Domestic helps deserve better

Abuse of women and children is an affront to any society having an iota of self-respect. It is an abhorrent crime and is doubly embarrassing for a nation firmly committed to fulfilling the basic needs of its citizens. According to the 2022 survey report by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, there were approximately 2.5 million domestic workers in the country, with 80 per cent of them being underage girl children. These children are forced to work in violation of the law on child labour because of grinding poverty either to support their families or avoid starvation. Similarly, many women, often victims of river erosion, divorce, or other personal tragedies, get employed as domestic workers in urban centres. Regrettably, this vulnerable segment of the population is left unprotected by the law. They lack basic safeguards such as minimum wage, fixed working hours and leave. In the most tragic cases, they suffer torture, sexual harassment, or even murder. While abuse and torture of domestic workers are tragically commonplace in Bangladesh, only a fraction of these incidents are reported and brought to legal cognisance.

Successive governments have adopted numerous well-intentioned policies, yet their effective implementation has consistently proven elusive. The Domestic Worker Protection and Welfare Policy, announced with considerable fanfare in 2015, serves as a prime example. This policy aimed to elevate domestic work to the status of recognised labour, and it calls for fair wages, decent working conditions, and legal recourse against abuse. It set a minimum age of 14 for domestic helps, and outlined provisions for fixed working hours, employment contracts, and maternity leave. Yet, these laudable objectives remain largely confined to paper. A study by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) paints a grim picture of this policy's failure. A staggering 99 per cent of domestic workers and 66 per cent of their employers are completely unaware of the policy's existence. Such a lack of awareness speaks volumes for the provisions. If the policy is not implemented, what purpose does it serve? The fact that awareness remains so low even a decade after its introduction highlights the failure of the authorities concerned to educate people about the rights of domestic workers.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of domestic workers are condemned to inhumane living conditions, effectively trapped in bonded labour. Surveys reveal they are forced to work 10 to 14 hours daily, and a staggering 87 per cent of domestic workers receive no leave. Furthermore, 42 per cent of domestic workers are relegated to sleeping in open spaces such as drawing rooms or kitchens, and 96 per cent report that their wages are insufficient to meet basic needs.  This stark reality underscores the authorities' failure to uphold their fundamental rights. A number of NGOs are working in this area, but they are not in a position to meet the challenge of catering to such a large number of women and children. So, Bangladesh has become a fertile ground for exploiting the vulnerability of poor women and children. There are criminals ready to lure them into the trap of human traffickers. This dire situation demands immediate and decisive action. Society must recognise that a poor maid from an impoverished family possesses the same rights and dignity as anyone else. It is the collective responsibility of all to ensure their protection, provide access to healthcare, education, and fair treatment, and grant them the leave and respect they rightfully deserve.