Female manpower export goes up

There has been a boost in sending the country's female migrant workers abroad, which has more than doubled over the last five years.
In 2009 the government sent 22,224 female migrant workers to different countries while the number has stood at 48,463 in the first eight months of the current year. A total of 2,43,528 female workers have gone abroad since 2008, according to the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET).
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has kept suspended hiring Bangladeshi male migrant workers for the last two years, has emerged as the largest recruiter of Bangladeshi female workers. It alone has hired around 15,000 female workers till August this year.  
Jordan and Mauritius are the second and third largest recruiters on the list. Oman, Lebanon and Qatar are also hiring large numbers of Bangladeshi females this year.
Bangladeshi females are basically working as domestic helps abroad while Indian, Sri Lankan and Nepalese women are working both as maids and nurses, according to Bangladesh Ovibashi Mahila Sramik Association (BOMSA).
"It explains why they do not receive high salary compared to their three other competitors abroad," said an official of BOMSA.
However, they are now contributing substantially to the country's remittances, the second biggest foreign currency earning sector. But the BMET statistics fail to give the actual figure of their contribution.
Despite some incidents of their harassment which were reported both in local and international media, female workers are now being encouraged to go abroad.
Marzina Akter, who hails from Chapainawabganj, has been working as a domestic help in Jordan for over two years now.
“After the death of my husband seven year ago, I started working first in my hometown and later in Dhaka. But I couldn't save up enough to run my family. That's why I have chosen to work abroad,” she told The Daily Star over the phone.
With a monthly salary worth around Tk 18,000, Marzina now hopes to ensure a better future for  her 12-year-old daughter who is studying in class six at a school in Chapainawabganj.
“Although I face some problems here, I am pleased with my current job because it has encouraged me to move ahead with my life,” she added.
Foreign jobs thus have come as a blessing for many Bangladeshi females to be self-reliant and equal wage earners in their families. They, however, do not get necessary services from the government to establish their rights in their workplaces.
Bangladeshi females, in most cases, have to work for long hours -- from 14 to 18 hours a day, and their employers often impose restrictions upon their mobile communication with families and receiving salaries, according to BOMSA.
Migration analysts hailed the government's success in expanding the labour markets for female jobseekers, but they demand the government ensure their protection from abuse and harassment.
“Female migrant workers enjoy little freedom in their workplaces. Besides, they sometimes face torture from either their agents or their employers. The government must address these issues,” said Sumaiya Akter, director of BOMSA.
She also put emphasis on proper skills training facilities for female migrant workers.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Khondaker Showkat Hossain said safe homes would be set up for female workers in their destination countries to ensure better services for them.