ZCZC
BSS-04
WOMEN-LABOURER-DISPARITY (with picture)
Female farm labourers seek wage parity in Rajshahi
RAJSHAHI, May 9, 2019 (BSS)- Despite of identical work to male in farming
fields, the female agricultural workers especially coming from the ethnic
groups are still facing wage disparity in the region particularly in the vast
Barind tract for long.
Traditionally, most of the ethnic female members work in agricultural
works like sapling transplantation, weeding and harvesting side by side with
their male members.
“Interestingly, the female workers are most experienced and efficient in
works than that of their male counterparts.
They also manage their households and nurse their offspring,” said Nirabul
Islam, Training Coordinator of Food Security Project of Centre for Capacity
Building of Voluntary Organization (CCBVO).
He says large number of women in the region work in crop fields as day
labourers. But all of them are given low wages than their male labourers.
Around three lakh ethnic people live in the Barind area comprising 25
Upazilas of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj districts. More than 95
percent of them irrespective of male and female are involved in agricultural
works.
Around 40,000 of them sell their labours to other fields almost round the
year.
Mahfuzur Rahman Bhuiyan, Deputy Inspector General of Department of
Inspection for Factories and Establishments, says a coordinated effort of all
the government entities concerned including the local administration and
local government institutions is needed to remove the existing wage
disparity.
He, however, said the present government has been working relentlessly for
improving living and livelihood condition of the working-class womenfolk
through ensuring basic rights of food, water and sanitation in the region
including its vast Barind tract.
Fulbanu Hasda, 38, a farm labourer of Gordaying village under Godagari
Upazila, here today says the employers force the women labourers to receive
low wage. “When we refuse to take the less-payment they threaten us to
discard us from work,” she added.
Jahangir Alam Khan, Assistant Project Coordinator of Integrated Water
Resource Management Project of DASCOH Foundation, said the female workers are
more efficient in seedling transplantation and its nursing.
Besides, they show equal competence in weeding and paddy harvesting,
threshing and cleaning. Many of the land owners choose the female workers in
farming activities as their wage is less to some extent than the male ones.
Nita Hasda, 35, another farm labourer of Shahanapara village under the
same upazila, alleged that many NGOs are working here in the name of ensuring
legitimate rights to the ethnic women but none of them has initiative to
remove the wage disparity.
The women labourers work almost throughout the day without having any
urinary and toilet facilities, she added.
Arpona Mormu, a day-laborer of the same village, said the employers give
us Tk 250 as daily wage while her male co-villagers get Taka 350 for the
similar works.
She mentioned that the malpractice is taking place for long and none has
headache in this regard. Normally, the female workers don’t protest against
the wage disparity due to various reasons.
“Though the female workers are more honest to work than the male workers,
they get less wage as they are most vulnerable in the present social
context”, she added.
Raj Kumar Shaw, Executive Director of Anagrasar Samaj Unnayan Sangstha,
alleged that if they claim equal wages to their male counterparts they get,
the employers become reluctant to engage them in work for next time.
For this reason they are compelled to receive much lower wages. He said
some female day labourers who are victim of discrimination are frequently
seen narrating the pathetic stories of their frustration and deprivation at
workplaces.
As a result, ethnic households particularly those that are headed by women
are vulnerable to the effects of fluctuations in labour demand and health
shocks.
This desperate situation forces many ethnic women to sell their labour in
advance for an even lower rate during the lean seasons, and they work for
longer hours just to feed their families.
Rabindra Nath Saren, President of Jatiya Adibashi Parisahd, said some
ethnic women in the Barind are coming forward to run in Union Parishad
elections with the support of some development organizations but this is not
enough to ensure the needs of the most vulnerable groups.
BSS/SPL/AH/MR/ 1153 hrs