Bangladesh - Two in three Bangladeshi women going overseas to work were abused by their employers, according to an IOM study launched this week in the capital Dhaka. The maltreatment ranged from restriction of mobility and withholding of wages, to beating and sexual abuse.

The study: ‘Returnee Migrant Workers of Bangladesh: Insights into improving the employment experience and opportunities in reintegration’ is the first of its kind in the country. Commissioned by IOM under the UN Joint Programme to Address Violence Against Women, it surveyed 101 returning female migrants between March and May 2013.

Globally, women constitute about half of the total migrant population. For Bangladesh the official proportion is about six per cent or around 36,000 women out of a total of 600,000 migrants. This figure has risen by 1,600 per cent since 1991, according to the report.

This is expected to rise to over ten per cent as more Bangladeshi women go to work in Hong Kong and Qatar. The Bangladesh government has recently concluded agreements to send more women workers and private sector recruiters in Bangladesh have been proactively engaging with employers in both countries.

Currently about 95 per cent of female Bangladeshi migrants go to Gulf countries on temporary contracts as domestic workers. Most are uneducated and travel without relevant skills and training.

Bangladesh receives over USD 11 billion a year in remittances from migrant workers – equivalent to roughly 13 per cent of its GDP.

Speaking at the launch of the study, IOM Bangladesh National Programme Officer Nishat Chowdhury said: “Although women migrants have low skills and education they send back higher remittances than men, and they contribute significantly in boosting the national economy. But our study clearly shows that the rights and welfare of female migrants need to be greatly improved.”

Begum Shamsun Nahar, Director General of the government Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) also spoke at the event. He underlined the Bangladesh government’s determination to address the challenges faced by women migrant workers. “As such we are increasing our efforts in the destination countries,” he said.

For more information please contact

Naziha Sultana
IOM Bangladesh
Email: nsultana@iom.int
Tel: +8802 9887978 / 9887980