Bangladeshi Women Migrants Face

Bangladeshi Women Migrants Face
Abuse and Health Hardships abroad
UNDP Report outlines policies for sending and host countries to protect migrant women
24 November, Dhaka – A majority of Bangladeshi women migrants work as domestic
workers in the Arab states. Many of them face physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their
employers. Subject to mandatory testing they are deported when they test positive for HIV.
These are some of the findings of a study released here today by the UN Development
Programme (UNDP) and OKUP (Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program).
“The economic gains generated by migrant workers are enormous, reaching almost 9.4 % of
GDP in Bangladesh in 2007” said Stefan Priesner, UNDP Country Director. “It is therefore
critical that good working conditions and support are provided to migrant workers throughout
the migration cycle” he added.
The report, HIV vulnerabilities faced by women migrants: from Bangladesh to the Arab
States, reveals the social, economic and health toll that migration imposes on emigrating
women, particularly low-skilled ones who are lured by job prospects. The findings of the
study are based on almost 250 interviews which included women migrant workers who
experienced undocumented migration and faced vulnerable situations such as sexual abuse
and deportation on the grounds of testing HIV positive.
“Although migration itself is not a risk factor to HIV infection, the conditions under which
some workers migrate and their living conditions in the host countries make them highly
vulnerable to HIV” says Dr. Salil Panakadan UNAIDS Country Coordinator “In many cases,
HIV testing in both countries of origin and host countries breaches migrants’ rights – testing
is undertaken without consent, counseling, confidentiality or support,” he says.
The Arab States are the primary destination for many migrant workers from Asia including
Bangladesh. The host countries examined in the study are: Bahrain, Lebanon and UAE.
The Bangladesh study reveals that there is no minimum wage for Bangladeshi domestic
workers either in Bahrain or in Dubai. The study found that domestic workers in Bahrain and
Dubai are paid just around $100 a month.
Women migrants also face numerous hardships, including irregular payment of salaries, long
working hours, physical and sexual abuse. In situations of abuse, domestic workers
sometimes resort to running away, which increases their vulnerability to other forms of
exploitation, including forced prostitution or trafficking.
Domestic work in the Arab countries where the study took place and in Bangladesh is not
covered by labour laws and women migrants, therefore, have no access to legal redress when
exploited or abused.