Sunetra Choudhury/NDTV

New Delhi, Jun 22: If one is planning to move abroad and want to take a maid along, it's soon going to be next to impossible especially if she is not class X pass.

''I was in Kuwait and this maid complained to me that she was being treated badly, beaten and not paid. I had to get help for her immediately,'' said Vyalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Affairs.

The minister has done more than just this as there will be stringent rules to protect women working as help in foreign countries.

The rules, which will be in place soon, include a contract between the employer and the employee that specifies a minimum wage for maids. Also an endorsement from the embassy concerned.

Ministry officials say there are around 1 lakh Indian women who work as maids abroad with 1,50,00 joining the workforce every year.

Growing complaints

Everyday they receive complaints of maids sexually and physically exploited or simply being made to work without pay.

''I would never work abroad because we hear such bad things. They don't treat people well,'' said Mandira, domestic help.

''I used to send people abroad first, but there are just too many problems. People don't pay, don't get the right kind of visa. There's no one to stand guarantee for the girls' safety,'' said N K Kundu, Bansi Domestic Agency.

It seems that embassies wanted a complete ban on women going abroad to work as domestic help but the ministry just stopped short.

They're hoping that making the restrictions more severe should help.