Explore new destinations, better professions

Skills training and orientation of women should be emphasised to ensure their safe and sustainable migration and in doing so the government may explore new places and better occupation, speakers said yesterday.

A study by UN Women Bangladesh has identified Japan as a potential country where women can find opportunities in caregiving and beauty businesses that offer semi-skilled and higher-value jobs.

It was aimed at moving women migrants from informal domestic work to the formal sector, and from unskilled to semi-skilled labour, speakers said at a knowledge sharing event organised at a city hotel by UN Women in close coordination with the International Labour Organisation.

During the study, conducted between May 2017 and October this year, the total number of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Japan was 1,153 with just 23 of them being women. But the country is opening its door to migrant workers, having seen a high demand for professionals and skilled workers in information technology, and nursing/ caregiving services.

“To avail themselves of these opportunities, they [Bangladeshi women] will need occupation and trade-specific skills, proficiency in Japanese, and comprehension of Japanese work culture and lifestyle,” UN Women said in its summery report of the study, titled “Pathways for empowering employment: Diversity and challenges for women migrant workers in Bangladesh”.

Most Bangladeshi female migrants are now working in Gulf Cooperation Council countries and West Asian countries such as Jordan and Lebanon.

“They face abuse and they come back in despair,” said Shoko Ishikawa, country representative of UN Women Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi women have opportunities to diversify their skills and to explore new prospects and destinations. For example, they can work as caregivers and earn higher wages in the countries of the European Union and in the Unites States because of the aging population there, according to the study report.

Good cooperation and linkage are necessary between the government, civil society and NGOs to ensure proper training of workers before their departure, said Rownaq Jahan, secretary in charge of the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry, who was present at the programme as the chief guest.

“We are thinking how to ensure their security. The ministry has expanded its dissemination of information and awareness programme up to the upazila level. However, the ministry alone cannot ensure security [of women migrants]… We are open to receiving cooperation from every corner of the world,” Rownaq added.

A network of NGOs working here and in the destination countries can help protect rights of women migrants, said Tuomo Poutiainen, country director of ILO Bangladesh.