Barring women from unlocking potential

Speakers at a consultation yesterday said harassment against women in the workplace needs to be addressed properly as the unprofessional conduct bars them from unlocking their full potential.

The malpractices -- unwanted touch, intimidation and marginalisation by the male colleagues -- also take a psychological toll on women in the workplace, they said. 

Alongside the government, factory and industry owners have to take a lead in finding out the root causes behind the practices and take a prompt action through formulating policies, they added.

CARE Bangladesh arranged the consultation on “Workplace Harassment against Women” at a city hotel in the capital, where representatives from both government and non-government organisations took part.

Delivering the welcome speech, CARE Bangladesh Country Director Zia Choudhury said workplace harassment is a longstanding, serious and complex issue.

Nazma Akter, an activist of garment workers' rights and executive director of AWAJ Foundation, said awareness has to be created among people to make them understand the behavioural attitude that can be determined as harassment.

Referring to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Survey-2015, Maheen Sultan, visiting fellow of Brac Institute of Governance and Development, said over 27 percent women of the country said they had experienced violence in their lifetimes.

Speaking as a special guest, Shoko Ishikawa, country representative of UN Women Bangladesh, said the government has to recognise factors behind workplace harassment for its remedy.

Enabling environment for women in the workplace is essential, she said.

Sabina Sultana, senior programme officer, Multi-Sectoral Programme on Violence against Women, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, said among various initiatives, they have a hotline number -- “109”. Any woman can seek help round-the-clock against torture and violence by calling the number.

She also said they were working to launch a mobile app.

Tayabul Islam, joint secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, also spoke.