Karmojibi Nari (KN) held a discussion today on the research findings regarding the current working Environment and social security situation of home-based workers in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh Office, at Hotel Lake Castle in Gulshan-2, Dhaka.
The discussion emphasized the need to include domestic women workers in the Bangladesh Labor Act-2006 and the Labor Force Survey, says a press release.
Trade union expert Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed welcomed attendees, while Umma Hasan Jhalmal, Vice President of Karmojibi Nari and Joint Coordinator of Nari Sramik Kantho, presided over the event.
Dr Felix Gerdes, Resident Representative of FES Bangladesh, delivered the inaugural speech.
Zakia Haque, Principal Researcher and Managing Director of Creative Pathways Bangladesh, presented findings highlighting the current working conditions of domestic women workers and the necessity of social protection for this group.
Keynote speaker Dr Mohammad Abu Yousuf, a professor at the University of Dhaka, advocated for including home-based women workers in the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics survey and incorporating them into the formal labor process through the Bangladesh Labor Act-2006.
The discussion suggested several recommendations based on group discussions regarding the roles of policymakers, trade unions, and civil society in future advocacy efforts. Key recommendations included creating a special group to include home-based women workers in labor laws, defining their roles, mapping the types of domestic work, and raising awareness through organized efforts, reads the press release.
The discussion was moderated by Rajekuzzaman Ratan, President of Samajtantrik Sramik Front, and Shahzadi Begum, Project Coordinator at Oxfam Bangladesh.
Other speakers included Tasnubha Ananya from the Bangladesh Sramik Kalyan Foundation, Mustafa Mahmud Sarwar from the Directorate of Social Services, and Iffat Ara, a Labor Inspector.
The event saw participation from national and international development organizations, trade union leaders, and home-based women workers.
Sanjida Sultana, Additional Executive Director of Working Women, conducted the workshop and delivered the closing remarks, while Arifa S. Alam, Program Advisor of FES Bangladesh, encouraged continued cooperation among participants.
