'Recognise women's contribution to agriculture sector'

Although women constitute 68.1 percent of the labour force in the agriculture sector, they are still out of legal protection.
They should be brought under a comprehensive law and their contribution to the agriculture sector should be duly recognised.
Speakers said this at a press briefing at the National Press Club in the city yesterday. Karmojibi Nari (KN) organised the briefing to advocate for due recognition of women labour and demanding a comprehensive agriculture labour law.
While presenting the keynote, KN Coordinator Abdullah Al Mamun said around 80 per cent of the total labour force does not get protection of law and 48.1 per cent of the total labour force is involved only in agriculture.
Labour Law 2006 mainly deal with the factory workers and employers that constitute only 20 per cent of the total labour force and the law remains almost useless regarding the labour force involved in informal sector, he said.
The economy of the country is highly depended on the agriculture sector but hardly any law can be found that could regulate agricultural productivity.
The Minimum Wage Ordinance 1984, the only one achievement regarding agriculture-labour could not be implemented yet due to lack of required gazette notification, he said.
Speakers at the programme urged the government to fix a minimum wage for the workers in different sectors and also recommended reviewing the Labour Law 2006.
KN at the briefing announced that they would conduct a mass signature and post card campaign in association with other 20 partner organisations across the 64 districts ahead of the May Day.
KN Director Mahmuda Imam, Coordinator Arifa Akter Anu and Executive Committee Member Umme Hasan Jhalmal also spoke.