DHAKA, 27 Apr (V7N)- Women and Children Affairs and Social Welfare Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid today stated that domestic workers in Bangladesh remain vulnerable within the country's socio-economic structure due to a lack of educational opportunities, leaving their rights unprotected.  

"Domestic workers face workplace harassment and abuse, and their rights are not safeguarded because of their educational disadvantages," she said while addressing a “Policy Dialogue for the Protection of Domestic Workers and Improvement of Living Standards.” The event was organized by the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) at the CIRDAP auditorium.  

The adviser noted that domestic workers are denied fair opportunities and facilities due to the non-implementation of the Domestic Workers Welfare Policy 2015. She urged civil society organizations and relevant ministries to collaborate to expedite welfare activities for domestic workers from their marginalized position.

Sharmeen praised Oxfam in Bangladesh for organizing the policy dialogue aimed at protecting domestic workers and improving their living standards, expressing solidarity with this initiative.

She further cited a BBS survey from 2022, indicating that there are approximately 2.5 million domestic workers in Bangladesh, with 90 percent being women and 80 percent being children who lack formal education.

Therefore, she emphasized the compulsory enrollment of every child in school and the provision of religious education alongside formal education. She added that acquiring skills through technical education would enable domestic workers to secure better-paying jobs both domestically and internationally.

The policy dialogue was chaired by the Executive Director of CAMPE, Rasheda K Chowdhury. Other notable attendees included Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman, Head of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission and Founding Member of Naripakhya Shirin Parvin Haque, World Bank Consultant ABM Khorshed Alam, Program Director of Oxfam in Bangladesh Mahmuda Sultana, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Dr Fawzia Moslem, Acting Coordinator of the Network for the Establishment of Domestic Workers' Rights Abul Hossain, and Deputy Director of CAMPE Tapan Kumar Das.

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