IOM has hosted a two-day training of trainers in the capital Dhaka
designed to prepare more Bangladeshi women for domestic jobs
abroad.

A group of 12 trainers from government technical training
centres attended the course, which was based on a standardized
training manual on domestic work for migrant workers produced by
IOM in Bangladesh in 2007.

The curriculum, which was developed with the government's Bureau
of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), provides general
guidelines for trainers and covers housekeeping, caring for
children, the elderly, the sick, health and hygiene, personal and
professional safety, remittances and language skills.

Currently women only account for some 4 per cent or nearly
21,000 of Bangladeshi migrant workers abroad. But many more
undocumented female migrants are believed to be working in Asia and
the Middle East, according to IOM Regional Representative for South
Asia Rabab Fatima.

"This kind of training to improve social and professional
skills, and provide internationally acceptable certification, will
improve the marketability of Bangladeshi migrant workers abroad
– particularly women," she says.

IOM and BMET have a long-standing collaboration on capacity
building initiatives, including preparation of pre-departure
materials for migrant workers and training manuals.

BMET is planning to expand training opportunities for women
migrant workers throughout the country.  In addition to
training programmes, IOM support currently includes the upgrading
of a key technical training centre in Faridpur
district.  

For more information please contact:

Asif Munier

E-mail: "mailto:amunier@iom.int">amunier@iom.int

or

Tanya Huq Shahryar

Tel. +880.2.988.9765

E-mail: "mailto:tshahriar@iom.int">tshahriar@iom.int