Female workers at a dry-cleaning mill in Tarash, Sirajganj, Bangladesh, face wage discrimination, earning only 200 taka per day compared to 500 taka for men doing the same work.
- The women, who are the primary breadwinners for their families, work long hours, including washing, cutting, and drying fish, but receive lower wages.
- Local traders justify the wage disparity, claiming that men’s work is more physically demanding despite the women’s evident hard work and dedication.
- The wage discrimination has been ongoing for over a decade, with the women feeling helpless and undervalued.
- Sakina Khatun, a female worker, shared her struggles, stating that she supports her family of five, including her mentally disabled husband and three children, on her meager wages.
- Majeda Khatun, another worker, revealed that her husband does not provide for her, and she has been working at the mill for 15 years without a salary increase.
- Women’s rights organizations and government officials have pledged to address the issue, with the Upazila Executive Officer promising to take necessary steps to eliminate wage discrimination.
- Rokhsana Khatun, Deputy Director of the Voluntary Non-Governmental Development Organization, acknowledged that women face wage discrimination in many jobs due to the undervaluation of their contributions.
- Upazila Fisheries Officer Mosgul Azad stated that the drying traders have been urged to increase the wages of female workers.
News & Photo Source: Daily Ittefaq
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