Lankan maids in Gulf to be above 23-years old

Colombo: The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has raised the minimum age of female domestic workers leaving to West Asia for employment. 

According to ‘Divaina’ newspaper, the age limit has been raised to 23 years. And those going to Saudi Arabia need to be 25 years old.

Measures have been taken by the SLBFE to provide extensive training for women who are going abroad for employment prior to their departure.

Similarly, the bureau has made it compulsory for all West Asia-bound workers to obtain National Vocational Level III qualifications.

SLBFE said that to ensure the safety of domestic workers going to West Asia, the new terms would also be introduced to employment contracts in-line with the laws of labour of the receiving countries apart from Sri Lankan laws.

The earlier rule, set in 2010, stipulated that female domestic workers going abroad had to be above 21 years.

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