Dhaka, Bangladesh: Women returning to Bangladesh after work stays in the Middle East – where they can easily become subject to physical and sexual violence, long working hours and low/no pay – are frequently the victims of lies, rumours and vicious gossip in their local communities.
A new study from Bangladeshi Institute of Labor Studies (BILS) highlights the shocking ordeals of female migrant workers. Up to half of them are victims of violence or rape during their stay abroad. 52% are forced to work without pay. 61% do not get enough to eat and drink, and every third Bangladeshi is deprived of their passports and other papers by their employer.
The work of the Danish Trade Union Development Agency (DTDA) and the Bangladeshi Institute of Labor Studies (BILS) in collaboration with ICMPD has turned the spotlight on the true experience of migrant female workers through ‘courtyard meetings’, these meetings are open air events held in villages and communities where returnee female workers share their stories. These meetings also provide the opportunity for migrant women to understand the reasons behind their decision to work abroad and change their own perception as well as to prevent their exclusion from their communities.
The testimony of Rozi Begum, heard during one the courtyard meeting, bears out the statistics of the study: she was brutally abused as a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia. To add insult to injury she was ostracized by society after returning to Bangladesh. However, now she is pursuing her dream of living a dignified life after receiving support from the meetings that were held in the framework of a social reintegration project, which was funded by the European Union (EU).
Link to Danish article: https://www.ulandssekretariatet.dk/artikler/effektivt-vaaben-mod-udskamning-af-migrantkvinder/
