Migrant rights activists on Wednesday urged the government to explore alternative job markets for women migrant workers as they were being exploited in many ways in the Middle Eastern (ME) countries.
They also stressed the need for increasing skilled women workers to enhance their protection and wage benefits abroad.
The rights group came up with the demands at a seminar on 'Rights and Welfare of Female Migrant Workers' at the city's CIRDAP auditorium.
Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) organised the programme attended by 44 labour welfare officials from Bangladesh missions in 26 job destination countries, among others.
MoEWOE Minister Nurul Islam, who was the chief guest, said the government was giving importance on sending skilled workers abroad. The employment opportunities of women job seekers would increase in the future through proper skills development trainings.
Sheepa Hafiza, executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) said the ME countries do not follow the UN and ILO conventions on migrant workers. So, the government should explore new job destinations such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other developed countries.
She said that as maintaining communication with the domestic helps is very difficult by the government and other rights bodies in the ME countries, the diaspora or long-term Bangladeshi migrants could be engaged to talk with them about their problems.
Addressing as the special guest, Meher Afroze Chumki, state minister of Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA), said all the women were not in bad condition. Many of them were getting due facilities. "But the bad experiences get more public attention. That is why we hear more about abuse and torture incidents of female workers abroad," she said.
Ms Chumki also stressed the need for increasing skilled women migration as it has a high demand in the job destination countries.
"There is a large demand for nurses in many countries. We should give priority to sending such professionals to get more remittances," she added.
Nasima Begum, secretary of the MoWCA, moderated the seminar while Nomita Halder, secretary of MoEWOE, was present.
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