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RANGPUR, Mar 7: The female labourers in Rangpur district are deprived of equal rights, as they are given much less wages than their male counterparts for the same type of work.
According to sources a good number of women in the region work in crop fields, brick kilns, husking mills, restaurants, hotels and construction sites and are also engaged in earth cutting, breaking stone chips and bricks as day labourers.
While visiting many areas in different upazilas under the district this correspondent recently found that a male labourer is paid Tk 180 to Tk 300 after rendering daylong services, while a female labourer gets Tk 90 to Tk 150 for the same amount and type of work.
Talking to this correspondent many female day labourers described the pitiful stories of their disappointment and deprivation at workplaces.
Most of the female labourers are mainly divorced or widows. Many of them are abandoned by husbands. So they are passing their days miserably.
Expressing frustration, Halima Begum (30), a female labourer in village Nazirdaho at Kawnia upazila told this correspondent if they claim wages as much as their male counterparts get, the employers become reluctant to engage them in work next time. For this reason they are compelled to receive much lower wages, said Halima.
Some young female labourers alleged that they are often become victim of harassment by their male co-workers. Even they become victim of lust of employers and co-male workers.
Motahara (35), a female worker at a tobacco leaf processing centre of a renowned multinational company in Gangarchara upazila in said she works at least eight to nine hours a day but gets only Tk 100 to Tk 120 whereas a male worker gets Tk 180 to Tk250 for the same amount and type of work.
They often fall sick by inhaling toxic dust of tobacco floating in air. Many of them are suffering from various respiratory diseases including asthma, cough, some workers of the tobacco processing centre said.
They urged the government to take necessary steps to ensure their equal rights.
Asked about the reason of such wage inequality, Akmal Mia, a land owner of Khansama area at Kawnia upazila said "Though the female workers are more sincere in their work than the male workers, they get less wages, as the male labourers are able to carry more workload than that of the females", he added.