36 pc female domestic helps don't use MFS

Thirty-six per cent of the female domestic helps who use personal mobile phones including feature phones do not avail digital financial service, despite having accounts, reveals a survey.
The baseline survey conducted by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) under a project 'Shuchona' found that 91 per cent of the female domestic workers who own personal mobile phones have feature phones and 36 per cent of them do not use mobile financial service (MFS) despite having accounts and receiving cash salary.
MJF unveiled the survey findings at a function at CIRDAP Auditorium in the city on Wednesday.
Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mostafa Jabbar attended it as the chief guest while MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam was in the chair.
The survey also found that those who have MFS access in their personal phones mostly use it for cash-in, cash-out, and mobile recharge, taking help from nearby shops, neighbours, and relatives.
Ninety-nine per cent of the domestic workers receive salaries in cash and only one per cent through MFS accounts.
Asked about the MFS adaptation, 92 per cent of the female domestic workers expressed satisfaction with receiving cash salaries due to two main reasons- lack of phone operating capacity and inconvenience to withdrawing money during any emergency.
MJF's project Shuchona was funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - aiming to empower female domestic workers through a formal national financial digitisation system.
Institutional Social Business conducted the baseline survey.

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