The migration of Bangladeshi female workers abroad has been declining over the past two years since 2023.

The decline has been caused primarily by reduced recruitment by Saudi Arabia, the largest overseas job market for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), 1,05,466 female workers migrated abroad for jobs in 2022, with 70,279 of them going to Saudi Arabia.

In 2023, women's migration dropped by 28 percent to 76,108, including 50,254 to Saudi Arabia. The decline continued last year, falling by another 19.64 percent to 61,158, with 40,315 going to the kingdom.

BMET statistics also revealed that Jordan was the second-highest destination for Bangladeshi female workers last year, receiving 13,772 migrants, followed by Qatar (2,331), the United Kingdom (1,483), and the United Arab Emirates (1,036).

In recent years, Saudi employers have shifted their focus to hiring female foreign workers from other countries, including several African nations, said Ali Haider Chowdhury, secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies.

As a result, their interest in recruiting female workers from Bangladesh has waned. This has impacted Bangladesh significantly, as there are few alternative overseas job markets for female workers, leading to the continued decline, he added.

In addition to seeking skilled workers, Saudi employers also urge Bangladeshi recruiting agencies to speed up the migration process. However, due to multiple procedural layers, many agencies struggle to meet the required deadlines, Ali Haider said.

A BMET official, seeking anonymity, said female workers migrate based on demand letters from foreign employers.

They also undergo training programmes and receive certification upon successfully completing examinations, the official added.

However, female workers are not favourably placed for market expansion due to their low skill set and lack of access to multidimensional skills training programmes.

Jasiya Khatoon, director of the Welfare Association for the Rights of Bangladeshi Emigrants Development Foundation, said the absence of new and alternative job markets for female workers has left few options for sending them abroad.

"So far, female workers mostly migrate as housekeepers or garment workers, but with proper training, they could also qualify for jobs as caregivers, drivers, or even construction workers," she said.

Jasiya also said female workers are often deprived of fair wages abroad, which could discourage potential migrants.

"Many women still want to go abroad for jobs, but they don't know the proper channels," she said, urging the government to address this gap.