WUNRN
BANGLADESH - WOMEN MIGRANT WORKERS
FIND A VOICE
According to government sources, the number of Bangladeshi women migrant workers in 2011 totaled approximately 30,500, and their remittances totaled US$ 11.1 billion. Those earnings account for roughly 13 per cent of the country’s GDP.
Pakhi Begum left
As a teenager Najma traveled to
To escape an abusive marriage Abeeda Begum sold all her belongings and gave
the proceeds to an agent to arrange for a visa, a flight, and domestic work
abroad. Yet on her arrival in
In December 2011 several activities were organized by the government during the global “16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence” campaign to raise awareness about violence against women migrant workers. Through one UN Women-funded network, events were held in three districts: Rangamati, Rajshahi and Faridpur (the latter pictured above). Among the participants were returnee women migrant workers, aspiring women migrant workers, local NGO workers and government officials.
In Rajshahi district, men and women marched under the slogan “Safe Migration, Economic Development,” as part of a government awareness-raising campaign on the prevention and protection of women migrant workers from violence.
UN Women uses a three tier approach to support Bangladeshi women through the
migration cycle. They empower the women with comprehensive information,
resources and training; sensitize labour attachés in embassies and government
officials in receiving countries to the needs of migrant women; and help
rehabilitate women who return to
Photo credit : Anindit Roy-Chowdhury & Humaira Farhanaz (UN Women)