Bangladesh is one of the major labour-sending countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Revenue generated from migration is one of the driving forces of the economic growth of Bangladesh. According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET), in 2017 a total of 1,008,525 people went abroad for work and livelihood opportunities, with women workers, accounting for 12.1% of the total migrant workforce from Bangladesh. Female migration has been steadily increasing at a rate of 36%, 14%, 17% in 2016, 2017, 2018 respectively. The highest number of female workers (121,925) migrated in 2017.  Women have been migrating to countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon where migrant workers’ rights are still not fully protected through either national or international legislation.  However, in 2018, the migration rate for women dropped by a significant 17% due to widespread reports of abuse of women workers. This also led the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MEWOE) and BMET to be cautious in the recruitment of women migrants.

Poverty, gender discrimination and limited livelihood options in rural areas create a supply of women workers for countries with high demand for migrant workers. Limited mobility and access to services makes women susceptible to exploitation and abuse when they are forced to migrate or willingly choose to migrate. The exploitation and abuse take various forms at different stages as women lack information on safe migration, understanding on rights and entitlements to protect themselves both in country and in destination countries. Due to lesser costs of migration for women compared to men, families often force women to opt for unsafe migration to make a living. The absence of formal recruiting agents and appropriate service provisions in sub-districts combined with low levels of education and skills results in high levels of exploitation of women by middlemen, agents and employers in destination countries. At policy level a “zero-cost” female migration has been promoted. In reality, due to exploitation at different levels, the costs of migration are high. Due to prevailing social norms, female migration is associated with stigma, which creates a complex set of challenges for women when they return from overseas employment. This makes rebuilding lives after returning from overseas employment really difficult.

Expected Results

ER1: Targeted institutions at district/ sub-district level possess relevant understanding and information to offer improved women-friendly pre-departure support and services for migration.

ER 2: Policy makers and civil society are equipped with knowledge on the implementation of international commitments and areas to be addressed through national commitments.

ER 3: 3,000 prospective women migrants at the union level have access to information on safe migration and decent work.

ER 4: CBOs and Union Digital Centers have improved capacity to facilitate services to aspirant women migrants at the national/district/sub-district level.

Main Activities

•  Development of Information Package
•  Review government training curriculum for addressing women and gender issues
•  Conduct Training of Trainers for BMET & TTC
•  Evidence-based advocacy meetings at the upazila level
•  Advocacy meetings with stakeholders at the district level
•  Organization of annual dialogue sessions/meetings between migrants and government officials/relevant stakeholders
•  Advocacy meetings with CEDAW Committee
•  Advocacy meetings on ILO convention C189 and GCM
•  Launch and publishing of case study report of Women Migrant Workers
•  Desk Study on comparative scenario of female migrant workers in South Asia region
•  Round-table dialogue on case-story and study findings with key stakeholders
•  Organize Community Meetings at the Union level for community mobilization
•  Training of women information champions
•  Life skills-based pre-decision orientation on safe migration, risks & vulnerabilities, women’s empowerment, rights & legal support, communication, etc.
•  Conduct 120 courtyard meetings on safe migration, including returnee migrants
•  Develop video documentation and conduct screening sessions
•  Establishing Migration Corners at UDCs (Union Digital Centres)
•  Capacity building of Union Digital Center entrepreneurs
•  Forming and functionalizing CBOs of migrants at the upazila level
•  Training on Migration and Gender for CBOs‘ members/leaders
•  UDC training for UP Secretary and UDC entrepreneurs on safe migration
•  Establishing referral linkages for migration-related services, info and support at BMET, DEMO, TTC, UDC & others.

Participants

15,000 women will directly benefit from the project through capacity building or services accessed through CBOs, Union Digital Centers or information received from women information champions or relatives who received trainings. It is expected that approximately 30,000 people in these two upazilas will indirectly benefit from an  increased understanding of challenges of migration and improved institutional capacity of the government institutions.

Video produced by the project