Rights Corner
Cell for women workers rights
Overall situation of women labor in Bangladesh is something very disquieting and distressful as well. The women workers are not paid their entitled wages and often their skills are used exploited. They are overburdened with extra work, and often abused sexually as well as physically. They work in pressurized and unhealthy condition. As a consequence these ill paid women laborers remain hostage to the wishes of their employers. They are deprived of monitory benefit and given the dignity of labourers. With view to assist this women, this cell has designed their strategy and works directly with women labors in formal/non-formal sectors and raise their awareness on human rights issues, like maternity benefit rights, minimum wages rights, rights of forming women trade unions, occupational health security and safety rights. The main target group of this cell are the low-paid women workers in garments industries, brick breaking, rice boiling factories, biri factories, cottage industries earth digging and the domestic workers.
The aim of this cell is to organize women workers of formal/non-formal industrial sectors and empower them through raising awareness about their legal wage rights and their status in the working place.
Key Functions of this cell
* Strive to secure economic rights of the women laborers both in formal and non-formal industrial sectors.
* Empower women with basic labor laws.
* Assist women workers through legal support in ensuring their rights as women workers.
* Range of services
* Organizes women workers countrywide to raise awareness about their labour rights.
* Promote sustainable women workers organizations.
* Assist the Association to develop capacity to bargain with concerned stakeholders to ensure equal wages safety rights and extend support services.
* Legal advocacy for recognisation of women workers dignity in the society.
* Linking and networking with national and international organizations.
* Research and publications.
This cell also provides legal services for these working women through BNWLA's Legal Aid Cell. Besides this cell has developed networking with different NGOs and organizations who are working in similar sectors and also organizing meeting, seminar, workshops. The cell conducts studies and researches, holds dialogue with different stakeholders, factory owners and concerned authorities on their working rights
Source: Bangladesh National Women's Lawyers Association ( BNWLA).
