it to Sushma Swaraj and asked for her intervention in bringing these women back home.

Malliwal said that she has requested her to take further action in this matter.

She has also asked for a meeting with the minister and added that as Sushma Swaraj is extremely pro-active in such matters, she is confident that she would definitely help the women.