Training can protect migrant female workers rights: Speakers

January 11, 2018 00:00:00

Speakers at a workshop have called for providing training among the intending female migrant workers to protect their rights abroad and reduce violence on them.

They were addressing the national advocacy workshop on "Fair and Ethical Recruitment Practice of Female Migrant's Worker" held at a hotel in Dhaka recently, reports BSS.

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) arranged the workshop with the assistance of WIF Project, International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Full Time Member of National Human Rights Commission Bangladesh Md Nazrul Islam addressed the workshop as the chief guest. Adjunct Senior Research Fellow of RMMRU and Associate Professor of International Relations Department of Dhaka University Dr ASM Ali Ashraf presented the key-note paper.

ILO Country Office Deputy Director Gagan Rajbhandari, BAIRA Joint Secretary Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, INCIDIN Bangladesh Policy Analyst Advocate Rafiqul Islam Khan Alam, BMET Director (Training) Dr Md Nurul Islam, Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP) Chairman Shakirul Islam, Kormojibi Nari Executive Director Rokeya Rafeque and Women's Economic Empowerment Programme, Bangladesh Country Office, UN Women, Programme Analyst Tapati Saha, also addressed the workshop, among others.

The speakers said most of the migrant female workers contribute more than the male ones in their work places abroad. But, women workers have to face manifold problems there including wage discrimination, sexual harassment, threat and intimidation.

Migrant women workers are often denied their basic protections, personal security, guarantees, healthcare facilities and education for their children, the participants said.

Nazrul Islam said the domestic female migrant workers are more vulnerable than their male counterpart.

According to the ILO, 53 million women and girls around the world are employed as domestic workers in private households.

They often work 14 to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, for wages far below the minimum wage.