Around 50,000 Nepali women obtained labor permits during the first half of fiscal year 2025/26, up from 46,000 a year earlier, according to the Department of Foreign Employment. With domestic work restricted in Gulf countries and Malaysia, women are increasingly migrating to European destinations such as Romania, Croatia, and Malta for manufacturing and service-sector jobs. Experts note that although official numbers are rising, many women still migrate through informal channels. Women now make up 12.9 percent of Nepal’s migrant workforce.
